Synthetic zeolites are used widely throughout the petroleum refining and chemical process industries as selective adsorbents, catalysts and ion exchangers. The research described in this thesis focuses on the characterization and environmental applications of faujasite zeolites, including nanocrystalline Y zeolites that have particle sizes less than

The countercurrent extraction method of Galanos and Kapoulas for the separation of phospholipids from triglycerides was compared with dialysis in petroleum ether in an apparatus modified from that of Eberhagen and Betzing. The efficiencies of the methods are similar, but dialysis, which is slower, can yield triglycerides that are entirely free from phosphorus. The behavior of free fatty acids a...

vi CHAPTER ONE: GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 I. Dependence on Petroleum Products 1 II. Alternative Fuels from Biorenewable Sources 1 III. Alternative Chemicals from Biorenewable Sources 3 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 5 I. Fatty Acid Production Methods 6 II. Methyl Ketone Production 14 CHAPTER THREE: FERMENTATIVE PRODUCTION OF SHORT-CHAIN 16 FATTY ACIDS IN ESCHERICHIA COLI I. Abstract 16 I

Rising world fuel prices, the growing demand for energy, and concerns about global warming are the key factors driving renewed interest in renewable energy sources and in bioenergy. Nowadays, the world energy demand has increased significantly due to the global industrialization and increase of population. As a result, the current limited reservoirs will soon be depleted at the current rate of ...

There has been considerable interest in the development and production of biodegradable polymer to solve the current problem of pollution caused by the continuous use of synthetic polymer of petroleum origin. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are known to be accumulated as intracellular inclusion in some bacteria. The materials properties exhibited by PHAs, ranging from stiff, brittle to rubber-like...

Biodegradable materials are used in packaging, agriculture, medicine and other areas. In recent years there has been an increase in interest in biodegradable polymers. Two classes of biodegradable polymers can be distinguished: synthetic or natural polymers. There are polymers produced from feedstocks derived either from petroleum resources (non renewable resources) or from biological resources...