Energy Environmental Sciences and Materials

Latest Innovations

Process for Removing and Incorporating Heteroatoms into Small Pore Zeotype Materials

Dr. Flaherty from the University of Illinois has a developed a method for significantly removing aluminum from standard zeolite crystals and incorporating other...

Dr. Flaherty from the University of Illinois has a developed a method for significantly removing aluminum from standard zeolite crystals and incorporating other catalytically active heteroatoms. Other post-synthesis modification methods produce a product with lower densities of active metal atoms, provide lower yields, are more time consuming, or require expensive structure directing agents. The result is an inexpensive method for synthesizing known zeolite structures with compositions of matter that have not yet been reported, or reducing the resources required to synthesize known materials.

Primary Application: Adsorbent Materials

                       

A new class of monomers for the fabrication of sustainable polyurethane materials

Dr. Zimmerman from the University of Illinois has developed a new class of compounds for the fabrication of repurposable polyurethane materials. The polyurethanes made...
Dr. Zimmerman from the University of Illinois has developed a new class of compounds for the fabrication of repurposable polyurethane materials. The polyurethanes made from these compounds can be decomposed, under mild conditions, to useful alternative compounds and reused as adhesives with superior strength. Additionally, the polyurethanes made from these compounds exhibit nearly identical properties to those currently used in industry and are vitrimers that can self-heal.
 

Benefit

This invention minimizes the waste associated with the production and use of polyurethanes.

 

Application

Primary use is fabrication of polyurethane elastomers and foams for a variety of industrially relevant applications.
 
These relevant applications include manufacture of high-resilience foam seating, rigid foam insulation panels, microcellular foam seals and gaskets, durable elastomeric wheels and tires, automotive suspension bushings, electrical potting compounds, high-performance adhesives, surface coatings and surface sealants, synthetic fibers, carpet underlay, hard-plastic parts, condoms, and hoses.
 
 

Plant SWEET and Yeast MSF Transporter Capable of Transporting Difference Sugars Simultaneously

Dr. Jin from the University of Illinois has developed a strain of yeast for enhanced biofuel production. Dr. Jin’s yeast expresses specific transporters which enable...

Dr. Jin from the University of Illinois has developed a strain of yeast for enhanced biofuel production. Dr. Jin’s yeast expresses specific transporters which enable simultaneous use of glucose and xylose. Co-fermentation can reduce the amount of time needed for fermentation in the biofuel production process.

 

                  

Maximum Power Point Tracking System for use in Offshore Windmill Turbines

Dr. Arijit Banerjee from the University of Illinois has developed a system and method for maximum power point tracking (MPPT) in windmill turbine motors. This is a method...

Dr. Arijit Banerjee from the University of Illinois has developed a system and method for maximum power point tracking (MPPT) in windmill turbine motors. This is a method uses an already disclosed and pursued integrated generator-rectifier system which has one active rectifier and several passive rectifier. Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) relies on using the small active rectifier to control the power flow of the whole system, because passive rectifiers don’t have this power flow control capability. It also reduces bulkiness, simplifies hardware and control schemes and improves efficiency of power electronics switch voltage ratings to achieve ac-dc conversion at medium voltage level.

Benefit

Improved power-to-weight ratio, density, cost and efficiency in windmill turbine moters

Applications

Off-shore wind turbines, wind power genration

 

A Semi-Automated Multi-Endpoint Reactive Oxygen Species Activity Analyzer (SAMERA) for measuring the Oxidative Potential of Ambient PM2.5 Aqueous Extracts

Dr. Vishal Verma from the University of Illinois has developed an instrument for the analysis of oxidative potential in PM2.5. This semi-automated instrument can analyze all five of...

Dr. Vishal Verma from the University of Illinois has developed an instrument for the analysis of oxidative potential in PM2.5. This semi-automated instrument can analyze all five of most used endpoints (AA, DTT, GSH, OH radical generation) for a given sample in only 3 hours. Moreover, this instrument can yield the kinetic properties for antioxidant consumption and reactive oxygen species generation which typically can not be obtained otherwise. This technology will be of use to end users for analytical instrumentation in environmental testing applications such as regulatory laboratories, contract testing laboratories, municipal wastewater utilities, power generation utilities, pharmaceutical organizations, chemical and petrochemical companies, oil and gas companies, food manufacturers, academic and research institutions, among others.

Coating for Anti-fouling and Anti-corrosion on Metals

Dr. Nenad Miljkovic’s research group has developed a new technology to reduce the susceptibility of metallic surfaces to fouling/scaling. The invention is a thin (<~100...

Dr. Nenad Miljkovic’s research group has developed a new technology to reduce the susceptibility of metallic surfaces to fouling/scaling. The invention is a thin (<~100 nm) multi-layered solid-state coating that reduces the surface energy  and nucleation site density of metals such as aluminum, copper, and more. The technology has been demonstrated to reduce scale accumulation by 95% as compared to uncoated surfaces and eliminates the intrinsic durability issues of oil-based coatings.

Applications for the technology include the reduction of scale build-up on air conditioning and refrigeration systems and the prevention of coke deposition for aviation applications.

Electrochemical Remediation of Mercury using Semi-Conducting and Redox-Active Polymers

Dr. Xiao Su has created a system and method for the electrochemical remediation of mercury using semiconducting polymer electrodes. This system and method is directly...

Dr. Xiao Su has created a system and method for the electrochemical remediation of mercury using semiconducting polymer electrodes. This system and method is directly applicable to the remediation of mercury from water streams, such as wastewater streams, as well as to downstream chemical processes. The use of semi-conducting polymers highly increases the kinetics and efficiency of desorption, making this adsorption technology highly re-usable. When compared with current techniques this system and method does not require chemically intensive regeneration processes, this minimizes secondary pollution while achieving high ion-selectivity towards mercury even in very small amounts (ppb-range).

Frontal Polymerization for Thermoset Elastomer Manufacturing

Thermoset elastomers such as styrene butadiene rubber, butadiene rubber, nitrile rubber, isobutylene isoprene rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, polyisoprene rubber, and...

Thermoset elastomers such as styrene butadiene rubber, butadiene rubber, nitrile rubber, isobutylene isoprene rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, polyisoprene rubber, and chloroprene rubber have viscoelastic properties that make them tough, pliable, and heat-resistant.  Due to their superior durability and material propertiest, synthetic elastomers have replaced natural rubber over the past few decades in applications ranging from vehicle tires to shoe soles, rubber gloves, tubes and hoses, paint, flexible rubber toys, and more. These rubber materials typically take a long time to fabricate and cure, however leading to low manufacturing throughput and high equipment, mold, and curing footprint/storage expenses.  

Frontal ring-opening metathesis polymerization (FROMP) is a technique for rapidly curing resins/monomers into high-quality thermoset materials using negligible energy inputs. The exothermic reaction can be triggered by a short pulse of heat, light, etc. and propagates through a resin system, allowing for rapid manufacturing of materials at nearly any scale. Researchers from the University of Illinois have adapted FROMP for fabricating elastomeric materials, namely 1,4-polybutadiene and co-polymers of 1,4-polybutadiene (e.g., tire rubber), along with elastomer/non-elastomer hybrid materials that can be designed to exhibit shape memory properties. This technology is part of a broader portfolio that includes a wide range of catalysts, activation mechanisms, and manufacturing approaches. 

Benefits

  • Rapid fabrication of elastomers (seconds as opposed to minutes/hours)                                  
  • Higher manufacturing throughput                                          
  • Reduced footprint needed to accommodate components in various stages of cure                  
  • Can be used to manufacture pure elastomer or composite materials                                            
  • Dramatically lower energy requirements

Publication

Rapid Synthesis of Elastomers and Thermosets with Tunable Thermomechanical Properties. Leon M. Dean, Qiong Wu, Omar Alshangiti, Jeffrey S. Moore, and Nancy R. Sottos. ACS Macro Letters 2020 9 (6), 819-824 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.0c00233

Advanced Recycling Method for Polyethylene and Polypropylene Solid Wastes

Dr. Damien Guironnet from the University of Illinois has developed a chemical recycling method for upcycling propylene and isobutene solid wastes. This technique may be...

Dr. Damien Guironnet from the University of Illinois has developed a chemical recycling method for upcycling propylene and isobutene solid wastes. This technique may be used to produce higher value feedstock materials (e.g., propylene and isobutene) from polyethylene and polypropylene with high selectivity. This process achieves high yield, in comparison with other chemical recycling techniques, through a combination of reactor design, catalyst selection, and process optimization.

A Method for Synthesizing Zeolites with Tunable Hydrophobicity

Dr. Flaherty has developed a method for synthesizing zeolites with controlled defect density. By controlling the defect density of the zeolite materials during synthesis,...

Dr. Flaherty has developed a method for synthesizing zeolites with controlled defect density. By controlling the defect density of the zeolite materials during synthesis, their hydrophobicity can be controlled. This is a first of its kind synthetic technique allows for the physical and chemical properties of a variety of zeolite materials to be finely tuned which may have a significant impact on their performance as catalysts and adsorbents. Moreover, this synthetic technique can be easily implemented into existing process streams with minor or no modifications to existing procedures.

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