Research is currently active on the patented technology "Visible Light Photoreduction of CO₂ Using Heterostructured Catalysts." The technology is available for licensing and/or further collaborative research from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Research is active on the technology titled, "CO/H₂ Production from CO₂/H₂O Gas Using Exothermic Reactions." This technology is available for licensing and/or further collaborative research from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Addressing the need for sensors that tolerate dirty environments, research is currently active on the technology "Transpiration Purging Access Probe for Particulate Laden or Hazardous Environments." This technology is available for licensing and/or further collaborative research with the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory.

NETL researchers are currently developing ionic liquid technologies for application to carbon capture or other separation processes. Ionic liquids can function as a platform for an amazingly diverse set of applications, including batteries, processing of polymers and cellulose, waste water treatment, and gas separation. These technologies are available for licensing and/or collaborative research opportunities between interested parties and the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has developed a system for enhancing chemical reactions by electrostatic/microwave and/or/ radio frequency controlled resonant electron interaction. The invention performs at a much lower temperature than conventional processes. The system can reduce the cost of many important industrial processes including nitrogen and hydrogen production. Although the focus of the invention is on producing hydrogen from hydrocarbon sources, many different reactions could be activated using the same physics. This invention is available for licensing and/or further collaborative research.

Challenge

Approximately 50 percent of natural gas is used by industry. The existing chemical reaction-based processes, such as, the Haber process, are very energy intensive and costly. This invention increases the rate and extent of chemical reactions at much lower temperatures resulting in higher product yield and overall production. It also allows for reduced energy requirements and reactor size of dry and partial oxidation reformers.

Research is active on the technology, titled "Method to Improve Superalloy Resistance by Surface Treatment." This technology is available for licensing and/or further collaborative research from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).

Research is active on the development and refinement of a process for the extraction of lithium (Li) and rare earth elements (REEs) from natural brines. This invention is available for licensing and/or further collaborative research from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Challenge

Current leading technology to generate materials from natural brines requires a series of football field-sized slow evaporation ponds, as well as lengthy leaching, which takes approximately 18-24 months after leaving the well. Concentration processes of the selected materials require repeated pumping from one evaporation pond to another, followed by long-distance transportation (added expenses and carbon emissions) to a processing plant that generates the selected compounds by multiple carbonation steps by leaching. Current carbonation processes require various solid additives, including soda ash, lime, hydrochloric acid, organic solvent, sulfuric acid and alcohol. Several tons of additives may be required to produce only a ton of targeted material. Therefore, current operations are considered to be costly and environmentally harsh.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has developed a system and method for combining polyamines, which immobilizes the dye-absorbing amine sites within low cost, porous silica particles. The innovation has the potential to remove organic-based colorants and pollutants from different water sources. This invention is available for licensing and/or further collaborative research from NETL

Research is active on the design of a spouted bed with a spoutable media to more easily fluidize the fine particles involved in industrial processes by improving mixing and increasing contact area between the fluidizing gas and the particles. This technology is available for licensing and/or further collaborative research from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.

An innovative approach has been developed allowing the use of high viscosity for gas separations. The method involves the encapsulation of ionic liquids (ILs) into polymer spheroids, taking advantage of the gas-absorbing properties and cost-effectiveness of ILs, while circumventing known IL viscosity issues. Significantly, the process permits optimization or ‘tuning’ of the IL-containing spheroids for specific gas separation applications. This technology is available for licensing and/or further collaborative research with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.