Pub Date : 2024-09-02DOI: 10.1038/s44286-024-00119-0
Mahdokht Soltani, Julie E. Rorrer
Dimensionless numbers are used to describe and optimize mass transport in catalytic systems but have not yet been established for three-phase reactions in waste polyolefin deconstruction. Now, a criterion is introduced to enhance catalyst effectiveness in polyolefin hydrogenolysis, guiding the refinement of stirring parameters.
{"title":"Stirring up success","authors":"Mahdokht Soltani, Julie E. Rorrer","doi":"10.1038/s44286-024-00119-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-024-00119-0","url":null,"abstract":"Dimensionless numbers are used to describe and optimize mass transport in catalytic systems but have not yet been established for three-phase reactions in waste polyolefin deconstruction. Now, a criterion is introduced to enhance catalyst effectiveness in polyolefin hydrogenolysis, guiding the refinement of stirring parameters.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"1 9","pages":"557-558"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142313439","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-29DOI: 10.1038/s44286-024-00114-5
Siddhesh S. Borkar, Jenna Vito, Manish Shetty
The development of environmentally friendly methods for the decontamination of tires at their end of life is critical. Now, microwave-assisted solvent extraction and catalytic conversion of a toxic antioxidant contained in tires to safe, industrially useful chemicals has been demonstrated.
{"title":"Microwave-heated solvent extraction and catalysis for end-of-life tire decontamination","authors":"Siddhesh S. Borkar, Jenna Vito, Manish Shetty","doi":"10.1038/s44286-024-00114-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-024-00114-5","url":null,"abstract":"The development of environmentally friendly methods for the decontamination of tires at their end of life is critical. Now, microwave-assisted solvent extraction and catalytic conversion of a toxic antioxidant contained in tires to safe, industrially useful chemicals has been demonstrated.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"1 9","pages":"561-562"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142313436","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-29DOI: 10.1038/s44286-024-00110-9
Sean Najmi, Pooja Bhalode, Montgomery Baker-Fales, Brandon C. Vance, Esun Selvam, Kewei Yu, Weiqing Zheng, Dionisios G. Vlachos
N-(1,3-Dimethylbutyl)-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD) is a ubiquitous rubber antioxidant and antiozonant that extends the lifetime of common rubber products, such as those found in tires. It transforms into a quinone derivative following certain environmental conditions. 6PPD and the quinone can leach into the environment and cause severe morbidity to aquatic life at diminutive concentrations, with health effects on humans still not fully understood. With legislation on the horizon to ban 6PPD entirely, developing effective methods for its removal and conversion to safe compounds is essential. Here we show that 6PPD survives microwave-assisted pyrolysis and escapes in the oil product, rendering decontamination essential. We introduce a decontamination strategy that removes 6PPD from end-of-life tires before it enters the broader ecosystem. We demonstrate the catalytic upgrade of 6PPD to safe chemicals and the valorization of crumb rubber to aromatics and carbon black using microwave-assisted pyrolysis. Upcycling end-of-life tire waste is complex due to the recalcitrant nature of the toxic legacy additive, 6PPD. Here the authors present a new decontamination strategy that can isolate 6PPD, convert it to safe and valuable products, and valorize end-of-life tire waste.
{"title":"End-of-life tire decontamination from 6PPD and upcycling","authors":"Sean Najmi, Pooja Bhalode, Montgomery Baker-Fales, Brandon C. Vance, Esun Selvam, Kewei Yu, Weiqing Zheng, Dionisios G. Vlachos","doi":"10.1038/s44286-024-00110-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-024-00110-9","url":null,"abstract":"N-(1,3-Dimethylbutyl)-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD) is a ubiquitous rubber antioxidant and antiozonant that extends the lifetime of common rubber products, such as those found in tires. It transforms into a quinone derivative following certain environmental conditions. 6PPD and the quinone can leach into the environment and cause severe morbidity to aquatic life at diminutive concentrations, with health effects on humans still not fully understood. With legislation on the horizon to ban 6PPD entirely, developing effective methods for its removal and conversion to safe compounds is essential. Here we show that 6PPD survives microwave-assisted pyrolysis and escapes in the oil product, rendering decontamination essential. We introduce a decontamination strategy that removes 6PPD from end-of-life tires before it enters the broader ecosystem. We demonstrate the catalytic upgrade of 6PPD to safe chemicals and the valorization of crumb rubber to aromatics and carbon black using microwave-assisted pyrolysis. Upcycling end-of-life tire waste is complex due to the recalcitrant nature of the toxic legacy additive, 6PPD. Here the authors present a new decontamination strategy that can isolate 6PPD, convert it to safe and valuable products, and valorize end-of-life tire waste.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"1 9","pages":"597-607"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142313453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-28DOI: 10.1038/s44286-024-00108-3
Shibashish D. Jaydev, Antonio J. Martín, David Garcia, Katia Chikri, Javier Pérez-Ramírez
Since the dawn of agitated brewing in the Paleolithic era, effective mixing has enabled efficient reactions. Emerging catalytic chemical polyolefin recycling processes present unique challenges, considering that the polymer melt has a viscosity three orders of magnitude higher than that of honey. The lack of protocols to achieve effective mixing may have resulted in suboptimal catalyst effectiveness. In this study, we have tackled the hydrogenolysis of commercial-grade high-density polyethylene and polypropylene to show how different stirring strategies can create differences of up to 85% and 40% in catalyst effectiveness and selectivity, respectively. The reaction develops near the H2–melt interface, with the extension of the interface and access to catalyst particles the main performance drivers. Leveraging computational fluid dynamics simulations, we have identified a power number of 15,000–40,000 to maximize the catalyst effectiveness factor and optimize stirring parameters. This temperature- and pressure-independent model holds across a viscosity range of 1–1,000 Pa s. Temperature gradients may quickly become relevant for reactor scale-up. The importance of optimizing the contact between catalyst particles, hydrogen and plastic melt in polyolefin chemical recycling has been overlooked, leading to suboptimal performance. The authors develop a criterion based on the dimensionless power number to optimize catalyst effectiveness. Stirring conditions can now be selected to treat commercial-grade polyethylene and polypropylene.
自旧石器时代出现搅拌酿酒以来，有效的混合就一直是高效反应的基础。考虑到聚合物熔体的粘度比蜂蜜的粘度高出三个数量级，新兴的催化化学聚烯烃回收工艺面临着独特的挑战。缺乏实现有效混合的规程可能会导致催化剂效果不理想。在本研究中，我们处理了商业级高密度聚乙烯和聚丙烯的氢解问题，展示了不同的搅拌策略如何使催化剂的有效性和选择性分别产生高达 85% 和 40% 的差异。反应在 H2 熔体界面附近进行，界面的延伸和催化剂颗粒的接触是影响反应性能的主要因素。利用计算流体动力学模拟，我们确定了 15,000-40,000 的功率数，以最大限度地提高催化剂效率系数并优化搅拌参数。这种与温度和压力无关的模型适用于 1-1,000 Pa s 的粘度范围。温度梯度可能会很快与反应器的放大相关。在聚烯烃化学回收过程中，优化催化剂颗粒、氢气和塑料熔体之间接触的重要性一直被忽视，导致性能不理想。作者根据无量纲功率数制定了优化催化剂效果的标准。现在可以选择搅拌条件来处理商业级聚乙烯和聚丙烯。
{"title":"Assessment of transport phenomena in catalyst effectiveness for chemical polyolefin recycling","authors":"Shibashish D. Jaydev, Antonio J. Martín, David Garcia, Katia Chikri, Javier Pérez-Ramírez","doi":"10.1038/s44286-024-00108-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-024-00108-3","url":null,"abstract":"Since the dawn of agitated brewing in the Paleolithic era, effective mixing has enabled efficient reactions. Emerging catalytic chemical polyolefin recycling processes present unique challenges, considering that the polymer melt has a viscosity three orders of magnitude higher than that of honey. The lack of protocols to achieve effective mixing may have resulted in suboptimal catalyst effectiveness. In this study, we have tackled the hydrogenolysis of commercial-grade high-density polyethylene and polypropylene to show how different stirring strategies can create differences of up to 85% and 40% in catalyst effectiveness and selectivity, respectively. The reaction develops near the H2–melt interface, with the extension of the interface and access to catalyst particles the main performance drivers. Leveraging computational fluid dynamics simulations, we have identified a power number of 15,000–40,000 to maximize the catalyst effectiveness factor and optimize stirring parameters. This temperature- and pressure-independent model holds across a viscosity range of 1–1,000 Pa s. Temperature gradients may quickly become relevant for reactor scale-up. The importance of optimizing the contact between catalyst particles, hydrogen and plastic melt in polyolefin chemical recycling has been overlooked, leading to suboptimal performance. The authors develop a criterion based on the dimensionless power number to optimize catalyst effectiveness. Stirring conditions can now be selected to treat commercial-grade polyethylene and polypropylene.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"1 9","pages":"565-575"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44286-024-00108-3.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142313447","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-15DOI: 10.1038/s44286-024-00104-7
Taylor J. Woehl
The final structure of nanoparticle self-assembly intimately depends on the assembly pathway, which has remained obscure due to a lack of sufficiently high-spatiotemporal-resolution direct imaging approaches. Now, combining liquid-cell transmission electron microscopy with molecular dynamics simulations uncovers the complete dynamics of solvent-dependent assembly and phase transitions of nanocube superlattices.
{"title":"Illuminating pathways for nanoparticle superlattice self-assembly","authors":"Taylor J. Woehl","doi":"10.1038/s44286-024-00104-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-024-00104-7","url":null,"abstract":"The final structure of nanoparticle self-assembly intimately depends on the assembly pathway, which has remained obscure due to a lack of sufficiently high-spatiotemporal-resolution direct imaging approaches. Now, combining liquid-cell transmission electron microscopy with molecular dynamics simulations uncovers the complete dynamics of solvent-dependent assembly and phase transitions of nanocube superlattices.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"1 8","pages":"504-505"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141986155","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-15DOI: 10.1038/s44286-024-00100-x
Robert H. Davis
Robert H. Davis argues quantitatively how hiring more teaching faculty could boost both research and teaching.
罗伯特-H-戴维斯（Robert H. Davis）从数量上论证了聘用更多的教学人员如何促进研究和教学。
{"title":"A mathematical argument for teaching faculty","authors":"Robert H. Davis","doi":"10.1038/s44286-024-00100-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-024-00100-x","url":null,"abstract":"Robert H. Davis argues quantitatively how hiring more teaching faculty could boost both research and teaching.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"1 8","pages":"552-552"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141986148","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-14DOI: 10.1038/s44286-024-00113-6
Mo Qiao
{"title":"Timing the electricity market","authors":"Mo Qiao","doi":"10.1038/s44286-024-00113-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-024-00113-6","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"1 8","pages":"498-498"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141986136","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-14DOI: 10.1038/s44286-024-00105-6
A protocol is demonstrated for the fabrication of dense and defect-free graphene current collectors on the hundred-meter scale. Owing to their high thermal conductivity and dense structures, these current collectors effectively prevent thermal runaway in high-energy pouch cells through the dissipation of localized heat and circumvention of undesirable side reactions, enhancing battery safety.
{"title":"Scalable graphene current collectors for enhanced thermal management in batteries","authors":"","doi":"10.1038/s44286-024-00105-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-024-00105-6","url":null,"abstract":"A protocol is demonstrated for the fabrication of dense and defect-free graphene current collectors on the hundred-meter scale. Owing to their high thermal conductivity and dense structures, these current collectors effectively prevent thermal runaway in high-energy pouch cells through the dissipation of localized heat and circumvention of undesirable side reactions, enhancing battery safety.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"1 8","pages":"506-507"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141986129","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-14DOI: 10.1038/s44286-024-00111-8
Yanfei Zhu
{"title":"A refuel for heavy-duty transportation","authors":"Yanfei Zhu","doi":"10.1038/s44286-024-00111-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-024-00111-8","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"1 8","pages":"497-497"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141986140","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-14DOI: 10.1038/s44286-024-00120-7
In this Editorial, we discuss how a broad chemical engineering journal can serve the community.
在这篇社论中，我们将讨论一份内容广泛的化学工程期刊如何为社会服务。
{"title":"Chemical engineering, broadly speaking","authors":"","doi":"10.1038/s44286-024-00120-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44286-024-00120-7","url":null,"abstract":"In this Editorial, we discuss how a broad chemical engineering journal can serve the community.","PeriodicalId":501699,"journal":{"name":"Nature Chemical Engineering","volume":"1 8","pages":"495-495"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44286-024-00120-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141986152","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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