Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Division (CRE) AIChE members with interests in catalysis, industrial and engineering chemistry, fuel chemistry and petroleum should join the CRE division. In addition to developing the technical program for AIChE's national meetings, the division serves as an information exchange for knowledge of technical publications, computer programs, databases, catalysis and reaction engineering research centers, networks and programs.
CEP: News Update October2019News UpdateAIChE Diversity Report Highlights Gaps in Inclusion Researchers at the Univ. of Michigan (UM) recently published a study that examines the experiences of women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and...
Mitigating Risk: A Commercializing New Catalyst Technology in a World Scale Ethylene Plant Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 2, 2019Bringing a new ethylene plant on stream and to full capacity quickly and smoothly is a tremendous undertaking. This is especially true in ethylene...
Modular Biocatalysis Archived Webinar Jun 29, 2010 Modularity is a highly sought after feature in engineering design. A modular catalyst is a multi-component system whose parts can be predictably interchanged for functional flexibility and variety...
Evaluate Catalyst Replacement Economics: Part 2 — Continuous Replacement March2019Reactions and SeparationsGary Sawyer, P.E.Reaction conversion and selectivity can deteriorate as a catalyst ages. Optimize continuous catalyst makeup and replacement rate to improve profitability.
Orlin Velev on Microscale Engineering of Responsive, Flexible and Reconfigurable Particle Structures November 1, 2018Orlin Velev of NCSU discusses the work he's presenting in the 2018 Andreas Acrivos Award for Professional Progress in Chemical Engineering Lecture with Chris Jones of Georgia Tech.
AIChE Journal Highlight: Using Machine Learning for Catalyst Design July2018Journal HighlightMachine learning is beginning to make a large impact in catalysis research, according to Bryan Goldsmith, Jacques Esterhuizen, and Jin-Xun Liu of the Univ. of Michigan, Christopher Bartel of the Univ. of Colorado Boulder, and Christopher Sutton of the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society in their July AIChE Journal Perspective article, “Machine Learning for Heterogeneous Catalyst Design and Discovery.”
AIChE Journal Article on “Green” Catalysis Technique Aiming to Boost Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Efficiency Tops Altmetrics Charts March 5, 2018New green catalyst draws attention for its speed and efficiency.
New Catalyst Efficiently Turns Methane into Fuels January 10, 2018Researchers have devised a single-atom alloy catalyst that requires significantly less energy to turn shale-gas methane into hydrocarbon fuels.
CEP: News Update January2018News UpdateNew Technique 3D Prints Living Materials Although most 3D printers produce objects from inorganic matter, an international team of scientists has developed a way for their prints to take on a life of their own. Engineers Put Two-Dimensional...
Rapid Hydrotreating Catalyst Lifetime Determination and Deactivation Sensitivity Assay Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 29, 2017Activity and stability of hydrotreating catalyst is extremely important in hydroprocessing, as it determines how long the reactor can be operated...
Biojet Fuel Production from Ethanol and Isobutanol Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 28, 2017Biojet fuels production from renewable ethanol and isobutanol will significantly reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from the aviation industry. In...
Synthesis of Fine Chemicals by Heterogeneous Catalysis: A Critical Approach of the Role of Solvent for Hydrogenation Reactions Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingNovember 5, 2013The synthesis of fine chemicals over solid catalysts often involves the use of solvents that may strongly influence the catalyst performance. Thus ,...
Enabling Predictive Catalyst and Reaction Design in Asymmetric Organocatalysis (Invited) Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingOctober 30, 2012Over the past several decades, the burgeoning field of asymmetric organocatalysis has introduced novel solutions to a number of transformations that...
Catalytic Cracking of Oak Pyrolytic Vapors Via Bench-Scale In-Situ Fixed-Bed Catalysis Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingOctober 16, 2011Pyrolysis oils derived from lignocellulosic feedstocks by way of fast pyrolysis offer the possibility of a distinct alternative to the use of...
Transesterification of Activated Sludge Oil by Ionic Liquid Supported Acid Catalysis Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingNovember 7, 2010Progress in the transesterification of vegetable oils has been achieved using ionic liquids. Ionic liquids have been found to provide an ideal medium...
Success and Prospects in Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingNovember 16, 2008Some of the most important chemicals in the world are catalysts. Catalytic processes account for nearly one third of the global gross domestic...
Oxygen Sponge May Also Function as Hydrogen Sponge November 9, 2017The discovery could improve catalysts for selective hydrogenation reactions that are vital to the production of plastics and fuels.
Christopher Jones on Engineering Amine-Modified Silicates for CO2 Separations and Catalysis November 2, 2017Chris discusses with Samir Mitragotri of Harvard the work presented in the 2017 Andreas Acrivos Award lecture.
Catalyzing Commercialization: Novel Catalysts Enhance Propylene Oxide Production October2017Catalyzing CommercializationPropylene oxide (PO) is a major commodity chemical used to produce intermediate chemicals, such as propylene glycol, polyether polyols, and polyurethanes, that go into a variety of end products, including coatings, adhesives, furniture foams, and automobiles. A California-based startup has developed a new, drop-in replacement catalyst for PO production.
Graduate Research Spotlight: Meet Nicholas Thornburg January 16, 2017Learn about the innovative work that Nicholas is doing in the area of catalysis at Northwestern University.
Catalyzing Commercialization: Sour Gas Has a Sweeter Future January2017Catalyzing CommercializationMany distributed natural-gas-containing resources, which include natural gas, landfill gas, and biogas, contain significant amounts of sulfur (mainly as hydrogen sulfide). The sulfur content in these gases, which can range from several hundred parts per million to several percent, must be reduced to acceptable levels (e.g., 1 ppm for demanding catalytic processes and several hundred ppm for internal combustion engines or boilers) before these gases can be utilized.
Interview: G.Q. Max Lu on Engineering Nanocrystalline Photocatalysts for Energy and Environmental Applications November 17, 2016G.Q.
CEP: News Update November2016News UpdateShapeshifting Material Unfolds with Time A new hydrogel material can change shape on its own schedule. Cobalt Gets a New Look for Fischer-Tropsch The Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process converts synthesis gas (a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen)...
AIChE Journal Highlight: Designing Materials for a Sustainable Future October2016Journal HighlightAs the pressing needs of the world gradually shift toward the sustainable supply of energy and raw materials, preservation of natural resources and the environment, and targeted delivery of services and products, new opportunities arise for chemical...
New Work Boosts LIthium-Ion Battery Performance August 24, 2016Researchers at Kansas State University and Catalyst Power Technologies Inc. have recently received a patent that promises higher efficiency for lithium-ion batteries.
Introduction to Catalysis and Industrial Catalytic Processes April, 2016This book explains the fundamental principles of catalysis and their applications in an introductory text intended to excite those contemplating an industrial career in the chemical, petroleum, alternative energy, and environmental fields. It focuses on non-proprietary, basic chemistries with...
Predictive Modeling in Catalysis - From Dream to Reality June2009On The HorizonAna G. MaldonadoIn silicocatalyst optimization is the ultimate application of computers in catalysis. This article provides an overview of the basic concepts of predictive modeling and describes how this technique can be used in catalyst and reaction design.
Catalyzing Commercialization: Magnetic Enzyme Immobilization Set to Unlock the Power of Biocatalysis May2016Catalyzing CommercializationBiocatalysis, the use of enzymes to perform synthetic chemistry, has grown in significance. Today, enzymes are becoming part of the essential toolbox for the industrial synthesis of high-purity chemicals.