Conversion, Low Cost and Polymer

KIT team designs low-cost photoreactor for efficient solar-driven synthesis

Green Car Congress

JUNE 24, 2023

Researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and their Canadian partners have designed a low-cost photoreactor design for solar-driven synthesis. The photoreactors have a low level of complexity, are readily manufacturable via mass fabrication techniques in polymers, and are easy to adapt to diverse photocatalysts.

Low Cost

Low Cost Kits Solar Design

Georgia Tech team develops conversion-type iron-fluoride Li battery cathode with solid polymer electrolyte

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 11, 2019

Researchers at Georgia Tech have developed a promising new conversion-type cathode and electrolyte system that replaces expensive metals and traditional liquid electrolyte with lower cost transition metal fluorides and a solid polymer electrolyte. A paper on their work is published in the journal Nature Materials.

Polymer

Polymer Georgia Conversion Battery

Researchers use melamine to create effective, low-cost carbon capture; potential tailpipe application

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 5, 2022

Using an inexpensive polymer called melamine, researchers from UC Berkeley, Texas A&M and Stanford have created a cheap, easy and energy-efficient way to capture carbon dioxide from smokestacks. The low cost of porous melamine means that the material could be deployed widely.

Low Cost

Low Cost Carbon Texas Cheap

UCalgary, Rice team uses flash joule heating to manufacture graphene from petroleum waste

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 30, 2022

However, a green recycling or upcycling solution that will simultaneously convert low-value asphaltene into high-value carbon materials/allotropes and develop end products appropriate for a myriad of engineering applications is still unrealized. —Saadi et al.

Waste

Waste Manufacturer Carbon Fiber Polymer

LeMond Composites licenses ORNL low-cost carbon fiber manufacturing process; transportation, renewable energy, & infrastructure

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 30, 2016

LeMond Composites, founded by three-time Tour de France champion Greg LeMond, has licensed a low-cost, high-volume carbon fiber manufacturing process developed at the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Earlier post.)

Carbon Fiber

Carbon Fiber Low Cost Carbon Manufacturer

Researchers develop nitroaromatic cathode with ultrahigh specific capacity and energy density

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 1, 2022

Organic and polymer materials are of great interest as electrode materials for rechargeable lithium batteries because of the low cost, raw materials abundance, environmental benignity, and high sustainability. The reaction path was verified as a conversion from nitro to amino groups. —Chen et al. Resources.

Energy

Energy Polymer Low Cost Recharge

Transform Materials plasma process converts abundant natural gas into high-value hydrogen and acetylene

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

The key to this transformation is a patented microwave plasma reactor system that generates these new products from methane efficiently at very high rates of conversion and selectivity. For acetylene users, Transform Materials enables on-site production of this important precursor, guaranteeing surety of supply, conveniently and at low cost.

Convert

Convert Hydrogen Gas Low Cost

DOE to award $33M to advance hydrogen and fuel cell R&D and the H2@Scale vision

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 11, 2020

This topic includes two focus areas to reduce the cost and enhance the durability and performance of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cell stacks for heavy-duty applications. This topic includes two focus areas aimed at developing sustainable generation technologies to enable low-cost production of clean hydrogen at large scale.

Hydrogen

Hydrogen Fuel Low Cost Idaho

New nickel-gallium catalyst could lead to low-cost, clean production of methanol; small-scale, low-pressure devices

Green Car Congress

MARCH 3, 2014

If hydrogen production is to be distributed and produced in small-scale devices, it would be attractive if the subsequent conversion of H 2 into a liquid fuel could also be performed in simpler, low-pressure decentralized units. Carbon Capture and Conversion (CCC) Catalysts Methanol' —Studt et al.

Low Cost

Low Cost Clean Cleaning Production

DOE awarding $1.6B to 11 battery materials separation and processing projects as part of $2.8B funding

Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 20, 2022

Such a plant would feed a 50,000 metric ton per year conversion plant to produce battery grade lithium hydroxide to support domestic manufacturing of the lithium-ion battery cells to power 750,000 electric vehicles per year. Solvay Specialty Polymers USA , Solvay Battery-Grade PVDF Manufacturing Facility, $178,218,568.

Parts

Parts Battery Batteries Lithium Ion

EU research project IDEALFUEL seeks to develop marine low-sulfur heavy fuel oils from biomass; Bio-HFO

Green Car Congress

JUNE 26, 2020

The IDEALFUEL project aims to create sustainable alternatives by developing new efficient and low-cost methods to produce low-sulfur heavy fuel oils from wood-based non-food biomass. Although cleaner fuels are available, many companies opt for HFOs due to their low cost.

Mariner

Mariner Oil Fuel Cleaner

U Kentucky CAER receives $1M for carbon fiber research

Green Car Congress

JULY 2, 2017

Department of Energy (DOE) grant to continue their research in developing low-cost, high-strength carbon fiber. The center’s Carbon Materials Technologies Group received the award for a project titled “Precursor Processing Development for Low Cost, High Strength Carbon Fiber for Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel Applications.”

Carbon Fiber

Carbon Fiber Kentucky Carbon Low Cost

Stanford’s GCEP awards $10.5M for research on renewable energy; solar cells, batteries, renewable fuels and bioenergy

Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 9, 2014

The following Stanford faculty members received funding for advanced research on photovoltaics, battery technologies and new catalysts for sustainable fuels: Self-healing polymers for high energy density lithium-ion batteries. The mineral perovskite is a promising, low-cost material for enhancing the efficiency of silicon solar cells.

Renewable

Renewable Solar Zinc Air Fuel

DOE awards $97M to 33 bioenergy research and development projects

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 1, 2020

Scale-Up of the Primary Conversion Reactor to Generate a Lignin-Derived Cyclohexane Jet Fuel. Microchannel Reactor for Ethanol to n-Butene Conversion. Conversion of 2,3-Butanediol to Biojet Fuel: Scale-up and Technoeconomic Analysis of Energy-Efficient Separations and Fermentative Diol Production. Project title. Federal share.

Waste

Waste Conversion Universal San Diego

DOE awarding $72M in 73 Phase II SBIR/STTR grants

Green Car Congress

MAY 25, 2017

This proposal aims to solve these problems by converting organic waste into chemicals with widespread use in polymer and transportation industries. This project focuses on the development and US manufacturing of a new battery membrane that enables low-cost and long-lived Li-ion batteries. Trash2Cash-Energy LLC. Reaction 35, LLC.

Grant

Grant Li-ion Waste Lithium Sulfur

Georgia Tech team develops melt-infiltration technique for scalable production of solid-state batteries

Green Car Congress

MARCH 10, 2021

Materials at low temperatures don’t react. The standard electrode assemblies, including the polymer binder or glue, can be stable in these conditions. The developed melt-infiltration technology is compatible with a broad range of material chemistries, including so-called conversion-type electrodes.

Georgia

Georgia Li-ion Battery Batteries

Northwestern team develops new approach to catalyst design using SPBCL and DFT; new HER catalyst 7x more active than Pt

Green Car Congress

APRIL 6, 2018

Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a new approach for creating new catalysts to aid in clean energy conversion and storage. It is a major challenge in catalysis to uncover structure–performance relationships that drive the design and optimization of high-performance/low-cost catalysts. —Huang et al.

Design

Design Chad Polymer Conversion

Yeast and plant fatty acids produce durable recyclable plastic; conversion into biodiesel

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 9, 2010

Like all plastics, the new material is a polymer—a large molecule comprising smaller, repeating units called monomers. The units are called omega-hydroxyfatty acids, and when strung together to form a polymer, they can produce a biologically friendly plastic. The monomer itself is relatively new.

Conversion

Conversion Polymer Oil New York

ARPA-E awards $37M for IONICS projects; improving solid-state batteries and fuel cells

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 14, 2016

In particular, IONICS projects will work to improve energy storage and conversion technologies in three categories: transportation batteries, grid-level storage, and fuel cells. Large Area Lithium Electrode Sub-Assemblies (LESAs) Protected by Self-Forming Microstructured Polymer-Inorganic Single-Ion Conducting Composites. 3,000,000.

Li-ion

Li-ion Polymer Battery Batteries

ARPA-E announces $98M in funding for 40 OPEN projects; two opposed-piston engines projects receive $10M total

Green Car Congress

NOVEMBER 16, 2018

Ecolectro is developing alkaline exchange ionomers (AEIs) to enable low-cost fuel cell and electrolyzer technologies. Novel Polymer-enhanced Rechargeable Aluminum-Alkaline Battery Technology – $2,000,000. Stable Diacid Coordinated Quaternary Ammonium Polymers for 80-230 °C Fuel Cells – $2,900,000. Ionic Materials, Inc.

Engine

Engine San Diego Polymer Lithium Ion

Cellulosic sugars company Renmatix raises $14M from Bill Gates, Total

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 16, 2016

The patented Plantrose process uses supercritical water to reduce costs in conversion of biomass to cellulosic sugars, the critical intermediary for second-generation biochemicals and biofuels.

Companies

Companies Polymer Low Cost Conversion

DOE to award $118M to 17 projects to accelerate domestic biofuel production

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 27, 2023

The goal of the project is to continue to develop a circular carbon economy that replaces the petroleum-based chemicals in consumer products with algae-derived and biodegradable polymers. This project will demonstrate the conversion of gaseous carbon wood wastes (terpenes) to renewable Terpenes SAF blending components. Viridos, Inc.,

Production

Production Carbon Conversion Fuel

Greener Steel Production Requires More Electrochemical Engineers

Cars That Think

SEPTEMBER 8, 2024

The conversion is an essential step in steel production and the most emissions-spewing part. Electrochemical processes and methods can be scaled to produce metals, ceramics, composites, and even polymers at scales previously reserved for thermochemical processes.

Engine

Engine Production Cleaner Wind

Ford first automaker to use captured CO2 to develop foam and plastic for vehicles

Green Car Congress

MAY 16, 2016

Novomer is commercializing a proprietary catalyst system that transforms waste CO 2 into high performance, low-cost polymers for a variety of applications, including foam and plastic that are easily recyclable. These polymers contain up to 50% CO 2 by mass. Low Finished Polymer Cost.

Ford

Ford Polymer CO2 Vehicles

Avantium acquires Liquid Light; electrocatalysis to convert CO2 to chemicals

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 11, 2017

Liquid Light has developed proprietary process technology to make major chemicals from low-cost, globally-abundant carbon dioxide. It will extend our capabilities beyond catalytic conversion of biomass. Renewable chemicals company Avantium has acquired the assets of Liquid Light.

Light

Light Convert CO2 Polymer

DOE awards $17M for vehicle technologies; batteries, PEEM, engines, materials, fuel

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 21, 2014

30 kW Modular DC-DC System using Superjunction MOSFETs This project will develop a new modular power conversion approach that utilizes both silicon and WBG devices to address the fundamental power conversion, loss, and component stress mechanisms. University of Colorado Boulder. University of Wisconsin - Madison. Utah State University.

Engine

Engine Carbon Fiber Fuel Battery

ARPA-E awards $175M to 68 novel clean energy OPEN 2021 projects

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 15, 2022

These new GaN power devices will enable the next generation of low-cost, fast, small, and reliable power electronics, which are key for efficient power conversion in data centers, solar farms, power grids, and electric vehicles. Stanford University. Additive Manufacturing of Amorphous Metal Soft Magnetic Composites - $1,900,000.

Clean

Clean Cleaning Energy Li-ion

DOE awards $34M to 19 projects to advance clean hydrogen

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 19, 2023

plans to develop a novel membrane system from Osmoses’ proprietary polymer composition that can produce enriched oxygen from air for integration into modular gasification systems for low-cost hydrogen production. The team intends to demonstrate high-purity (greater than 98% by volume, preferably above 99.5%

Hydrogen

Hydrogen Clean Cleaning Gas-Electric

Researchers synthesize battery cathode from lignin derivatives

Green Car Congress

MARCH 23, 2012

Grzegorz Milczarek from Poznan University of Technology (Poland), and Olle Inganäs from Linköping University (Sweden), have combined lignin derivatives, which are electronic insulators, with polypyrole, a conductive polymer, into an interpenetrating composite suitable for use as a battery cathode. —Milczarek and Inganäs. 1215159.

Polymer

Polymer Battery Batteries Renewable

ARPA-E awarding $60M to 23 projects; dry cooling and fusion power

Green Car Congress

MAY 15, 2015

The projects are funded through ARPA-E’s two newest programs, Advanced Research In Dry cooling (ARID) and Accelerating Low-cost Plasma Heating and Assembly (ALPHA), which both seek to develop low-cost technology solutions. SRI will produce its STATIC cover using low-cost, scalable processing technologies.

Fusion

Fusion Power Powered Low Cost

NEDO Selects Joint Nitto Denko, Kobe University Bioethanol RD Project

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 11, 2009

The Nitto Denko, Kobe University project is entitled “R&D into Polymer Membrane-integrated System for Distillation and Dehydration of Cellulosic Bioethanol”.

Universal

Universal Polymer Low Cost 2009

Mattershift scales up CNT membranes; potential for zero-carbon fuels for less than fossil

Green Car Congress

MARCH 10, 2018

A) SEM image of the CNT membrane surface, showing CNT tips emerging from the polymer. It consists of a carbon nanotube fixed within a flexible polymer sheet and aligned so that both of its ends are open. Dr. Freeman’s research is in polymer science and engineering specifically in mass transport of small molecules in solid polymers.

Carbon

Carbon Fuel Polymer Austin

Researchers engineer enzyme surfaces to bind less to lignin; potential cost reduction for cellulosic ethanol production

Green Car Congress

JULY 6, 2017

Cellulases (enzymes) deconstruct lignocellulosic biomass for conversion to biofuels such as cellulosic ethanol and biochemicals. However, lignin, an organic polymer in biomass that binds to and strengthens plant fibers, inactivates the cellulase enzymes via non-productive binding interactions. Whitehead, Chandra K.

Engine

Engine Production Michigan Universal

DOE’s $10M Advanced Water Splitting Materials Consortium accelerating development of green hydrogen production

Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 24, 2016

As part of the EMN, the HydroGEN consortium will provide industry and academia the expertise and capabilities to more quickly develop, characterize, and deploy high-performance, low-cost advanced water-splitting materials for lower cost hydrogen production.

Water

Water Hydrogen Production Green

ARPA-E awards $35M to 16 REFUEL projects for energy-dense carbon-neutral liquid fuels; leveraging ammonia

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 17, 2016

REFUEL projects will convert low-cost renewable energy into a transportable chemical fuel and use these fuels for transportation applications, while reducing production costs and environmental impact. Renewable Electricity-Powered Carbon Dioxide Conversion to Ethanol for Storage and Transportation (Category 1) The Opus 12, Inc.

Carbon

Carbon Fuel Energy Hydrogen

ORNL exclusively licenses plasma processing technology for carbon fiber production to RMX Technologies; 75% less energy, 20% lower cost

Green Car Congress

MAY 13, 2016

Combing these benefits with a low-cost precursor currently in development, the result can be a carbon fiber product that is 40% less expensive to manufacture than current commercial products. Oxidation is the most time-consuming phase of the multistep carbon fiber conversion process.

Carbon Fiber

Carbon Fiber Carbon Energy Production

DOE to award $35M to 24 projects to support early-stage, innovative technologies and solutions in advanced manufacturing

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 12, 2018

Argonne National Laboratory’s team will develop an advanced catalyst for polypropylene (a widely used polymer in consumer and industrial products) synthesis that outperforms conventional catalysts. Bio2Electric, LLC d.b.a. EcoCatalytic Technologies. Colorado State University. FeNix Magnetics, Inc. United Technologies Research Center.

Manufacturer

Manufacturer Waste Universal Idaho

DOE to award up to $4.6M for innovations in fuel cell and hydrogen fuel technologies

Green Car Congress

JUNE 6, 2014

DOE is inviting applications for novel cathode Platinum Group Metal (PGM)-free catalysts for the oxygen reaction and PGM-free cathode membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) for low-temperature and high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) and phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFCs). Hydrogen infrastructure (TRL 9-10).

Hydrogen

Hydrogen Fuel Polymer Renewable

Stanford faculty awarded $2.2M for 9 energy research projects; high-performance batteries, promoting sustainable vehicles, wireless power transfer for moving vehicles

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

The Precourt Institute for Energy, the umbrella organization for energy research and education at Stanford, will fund the following four studies: Nanostructured Polymers for High-Performance Batteries. This project explores the use of specially designed nanostructured polymers to make high-energy, low-cost, flexible and stretchable batteries.

Energy

Energy Vehicles Power Powered

Roadmap shows how to improve lignocellulosic biofuel biorefining with high-value products from isolated lignin

Green Car Congress

MAY 19, 2014

Potential high-value products from isolated lignin include low-cost carbon fiber, engineering plastics and thermoplastic elastomers, polymeric foams and membranes, and a variety of fuels and chemicals—all currently sourced from petroleum. Ragauskas et al. courtesy of Oak Ridge National Laboratory.] Click to enlarge.

Production

Production Carbon Fiber Polymer Fuel

Synthetic Genomics purchases patent portfolio from Febit Holding GmbH; accelerating work in biofuels and biochemicals, among others

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

This newly acquired SGI technology includes methods for highly parallelized, low-cost oligonucleotide synthesis and retrieval of sequence-validated DNA. All related know-how, equipment and technical support for implementation, were also purchased. Craig Venter, Ph.D., Founder and CEO, SGI.

Purchase

Purchase 2005 Polymer Water

DOE awarding $19.4M to 22 advanced vehicle technologies projects; Mercedes-Benz, GM Li-S battery projects

Green Car Congress

JULY 12, 2017

Two projects will research, develop, and use integrated computation materials engineering (ICME) techniques to develop low cost carbon fiber from a variety of feedstocks and precursors that can be used to make carbon fiber with less energy and lower cost. ICME Low Cost Carbon Fiber (Area of Interest 2).

Carbon Fiber

Carbon Fiber Li-ion Mercedes GM

Winners of 2012 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge

Green Car Congress

JUNE 18, 2012

Coates of Cornell University in the Academic Category for developing a new family of catalysts that can effectively and economically turn carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide into valuable polymers. His approach also uses a low-cost feedstock. Elevance Renewable Sciences, Inc., of Bolingbrook, Ill., Cytec Industries, Inc.,

2012

2012 Green Los Angeles Memphis

DOE issues $10M incubator FOA for batteries, power electronics, engines, materials, fuels and lubricants

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 18, 2014

If an alternative precursor can be used that provides good fiber and yield, the cost could be reduced. The cost to manufacture the carbon fiber is high. If an unconventional solution can be found to reducing the cost for either conventional oxidation or conventional conversion of the fiber, the cost could be reduced.

Carbon Fiber

Carbon Fiber Engine Battery Powered Fuel

KIT team designs low-cost photoreactor for efficient solar-driven synthesis

Georgia Tech team develops conversion-type iron-fluoride Li battery cathode with solid polymer electrolyte

Researchers use melamine to create effective, low-cost carbon capture; potential tailpipe application

UCalgary, Rice team uses flash joule heating to manufacture graphene from petroleum waste

LeMond Composites licenses ORNL low-cost carbon fiber manufacturing process; transportation, renewable energy, & infrastructure

Researchers develop nitroaromatic cathode with ultrahigh specific capacity and energy density

Transform Materials plasma process converts abundant natural gas into high-value hydrogen and acetylene

DOE to award $33M to advance hydrogen and fuel cell R&D and the H2@Scale vision

New nickel-gallium catalyst could lead to low-cost, clean production of methanol; small-scale, low-pressure devices

DOE awarding $1.6B to 11 battery materials separation and processing projects as part of $2.8B funding

EU research project IDEALFUEL seeks to develop marine low-sulfur heavy fuel oils from biomass; Bio-HFO

U Kentucky CAER receives $1M for carbon fiber research

Stanford’s GCEP awards $10.5M for research on renewable energy; solar cells, batteries, renewable fuels and bioenergy

DOE awards $97M to 33 bioenergy research and development projects

DOE awarding $72M in 73 Phase II SBIR/STTR grants

Georgia Tech team develops melt-infiltration technique for scalable production of solid-state batteries

Northwestern team develops new approach to catalyst design using SPBCL and DFT; new HER catalyst 7x more active than Pt

Yeast and plant fatty acids produce durable recyclable plastic; conversion into biodiesel

ARPA-E awards $37M for IONICS projects; improving solid-state batteries and fuel cells

ARPA-E announces $98M in funding for 40 OPEN projects; two opposed-piston engines projects receive $10M total

Cellulosic sugars company Renmatix raises $14M from Bill Gates, Total

DOE to award $118M to 17 projects to accelerate domestic biofuel production

Greener Steel Production Requires More Electrochemical Engineers

Ford first automaker to use captured CO2 to develop foam and plastic for vehicles

Avantium acquires Liquid Light; electrocatalysis to convert CO2 to chemicals

DOE awards $17M for vehicle technologies; batteries, PEEM, engines, materials, fuel

ARPA-E awards $175M to 68 novel clean energy OPEN 2021 projects

DOE awards $34M to 19 projects to advance clean hydrogen

Researchers synthesize battery cathode from lignin derivatives

ARPA-E awarding $60M to 23 projects; dry cooling and fusion power

NEDO Selects Joint Nitto Denko, Kobe University Bioethanol RD Project

Mattershift scales up CNT membranes; potential for zero-carbon fuels for less than fossil

Researchers engineer enzyme surfaces to bind less to lignin; potential cost reduction for cellulosic ethanol production

DOE’s $10M Advanced Water Splitting Materials Consortium accelerating development of green hydrogen production

ARPA-E awards $35M to 16 REFUEL projects for energy-dense carbon-neutral liquid fuels; leveraging ammonia

ORNL exclusively licenses plasma processing technology for carbon fiber production to RMX Technologies; 75% less energy, 20% lower cost

DOE to award $35M to 24 projects to support early-stage, innovative technologies and solutions in advanced manufacturing

DOE to award up to $4.6M for innovations in fuel cell and hydrogen fuel technologies

Stanford faculty awarded $2.2M for 9 energy research projects; high-performance batteries, promoting sustainable vehicles, wireless power transfer for moving vehicles

Roadmap shows how to improve lignocellulosic biofuel biorefining with high-value products from isolated lignin

Synthetic Genomics purchases patent portfolio from Febit Holding GmbH; accelerating work in biofuels and biochemicals, among others

DOE awarding $19.4M to 22 advanced vehicle technologies projects; Mercedes-Benz, GM Li-S battery projects

Winners of 2012 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge

DOE issues $10M incubator FOA for batteries, power electronics, engines, materials, fuels and lubricants

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