Johnson Matthey Technology ReviewJohnson Matthey Technology Review

Closed-Loop Recycling of Polymers Using Solvents

Johnson Matthey Technology Review — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 08:02:38 +0000

Recycling of plastic is an established technology contributing to a circular economy. A sustainable society requires recycling to produce high quality feedstocks from all types of reusable waste. New recycling technologies will help to improve waste management practices, for instance dissolving plastic waste in a solvent to purify and maintain its material properties. In solution it is also possible to depolymerise polymers into monomers that can be used to remake virgin-grade material. In this review the advantages and disadvantages of three solvent-based recycling processes will be considered: separation of cotton and polyester (polyethylene terephthalate (PET)) textiles, chemical recycling of polylactic acid (PLA) and dissolution-precipitation of polyvinylchloride (PVC). The current state of the art and future prospects are discussed, including a brief overview of how solvents are being used to process other types of plastic waste.

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In the Lab: Alternative Recycling Process for Lithium-ion Batteries: Molten Salt Approach

Johnson Matthey Technology Review — Wed, 06 Nov 2019 15:31:59 +0000

Ruth Carvajal-Ortiz’s current research is centred around innovation in energy storage. She has a special focus on the characterisation of materials, molten salts and their potential applications to several industrial processes, such as metal production and recovery. Currently a research fellow at Coventry University, UK, Ruth is in charge of the molten salts recycling work...

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Assessing the Role of Big Data and the Internet of Things on the Transition to Circular Economy: Part I

Johnson Matthey Technology Review — Wed, 13 Nov 2019 16:00:31 +0000

The debate about circular economy (CE) is increasingly present in the strategic agenda of organisations around the world, being driven by government agencies and general population pressures, or by organisations’ own vision for a sustainable future. This is due in part to the increasing possibility of turning original theoretical CE proposals into real economically viable initiatives, now possible with modern technology applications such as big data and the internet of things (IoT). Information technology (IT) professionals have been called upon to incorporate technology projects into their strategic plans to support their organisations’ transition to CE, but a structured framework with the necessary IT capabilities still lacks. This study focuses on taking the first step towards this path, by extending the technology attributes present on the existing Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) Regenerate, Share, Optimise, Loop, Virtualise and Exchange (ReSOLVE) framework. The research was conducted based on an extensive literature review through 226 articles retrieved from Scopus^® and Web of Science^TM databases, which were triangulated, validated and complemented with content analysis using the ‘R’ statistical tool, grey literature research and inputs from specialists. Part I describes the introduction and methods used in this study.

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Assessing the Role of Big Data and the Internet of Things on the Transition to Circular Economy: Part II

Johnson Matthey Technology Review — Fri, 15 Nov 2019 14:28:31 +0000

This paper presents the main findings of a literature-based study of circular economy (CE) extending the technology attributes present on the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) Regenerate, Share, Optimise, Loop, Virtualise and Exchange (ReSOLVE) framework. The introduction and methods were presented in Part I (1). Part II concludes that there are 39 capabilities grouped into six elementary CE principles and five action groups, with public administration being the most interested sector, forming the CE information technology (IT) capabilities framework. It is expected the framework can be used as a diagnostic tool to allow organisations to evaluate their technological gaps and plan their IT investments to support the transition to CE.

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Hydrocarbonyl Processes for Conversion of Platinum-Rhodium-Palladium Alloys

Johnson Matthey Technology Review — Tue, 03 Dec 2019 10:03:54 +0000

A novel process for the recovery of platinum group metals (pgms) from ternary alloys using a hydrocarbonyl process is proposed. The hydrocarbonyl process involves treatment of a chloride solution of the pgms with carbon monoxide at ambient pressure. The results demonstrate that the process can provide high purity pgms from a ternary platinum-rhodium-palladium alloy such as that obtained from palladium-nickel catchment alloys used with platinum-rhodium gauzes during high temperature ammonia oxidation.

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Improving Circular Economy Business Models: Opportunities for Business and Innovation

Johnson Matthey Technology Review — Wed, 04 Dec 2019 12:09:08 +0000

The circular economy (CE) is aimed at closing material loops by reducing and recovering resources in production and consumption processes. Many studies have discussed how CE helps companies create business opportunities while bringing environmental benefits. The business case for CE involves complicated issues such as industrial symbiosis, governmental interventions and the transformation of company culture. It is important to consider the whole context of CE when changing policies or business elements to optimise resource efficiency and avoid unsustainable consumption. By reviewing industry research reports and academic studies, this article summarises important circular business models and strategies and indicates current major barriers to CE. In addition, we explore multiple business cases and point out three important considerations that, if not used correctly, can lead to improper policies and environmental degradation when designing circular business models. These are (a) the use of biodegradable materials, (b) modular design for product life extension and (c) upcycling for new production processes. We then present a framework for companies to clarify vital considerations for resolving these issues based on systems thinking. The implications for business managers and policy makers are also discussed. This article serves to provide a better understanding of CE and explores how companies innovate in line with CE trends.

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Guest Editorial: Making the Most of Our Materials

Johnson Matthey Technology Review — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 13:15:34 +0000

Recent advances in energy technology are driven by the need to mitigate climate change and find sustainable, non-polluting ways to power our communities. However, a large proportion of the impact arises from the materials used to make energy devices (1) and it is therefore important to generate and use materials effectively, while finding ways to minimise waste, energy use and harmful chemicals during device fabrication. This editorial describes the materials science toolbox for making the most of our resources.

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Grain Reconstruction of Palladium and Palladium-Nickel Alloys for Platinum Catchment

Johnson Matthey Technology Review — Wed, 14 Aug 2019 07:54:14 +0000

Platinum-rhodium gauzes are frequently used to catalyse the high temperature ammonia oxidation step for production of synthetic nitrogen-based fertilisers. The gauzes suffer from Pt loss in the form of platinum dioxide (PtO₂), due to the highly exothermic nature of the oxidation reaction. Industrially this is mitigated by installing one or more palladium-nickel catchment gauzes directly downstream of the combustion gauzes, to capture the lost Pt. The Pd-Ni catchment gauzes undergo severe structural modification during operation. In this study, we undertake a systematic study in a laboratory-scale furnace system to determine the role of each of the constituent gases O₂, H₂O and PtO₂ on the structural changes of the Pd-Ni gauzes. In addition, some samples are exposed to real industrial conditions in an ammonia combustion pilot plant reactor. Fresh and spent catchment gauzes are analysed by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy/optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-MS/OES). By combining analysis of samples from furnace and pilot scale experiments, the main findings are that Pd-Ni gauzes undergo internal oxidation to nickel(II) oxide (NiO); which in the presence of steam results in Ni depletion and that PtO₂ vapour causes severe grain reconstruction. Furthermore, in laboratory-scale experiments no significant Pd loss is observed, which is in contrast to observations from the pilot plant where the samples are exposed to real post-ammonia oxidation conditions. Pd loss is likely attributed to some gas species contained in the real post-ammonia oxidation gas stream.

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Predicting the Structure of Grain Boundaries in Fluorite-Structured Materials

Johnson Matthey Technology Review — Thu, 22 Aug 2019 10:05:06 +0000

Interfaces are a type of extended defect which govern the properties of materials. As the nanostructuring of materials becomes more prevalent the impact of interfaces such as grain boundaries (GBs) becomes more important. Computational modelling of GBs is vital to the improvement of our understanding of these defects as it allows us to isolate specific structures and understand resulting properties. The first step to accurately modelling GBs is to generate accurate descriptions of the structures. In this paper, we present low angle mirror tilt GB structures for fluorite structured materials (calcium fluoride and ceria). We compare specific GB structures which are generated computationally to experimentally known structures, wherein we see excellent agreement. The high accuracy of the method which we present for predicting these structures can be used in the future to predict interfaces which have not already been experimentally identified and can also be applied to heterointerfaces.

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In the Lab: UK Research on Materials for Electrochemical Devices

Johnson Matthey Technology Review — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 12:54:17 +0000

Introduction A select group of researchers are profiled here, all of whom are involved in the design and characterisation of materials for electrochemical energy storage and conversion devices. These include a broad range of battery types, fuel cells, supercapacitors, photovoltaics and devices for the production, storage and utilisation of hydrogen. Many are pioneering the use...

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“Nanostructured Materials for Next-Generation Energy Storage and Conversion: Fuel Cells”

Johnson Matthey Technology Review — Thu, 26 Sep 2019 09:37:02 +0000

Introduction This Springer volume focuses on the design, characteristics and development potential of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) and solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technologies for both stationary and portable applications. The contents are organised into three themes: (a) energy policy and electrical power (Chapters 1–3); (b) optimisation of fuel cells (FCs) through design...

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Exploring Microemulsion-Prepared Lanthanum Catalysts for Natural Gas Valorisation

Johnson Matthey Technology Review — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 13:42:33 +0000

Microemulsions were used to develop a catalyst with high selectivity towards ethylene and ethane while maintaining considerable methane (CH₄) conversion. The use of this technique to produce lanthanum nanoparticles was studied under different conditions. Temperature was shown to have the most significant effect on the final material properties providing a minimum crystallite size at 25°C. The morphology observed for all the samples was flake or needle like materials containing nanocrystallites. To obtain the catalytically active materials a thermal treatment was needed and this was studied using in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD). This analysis demonstrated that the materials exhibited significant changes in phase and crystallite size when submitted to thermal treatment and these were shown to be difficult to control, meaning that the microemulsion synthesis method is a challenging route to produce La nanoparticles in a reproducible manner. The materials were tested for oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) and no correlation could be observed between the ‘as synthesised’ crystallite size and activity. However, the presence of La carbonates in the materials produced was deemed to be crucial to ensure an adequate OCM activity.

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TechConnect World Innovation Conference and Expo 2019

Johnson Matthey Technology Review — Wed, 11 Sep 2019 10:30:39 +0000

Introduction The TechConnect World Innovation Conference and Expo event has been held annually for the past 20 years and has alternated location between Boston, USA and California, USA. The 2019 conference was held in Boston between the 17th and 19th of June 2019 and attracted over 3000 participants from across all pillars of the ecosystem....

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“Nanocarbons for Energy Conversion: Supramolecular Approaches”

Johnson Matthey Technology Review — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 13:35:14 +0000

Introduction Carbon in its oxide and hydrocarbon forms is the cause of the energy and transport sectors’ biggest headache: climate change, so it is fitting that allotropes of this most versatile element look so promising to play a part in the modernisation of energy conversion. Naotoshi Nakashima (Kyushu University, Japan) brings together a collection of...

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Oxford Battery Modelling Symposium

Johnson Matthey Technology Review — Thu, 26 Sep 2019 09:44:16 +0000

Introduction The Oxford Battery Modelling Symposium was held in Oxford, UK, from 18th to 19th March 2019. The conference was specifically designed to gather mathematicians, chemists and engineers within the battery modelling community. It was very well received and brought together 170 participants with worldwide representation from academia, research organisations and industry involved in modelling...

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Johnson Matthey Highlights

Johnson Matthey Technology Review — Thu, 26 Sep 2019 09:48:53 +0000

Factors Affecting the Nucleus-Independent Chemical Shift in NMR Studies of Microporous Carbon Electrode Materials L. Cervini, O. D. Lynes, G. R. Akien, A. Kerridge, N. S. Barrow and J. M. Griffin, Energy Storage Mater., 2019, 21, 335 LINK https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ensm.2019.05.010 The factors influencing the nucleus-independent chemical shift (NICS) of aqueous electrolyte species adsorbed on polymer-derived activated...

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“Process Systems Engineering for Pharmaceutical Manufacturing”

Johnson Matthey Technology Review — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 13:46:29 +0000

Introduction “Process Systems Engineering for Pharmaceutical Manufacturing” is an ambitious reference comprising 24 chapters covering process systems engineering (PSE) methods and case studies of interest to engineers working in pharmaceutical process development, model development, process simulation, process optimisation and supply-chain or enterprise optimisation. Business model optimisation, including optimisation of clinical trials and supply chain, are...

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Intensified Liquid-Liquid Extraction Technologies in Small Channels: A Review

Johnson Matthey Technology Review — Mon, 14 Oct 2019 08:27:24 +0000

Solvent extraction is a key separation process in several industries. Mixer-settlers and agitated or pulsed columns are mainly used as liquid-liquid contactors. However, these units require large solvent inventories and long residence times, while flow fields are often not uniform and mixing is poor. These drawbacks can be overcome with process intensification approaches where small channel extractors are used instead. The reduced volumes of small units in association with the increased efficiencies facilitate the use of novel, often expensive, but more efficient and environmentally friendly solvents, such as ionic liquids. The small throughputs of intensified contactors, however, can limit their full usage in industrial applications, thus robust scale-up strategies need to be developed. This paper reviews promising intensified technologies for liquid-liquid extractions based on small channels. In particular, extractions in single channels and in confined impinging jets are considered. The increase in throughput via scale-out approaches with appropriate manifolds is discussed, based on the use of many channels in parallel. The combination of small channels and centrifugal forces is exploited in counter-current chromatography (CCC) systems where many mixing and settling steps are combined within the contactors. Scale up is possible via centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC) configurations.

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