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Available Technologies

Title Sort descending Date Posted Patent Information Opportunity
Polyphosphazene Blends for Gas Separation Membranes U.S. Patent Pending; USPN 7,074,256

These technologies are high-performance CO2 separation membranes made from polyphosphazene polymer blends.  NETL’s technology was originally developed to aid in separating CO2 from flue gas emitted by fossil-fuel power plants. The NETL membrane is cross-linked chemically using low intensity UV irradiation, a facile technique that improves the membrane’s mechanical toughness compared to its uncrosslinked polyphosphazene constituents. Membranes fabricated with this technique have demonstrated permeability of up to 610 barrer, with CO2/N2 selectivity in excess of 30, at a practical separation temperature of 40°C. NETL’s patent-pending technology is being bundled with Idaho National Laboratory’s (INL) patented technology, with NETL handling licensing.  NETL would work with a potential licensee and INL to license the technology. 


Challenge: 
Membrane-based separation is one of the most promising solutions for CO2 removal from post-combustion flue gases produced in power generation. Technoeconomic analyses show that membranes aimed for this application must possess high gas permeability; however, most high permeability materials suffer from poor mechanical properties or unacceptable loss in performance over time due to physical aging. This technology is a successful attempt to turn one of these high-performance materials with poor mechanical properties into one amenable for use in practical separation membranes with virtually no physical aging issues.
 

Portable Luminescence-Based Sensor for Rare Earth Element Detection USPN 11,170,986

Research is active on the development of sensors for use in the detection and quantification of rare earth elements in coal waste by-product streams. This invention is available for licensing and/or further collaborative research from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Producing Carbon and Hydrogen With NETL’s Novel Iron-based Catalyst USPN 11,427,467

This new Iron-based catalyst will enable a one-step process to produce hydrogen - a promising energy source that is also environmentally benign - by directly converting methane. The catalyst will eliminate the need to first create syngas and then remove carbon dioxide. In addition to creating hydrogen, carbon, which is also a useful commodity is created as a by-product. This technology is available for licensing and/or further collaborative research from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Challenge
The traditional commercial methods of forming hydrogen from methane are based on steam methane reforming, coal or bio-mass gasification, electrolysis, and thermo-chemical processes. Some of these methods are cost-effective, but each requires that syngas first be created and the water gas shift reaction be used to convert syngas to hydrogen and carbon dioxide. From there, the hydrogen must be purified using pressure swing adsorption to separate the hydrogen for the carbon dioxide. Developing a method that avoids these intermediate steps would reduce the cost of producing valuable hydrogen.

Pyrochlore-Based Catalysts for Syngas-Derived Alcohol Synthesis USPN 9,150,476; USPN 9,598,644

This technology provides an advantageous means to convert syngas into a class of chemicals known as higher oxygenates, as well as other long-chain hydrocarbons. Research is currently active on this technology "Method of CO and/or CO2 Hydrogenation Using Doped Mixed Metal Oxides." This technology is available for licensing and/or further collaborative research from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Radial Flow Pulse Jet Mixer USPN 8,469,583

Research is currently active on the patented technology "A Process for the Mixing of Heavy Solid Particulate Matter in a Lighter Liquid Carrier Fluid Using an Inverted Pulsed Jet Mixing Apparatus." The technology is available for licensing and/or further collaborative research from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Real-Time Wellbore Monitoring for Kick Detection USPN 10,253,620

Research is currently active on the patented technology titled, "Kick Detection at the Bit Using Wellbore Geophysics." This technology is available for licensing and/or further collaborative research from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Recovery of Metals from Petroleum Waste Byproducts USPN 10,323,298

Research is active on the development of techniques for the economic recovery of valuable metals from petroleum gasification waste products. This invention is available for licensing and/or further collaborative research from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Regenerable Immobilized Aminosilane Sorbents for Carbon Dioxide Capture USPN 8,834,822

Research is currently active on the patented technology titled, "Regenerable Immobilized Aminosilane Sorbents for Carbon Dioxide Capture." The technology is available for licensing and/or further collaborative research from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Regenerable Mixed Copper-Iron-Inert Support Oxygen Carriers for Solid Fuel Chemical Looping Combustion Process USPN 9,523,499

This technology, "Regenerable Mixed Copper-Iron-Inert Support Oxygen Carriers for Solid Fuel Chemical Looping Combustion Process," provides a metal-oxide oxygen carrier for application in fuel combustion processes that use oxygen. This technology is available for licensing and/or further collaborative research with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Regenerable Non-Aqueous Basic Immobilized Amine Slurries for Removal of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) from a Gaseous Mixture USPN 10,765,997

The innovation represents a BIAS particle sorbent suspended in a non-aqueous fluid carrier (slurry) that is capable of CO2 sorption, is easy to incorporate into established power plants, and can minimize energy and infrastructure requirements.

Challenge

Carbon sequestration can reduce the emissions of CO2 from large point sources and holds potential to provide deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Amine-based solid sorbents are effective and economical agents for CO2 capture from gaseous mixtures. However, because of the high concentration of CO2 in many feed streams, a large quantity of the gas often reacts with the sorbent exothermically to produce excessive heat, which must be removed from the sorbent to prevent temperature instability within the reactor and to eliminate potential degradation of the sorbent. Reducing the damage to sorbents with this technology and method can increase efficiency and reduce replacement costs faced by industries.