Save your precious time and money by using this approach to fractional-factorial design of experiments (DOE) for studies involving 6 to 7 variables. Highly recommended.

To read the article which was written by Joseph F. Louvar from Wayne State University, which was published in CEP, January 2010 edition, please download the article from the link below:

http://www.mediafire.com/file/qfxx293n96p92bk/simpligyexptdesign.pdf

Contributed by Prof. Dr. Nor Aishah Saidina Amin.

If you want to know about olefin price, you can refer to this site: http://www.lookchem.com/news/price/2010-6-22/394.html.

Propylene (CAS.NO.115-07-1)(refined level) : 40.12 – 40.38 cents (usd)/pound

Ethylene (CAS.NO.74-85-1) : 31.255 – 31.495 cents (usd)/pound

I’m interested in the glycerol to olefin project which supports the green technology efforts. However, China in the other hand, perhaps because they have substantial coal reserves have long planned to commission their Coal-to-Olefin (CTO) project. This is confirmed from the news which I just read from Steelguru.com, below:

It is reported that three Chinese factories making olefins from coal are slated to start up this year, part of a serious look that Beijing is taking at using its large coal reserves to reduce its heavy dependence on imported polyolefins. But before the government lifts some restrictions it imposed in May 2009 and allows more projects making polyethylene and polypropylene from coal, analysts say that government officials will want to see more details on the economic and environmental performance of the factories.

Mr Sun Weishan vice general secretary of the Beijing-based China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Association Speaking at a recent industry conference in Beijing, several Chinese petrochemical industry officials urged the government to give coal-to-olefins work high priority, considering that the country imports about half of its PE and one-third of its PP. The three projects starting this year will provide a boost to China’s polyolefin supplies. The factories, in the coal belt of northern and western China, will have He said that capacity for 1.56 million tonnes of polyolefins, or about 6.9% of the country’s current PO capacity.

I’m preparing a list of universities, institution, research centers etc that provides catalyst characterization equipments. The list, as can seen below, will be updated from time to time and I hope this can be a good reference for our research. If you know any place or any institution or any organization that provides related characterization  equipment, please let me know in the comment area or contact me at zaki.yz[alias]gmail.com. I welcome any input and feedback from everyone, not only CREG members, researchers in Malaysia, but from all over the world.

A) X-Ray diffraction (XRD)
1. Faculty of Mechanical, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia; En. Zainal (0197512727)
2. Ibnu Sina, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
3. Faculty of Science – Chemistry Department, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

B) Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)
1. Faculty of Mechanical, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (SEM-EDX & FESEM)
2. Ibnu Sina, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (FESEM-EDX)
3. Faculty of Science – Chemistry Department, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

C) Nitrogen Adsorption (NA)
1. Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
2. Ibnu Sina, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

D) Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR)
1. Faculty of Chemical Engineering (N29), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
2. Ibnu Sina, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
3. Faculty of Science – Chemistry Department, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
4. AMTEC, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

E) Atomic Adsorption Spectroscopy (AAS)
1. Faculty of Science – Chemistry Department, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
2.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

F) Temperature Program Desorption Ammonia (TPD-NH3)
1. Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
2. Universiti Sains Malaysia, Engineering Campus, Tel:  +604-599 6411, Fax: +604-594 1013; DR AHMAD ZUHAIRI ABDULLAH, Email: chzuhairi@eng.usm.my

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

G) Temperature Program Desorption Reduction Oxidation (TPDRO)

1. Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
2. Ibnu Sina, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

H) Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA)

1. AMTEC, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
2. Ibnu Sina, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

I) Thermal Gravimetric Analysis – Differential Thermal Analysis (TGA-DTA)

1. Ibnu Sina, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
2. Faculty of Science – Chemistry Department, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (DTA only)

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

J) X-Ray Florescent (XRF)

1. Faculty of Mechanical, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

If you have or know other institution that provide any characterization equipment, please contact me at zaki.yz[alias]gmail.com. I’ll update the list for the benefit of all of us….

Thanks.

Frankly, as a chemical engineer, I have never really studied or know much about laser. Laser, an acronym for light amplification by stipulated emission of radiation, is a really interesting area to study and apply. My nearest experience with laser is merely using a laser pointer during presentations and also a so called laser printer. When I was a kid, I learned about laser while watching Star Wars and Battle Star Galactica.

Recently, while surfing the net, I came across Arcor Laser, a company providing various services related to the laser business. I never expected or rather known such a laser oriented business like Arcor Laser existed. All this while, as mentioned earlier, I have just wondered and saw laser in movies, but in reality, laser is a very useful technology. The application of laser evolved around the automotive, aerospace, medical, electronics, oil patch, heavy equipment, military, power generation, research and development as well as fire arms industry.

Among the signature services provided by Arcor Laser are the laser welding and fuel cell welding. Again, I have never thought of a laser welding, but from what I read, this technology provides an excellent tool for welding many types of material. The focused beam delivers a concentration of heat with spectacular accuracy. This process results in a very narrow weld bead with weld penetration control as close as plus or minus .001”. The heat affected zone, unlike normal welding, is minimized assuring minimal dimensional distortion. These weld characteristics provide more reliable welds, more repeatedly on smaller, thinner parts, unmatched by traditional welding.

Despite of the advantages and benefits of using laser welding, several factors are required to ensure the success of the process. Before laser welding takes place, we need to select the correct type of laser for the material and thickness. Besides that the reflectivity and conductivity should be considered as well as it will affect the weld quality. Likewise the conventional welding, the spot to be welded must be ensured clean to avoid contamination which will result to poor quality. Integration of the entire above mentioned factor will ensure an optimum laser welds.

Arcor laser not only dwell on laser welding and fuel cell welding. They are also very capable in laser materials processing services, system integration, development of intellectual property opportunities, laser cutting, cladding, drilling, welding, and surface modification. In short, whenever there are problems using the conventional method, you can discuss and consult Arcor for innovative solutions using laser.

For me as a researcher, I may consider adopting laser as one of the techniques to gain energy and other products in the field of reaction and catalysis engineering. Who knows I may come out with a revolutionary discovery of the century?

Photo credited to http://opticsclub.engineering.ucdavis.edu/

http://www.ohgizmo.com/2007/11/06/ohgizmo-review-dragon-lasers-250mw-hulk/

Without doubt, research is an important area for our world technology continuous improvement. Research is deemed very important and it needs special researchers with certain background. On top of that, another very vital aspect to run the research is money. That’s why research grant is very important to finance the research in ensuring smoothness in paying research staffs, purchasing research materials, maintain research equipment, paying research services and others.

Unfortunately, the opportunity to obtain more money from research grants from the government was effected due to the recent economic crisis. The researchers throughout the county as well as other parts in the world are experiencing some tough time. Hence, it is now important to seek for other means of financing the research activities.

To do this, we need to promote our research extensively globally. One way of doing this is by writing reports, articles and essays on our expertise and general research finding to be published in websites, blogs, magazines, newspapers, book chapters, journals and others. In order to impressed and educate the readers and potential sponsors and financers, we need to present the reports, articles and essays attractively and the best possible way.

For this purpose, we can seek for professional custom essay, report and article writing services. We can search services like this by keying write my essay in google or yahoo or other search engines. On top of that, this professional service provider can also proof read our writings to make it an excellent and top notch article, essay or report. This is importantly one way of attracting sponsors and financers. Who knows, from this small effort, we may be rewarded and attract big companies to finance our research. We just need to try…

This is just not alternative at the time of rising fuel prices. It is also a way to “green”. To lessen our reliance on costly, polluting fossil fuels, a lot of new energy sources are being explored. Wind energy, hybrid cars, electric cars, hydrogen fuel cells, biodiesel and ethanol. You would find the world of alternative energy bizarre and erratic. That’s why we (Chemical Reaction Engineering Group) have been doing the research on developing new alternative and renewable energy over the past few years. The past decade, we have been focusing on transforming natural gas to gasoline using catalytic reaction process with the aid of zeolite base catalyst. Now our focus have shifted and we are looking at utilizing the waste produced around us…

Wood Waste, Sawdust and Empty Palm Fruit Bunch (EPFB)

This idea of generating enough sawdust to produce a useful amount of energy might sound weird. All the trash from industrial wood processing is generally redundant and thrown away. Some of it is reprocessed into particle board or into wood pellets for stoves, but there’s still a lot of unused waste wood out there. EPFB in the other hand is left just like that while small fraction of it is utilized for running boilers in mills. When left for a long time, the wood and EPFB will rotten, and this waste can be a potential hazard to the environment as methane is formed. Methane, as we know, is a harmful greenhouse gas.

With proper waste management, the sawdust and EPFB can be systematically collected and burned at a power plant designed for this purpose. The heat is used to generate electricity which can be used to run cars. The idea is more than feasible, it’s already in practice — a 14-megawatt wood waste power plant is being built in Nigeria.

Dirty Diapers

Dirty diapers sound disgusting. But used diapers are an excellent fuel source. The garbage can be transformed into fuel gas and fuel oil by using a process called pyrolysis. Pyrolysis is the chemical decomposition of condensed substances by heating that occurs spontaneously at high enough temperatures with catalyst and without oxygen.

The world has a lot of disposable diapers and babies constantly generate more. And it would be relatively easy to use special recycling bins to separate them from other garbage. Pyrolysis is best when it has been fine-tuned to the material being heated. Mixed garbage is full of all kinds of random materials, and you never know what sort of mix you’re going to get each day. We know what kind of the plastics and fabrics are used in their manufacture, and what is the waste material.

Conclusion

As conclusion, proper waste management is imperative and it can be integrated with process such as pyrolysis. From pyrolysis, fuel and energy can be obtained and this is indeed an alternative to the present fossil fuel which will last soon.

The 1st Annual World Congress of Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis-2010
(WCCAS-2010) will be held from May 19 to May 21, 2010 in Beijing, China,
with a theme of ‘Create Bioactive Molecules Green and Economically’. This
is a focused event on Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis, it aims to stimulate
interactions among academia, industry and researchers in this field to
exchange up-to-the-minutes information and promote their novel
technologies. On behalf of the organizing committee of WCCAS-2010, we
cordially invite you as a speaker at Track 4-2: Asymmetric Synthesis of
Biocides or Pesticides to present and contribute your invaluable
experience.

Scope
WCCAS-2010 is expected to greatly contribute to the promotion of new
concepts for the development of efficient methodologies for catalytic
asymmetric synthesis and its practical applications. The topics will
reflect this general theme, placing emphasis on aspects that are common to
all areas of catalytic asymmetric synthesis and the type of reaction
involved:

Track 1: Novel Technologies for Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis

Track 1-1: Rational Ligand Designs and Novel Catalyst Screening
Technologies
Track 1-2: Microwave/Ultrasonic/Photo Assisted Asymmetric Catalysis  Track
1-3: Practical Chiral Catalyst Immobilization
Track 1-4: Nanotechnologies in Asymmetric Catalysis
Track 1-5: Non Air Sensitive or On-water Catalysis and Solid Phase Catalysis

Track 2: Organometallic Chiral Catalysts in Asymmetric Transformations

Track 2-1: Catalytic Asymmetric Alkylation
Track 2-2: Catalytic Asymmetric Additions
Track 2-3: Catalytic Asymmetric Hydrogenation and Reductions
Track 2-4: Catalytic Asymmetric Oxygenation
Track 2-5: Catalytic Asymmetric Carbon-Carbon Bond Formation
Track 2-6: Catalytic Asymmetric Epoxidation
Track 2-7: Catalytic Asymmetric Aziridination, Cyclopropanation and
Diels-Alder Reaction
Track 2-8: Catalytic Asymmetric Carbonylation
Track 2-9: Catalytic Asymmetric Amination and Introduction of Other Hetero
Atoms
Track 2-10: Catalytic Asymmetric Polymerization Reactions

Track 3: Enantioselective/ Diastereoselective Organocatalysis

Track 3-1: Chiral Lewis Base Organocatalysts
Track 3-2: Chiral Bronsted Acid Organocatalysts
Track 3-3: Peptide Based Chiral Organocatalysts
Track 3-4: Phase Transfer Chiral Organocatalysis
Track 3-5: Other Organocatalysis in C-N, C-O and C-C Bond formations

Track 4: Applications of Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis

Track 4-1: Asymmetric Synthesis in Drug Discovery and Processing
Track 4-2: Asymmetric Synthesis of Biocides or Pesticides
Track 4-3: Synthesis of Chiral Unnatural Amino Acids and other Natural
Products
Track 4-4: Enantioselective Synthesis of Analytical Chiral Compounds and
Intermediates
Track 4-5: Asymmetric Synthesis of Optical and other Special Functional
Materials

Track 5: Biocatalysis for Asymmetric Transformations

Track 5-1: Mild to Extremophilic Enzymatic Catalyzed Transformations
Track 5-2: Enzymatic Catalytic Degradations of Biopolymers and Chemical
Polymers
Track 5-3: Microbial and Antibody Catalyzed Asymmetric Reactions

Track 6: Business Development for High Value Chiral Molecules

Track 6-1: Enabled Enantioselective Catalysts on Market
Track 6-2: Purification and Analytic Instrumentation of Enantio-pure
Compounds

Scientific Program
The scientific program will consist of plenary and keynote lectures,
approximately 30 sessions, exhibition and a poster session.
More program information can be found at:
www.bitlifesciences.com/wccas2010
Abstracts of the lectures and posters will be printed in the Conference
Proceedings, which participants will receive at the registration desk and
is included in the registration fee.

Location
The capital city of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing is a
fast-growing, dynamic metropolis that, while courting foreign businesses
and visitors, maintains a firm grip on its rich cultural heritage. Beijing
made history in 2008 with the first Olympic Games ever to be held in
China. The conference will be held in Beijing International Convention
Center (BICC) which is located within the magnificent Asian Games Village.
It is one of the Chinese biggest facilities specifically designed for
conferences and exhibitions, comprising 50 conference halls and meeting
rooms equipped to serve a wide variety of purposes with the capacity from
10 up to 2500 people.

Looking forward to seeing you in Beijing in May, 2010

Sincerely Yours,

Ryan

Program Coordinator
26 Gaoneng St., R405, Dalian Hightech Zone
Dalian, LN 116025, China
Tel: 0086-411-84799609-811
Fax: 0086-411-84799629
Email: ryan@webbitmail.cn
Website: http://www.bitlifesciences.com/wccas2010

1. Are you interested in delivering a speech in this congress? Which session?

2. Would you like to chair or co-chair any session of this conference?

Session details PS: http://www.bitlifesciences.com/wccas2010/program.asp

Ten years ago I began my Chemical Engineering masters degree. The title of my master thesis was “Optmization of oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) to C2+ products”. That time, I was so interested with the topic energy. That’s why I opted that research field because I want to help and contribute to seek for ways to obtain petroleum energy from other sources since the petroleum reserve is diminishing!!! OCM is actually part of the technology to convert natural gas to C2 products (ethane, ethylene, acetylene) and further on oligomerize to gasoline with the help of zeolite ZSM-5 catalyst. That time, in my literature review, it was stated that the petroleum research is going to end in 15 years time. I noted that a decade ago which means 10 years ago. If that information is correct, we shall be enjoying petroleum until 2015!!!

Is that right?

After I completed my masters degree, I work with an oil and gas servicing company. I’m not the only engineer there. Two petroleum engineers were employed after me. It is interesting to have intellectual friends like them to discuss about the  energy dilemma of petroleum.

One of them ask, “Do you think petroleum will last around 2015?”

“I’m not sure…”, I answered briefly and slowly. “Hopefully not”, I added a two seconds after that.

Being a petroleum engineering student, my colleague began his story…

“Petroleum is abundantly available down there inside the earth. The supply can last up to 100 years. The problem now is our current technology is not capable to retrieve the black gold. Hence, we need to keep on researching and developing new techniques and technology to retrieve the crude oil.”

What my petroleum engineer friend said make me realized that petroleum is still safely locked and stored down there. The problem hindering us from getting it is the technology. I’m glad I knew that and until now I still subscribe petroleum, hydrocarbon and offshore related magazines to keep myself updated with current technologies concerning petroleum upstream.

Yesterday, I came across this website – Bedrock Energy Development. It is pretty interesting because it introduces a new way of extracting petroleum…

The tag line say it all… “Laser Oil Well Drilling: a look into the future of the search for petroleum”

Laser will be employed to explore oils. Honestly, I never imagine laser application for the oil and gas industry specifically in exploration. However, this new tech has given the world some gleam  of hope and that’s very pretty impressive. Despite the desperate commercialization of green biomass and biodiesel fuel, the demand required by the world could not be met by these renewable technology yet. More and more research are yet to be done to ensure commercial viability of the green technology. Without doubt, the world still need fossil petroleum for energy at least for the next 50 years.

It was stated that lasers have the ability to melt rock in a way that will create a casing in a wellbore, eliminating the expense of setting steel well casing. A laser system could also posess a variety of sensors and imaging systems that could communicate with the surface via fiber optic cable. A new study will obtain precise measurements of the energy required to transmit light from surface lasers with enough power to bore through rocks as deep as 20,000 feet or more beneath the surface. This has certainly ease the traditional and complicated process of drilling to position the wellbore that will be then connected to platform for further processing.

Besides that, another aspect of the new study will be to determine if lasers can be used in the presence of drilling fluids. In most wells drilling “mud” is injected into the borehole to wash out rock cuttings and keep water and other fluids from seeping into the wellbore. The technical challenge will be to determine whether too much laser energy is expended to clear away the fluid where the drilling is occurring.

Well, despite of all this, the laser approach may be the answer to our mysterious technology to dig out the petroleum from stubborn earth crust. Let’s hope for the laser technology application success so we can still enjoy petrol and its’ derivative products at an affordable price.

Basic rule of thumb: less petroleum, house hold price including petrol will rise, and people will suffer…

Think about it.