A catalytic material comprising Ni supported on an oxidic support comprising Zr in oxidic form and Si in oxidic form, wherein the catalytic material comprises equal to or greater than 65 weight-% of Ni, calculated as elemental Ni, wherein the catalytic material exhibits a Ni:Zr atomic ratio in the range of from 8.5 to 50.0.

A transesterification catalyst that is heterogeneous and a method for preparing said transesterification catalyst are provided. The catalyst can be used in a variety of transesterification reactor configurations including CSTR (continuous stirred tank reactors), ebullated (or ebullating) beds or any other fluidized bed reactors, and PFR (plug flow, fixed bed reactors). The catalyst can be used for manufacturing commercial grade biodiesel, biolubricants and glycerin.

The present invention relates to a composite oxide comprising ceria, praseodymia and alumina, wherein the cerium:praseodymium molar ratio of the composite oxide is 84:16 or less, as well as to a method of preparing the composite oxide and to its use, in particular in a method of treating an exhaust gas stream.

The disclosure provides a system and a method for reducing hazardous gases, including PHGs, through one or more photocatalysts in a filter system. A microstructure of the photocatalytic filter can be formed using biological systems as a template for the photocatalysts to be deposited thereon. The biological system can be removed by heat, oxidation, or by chemical processes to leave the photocatalytic template as a filter for the gases. In various embodiments, multiple photocatalysts can be activated at different wavelengths to filter different gases, or multiple photocatalysts can be activated at the same wavelength to filter different gases, or a photocatalyst can be activated at different wavelengths to filter different gases, or some combination thereof. The activation can be sequential or concurrent. For multiple layers of photocatalysts, the sequence of the photocatalysts can be arranged to reduce damaging output from an upstream photocatalyst to one or more downstream photocatalysts.

A method of making a heat generating catalyst for hydrocarbon cracking. The method includes providing at least one mordenite framework-inverted (MFI) zeolite having a Si/Al molar ratio of 15 or greater and providing at least one metal oxide precursor. Further, the at least one metal oxide precursor is dispersed within a microstructure of the MFI zeolite catalyst. The method additionally includes calcining the heat generating material with the at least one metal oxide precursor dispersed within the microstructure of the MFI zeolite catalyst to form at least one metal oxide in situ. The heat generating catalyst includes at least one MFI zeolite and at least one metal oxide in a ratio between 50:50 and 95:5. Additionally, an associated method of using the heat generating catalyst in a hydrocarbon cracking process is provided.

The present invention provides a carbon dioxide reduction catalyst that is used in reduction reactions of carbon dioxide and that has high methanol selectivity. A carbon dioxide reduction catalyst according to the present invention is used in producing methanol by reduction reactions of carbon dioxide, and contains Au and Cu as catalyst components and ZnO as a carrier. It is preferable that the catalyst components contain 7-25 mol % of Au as a catalyst component. This makes it possible to obtain high methanol selectivity—for example, selectivity of not less than 80%. The carbon dioxide reduction catalyst makes it possible to obtain high methanol selectivity even under the conditions of not more than 240° C. and not more than 50 bar.

A process for the methanation of carbon monoxide and/or carbon dioxide in a feed stream containing carbon monoxide and/or carbon dioxide is disclosed. This is achieved by a process for the methanation of carbon monoxide and/or carbon dioxide in a feed stream containing carbon monoxide and/or carbon dioxide, hydrogen and more than 1 ppb of sulfur, using a catalyst comprising aluminum oxide, an Ni active composition and Mn. It has surprisingly The Mn-containing Ni catalyst has a high sulfur resistance and also a high sulfur capacity.

The present invention is a method of implementing Water Disinfection System employing a Functional Mixture, copper foam catalyst, continuous flow, UV radiation, and optical receiver pipe in order to inactivate broader range of microbial contaminants in drinking water, both for emergency purification kits and larger filtration systems. The Functional Mixture is formed when the portland cement (CaO—SiO.sub.2—Al.sub.2O.sub.3) and silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2) combination is applied to the amalgamation of porous copper foam (Cu-Foam) and silver nitrate (AgNO.sub.3) particles, which react through the silver tree reaction (Cu+2AgNO.sub.3.fwdarw.2Ag+Cu(NO.sub.3).sub.2) after spraying over a perforated mask. The high porosity Functional Mixture is placed in UV transmissive receiver pipe with optical properties. These configurations improve the coverage, efficiency, and effectiveness of reducing broader range of pathogenic microbes in water disinfection systems over prior art. Further optimizations are available for broader range of solar lighting conditions and water flow rates.

The present invention discloses a fast and selective process for the preparation of γ-valerolactone (Gvl) by catalytic hydrogenation of biomass-derived levulinic acid (LA) using recyclable ruthenium (Ru)-based heterogeneous catalysts in aqueous medium in stoichiometric yields (100%) under mild reaction conditions using nearly required amount of hydrogen.

Catalytic preparation of hydrogen and aldehyde(s) from alcohols, including bioalcohols, without production of carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide.