The Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory is seeking licensing partners interested in implementing United States Patent Number 7,767,000 entitled "Regenerable Hydrogen Chloride Removal Sorbent and Regenerable Multifunctional Hydrogen Sulfide and Hydrogen Chloride Removal Sorbent for High Temperature Gas Streams."

Disclosed in this patent is the invention of a unique regenerable sorbent process that can remove contaminants from gas produced by the gasification of fossil fuels. Specifically, the process removes hydrogen chloride by using the regenerable sorbent and simultaneously extracts hydrogen chloride compounds and hydrogen sulfide from fuel gas. If gasification processes are to be successful, all contaminants in gas streams must be removed. This invention has accomplished that goal during tests by using a unique sorbent mixture composed of manganese oxides and inert binders.

The Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is seeking collaborative research and licensing partners interested in implementing United States Patent Number 7,900,811 titled "Method for Producing Components with Internal Architectures, Such as Micro-Channel Reactors, via Diffusion Bonding Sheets." Disclosed in this patent is a method for producing microchannels using graduated diffusion bonding of a stack of precision machined foils or sheets (laminates) to make a micro-channel reactor. The method is a novel multi-step process for the diffusion bonding of laminates, which is independent of the channel width-to-fin lamina thickness (fin aspect ratio) and allows for laminae to uniformly and effectively bond. Unlike conventional hot-pressing methods, the NETL invention increases functional reaction surface area for higher conversion efficiency and reactor performance, and avoids micro-channel distortion that degrades fluid flow characteristics. This invention will have utility in micro-reactor design for heat exchangers, recuperators, heat-pumps, chemical separators, chemical reactors, fuel processing, and combustors.

Research is active on the development and application of thermal barrier bond coatings for enhanced substrate oxidative resistance. Several patented and patent pending technologies are available for licensing and/or further collaborative research from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.

The Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is seeking licensing partners interested in implementing United States Patent Number 7,704,746 titled "Method of Detecting Leakage from Geologic Formations Used to Sequester CO₂."

Disclosed in this patent is a method to measure carbon dioxide leakage from sequestration reservoirs and, specifically, an enhanced method for the detection and quantification of carbon dioxide leaks from geologic formations. The method injects tracers along with the carbon dioxide, monitors leakage with gas chromatography, and provides early detection of leakage by measuring the leakage rates of other gases within the geologic formation.

The Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is seeking collaborative research and licensing partners interested in implementing United States Patent Number 7,842,126, titled "CO₂ Separation from Low-Temperature Flue Gases."

Disclosed in this patent are novel methods for processing carbon dioxide (CO₂) from combustion gas streams. Researchers at NETL are focused on the development of novel sorbent systems that can effectively remove CO₂ and other gases in an economically feasible manner with limited impact on energy production cost. The current invention will help in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by using an improved, re-generable aqueous amine and soluble potassium carbonate sorbent system. This novel solvent system may be capable of achieving CO₂ capture from larger emission streams at lower overall cost.

The Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory is seeking licensing partners interested in implementing United States Patent Number 7,922,792 titled "Method for Sequestering Carbon Dioxide and Sulfur Dioxide Utilizing a Plurality of Waste Streams."

Disclosed in this patent is the invention of a neutralization/sequestration method that concomitantly treats bauxite residues from aluminum production processes, as well as brine wastewater from oil and gas production processes. The method uses an integrated approach that coincidentally treats multiple industrial waste by-product streams. The end results include neutralizing caustic by-products, reducing costly treatment of by-product brines, and directly using CO₂ and SO₂ from flue gas to neutralize bauxite residue/brine mixtures. Another added benefit is the sequestration of both CO₂ and SO₂ via the bauxite residue/brine mixtures.

The Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory is seeking licensing partners interested in implementing United States Patent Number 6,908,497, titled "Solid Sorbents for Removal of Carbon Dioxide from Gas Streams at Low Temperatures."

Disclosed in this patent is a new low-cost carbon dioxide (CO₂) sorbent that can be used in large-scale gas-solid processes. Researchers have developed a new method to prepare these sorbents by treating substrates with an amine and/or an ether in a way that either one comprises at least 50 weight percent of the sorbent. The sorbent captures compounds contained in gaseous fluids through chemisorptions and/or physisorption between layers of the substrate lattice. The polar amine liquids are located within these layers. This method eliminates the need for high surface area supports and provides absorption capabilities independent of the sorbent surface area, and can be regenerated.

The Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory is seeking licensing partners interested in implementing United States Patent Number 7,288,136 titled "High Capacity Immobilized Amine Sorbents."

Disclosed in this patent is the invention of a method that facilitates the production of low-cost carbon dioxide (CO₂) sorbents for use in large-scale gas-solid processes. This method treats an amine to increase the number of secondary amine groups and impregnates the amine in a porous solid support. As a result of this improvement, the method increases CO₂ capture capacity and decreases the cost of using an amine-enriched solid sorbent in CO₂ capture systems.

The Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is seeking collaborative research and licensing partners interested in implementing United States Non-provisional Patent Application entitled "Rapid Gas Hydrate Formation Process." Disclosed in this application is a method and device for producing gas hydrates from a two-phase mixture of water and a hydrate forming gas such as methane (CH₄) or carbon dioxide (CO₂). The two-phase mixture is created in a mixing zone, which may be contained within the body of the spray nozzle. The two-phase mixture is subsequently sprayed into a reaction vessel, under pressure and temperature conditions suitable for gas hydrate formation. The reaction zone pressure is less than the mixing zone pressure so that expansion of the hydrate-forming gas in the mixture provides a degree of cooling and better mixing between the water and the hydrate-forming gas. The result of the process is the continuous formation of gas hydrates with a greatly reduced induction time for gas hydrate crystal formation. This invention may have utility in natural gas / CH₄ storage and transport, CO₂ sequestration, cold energy storage, transportation fuels, and desalination.

The Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is seeking licensing partners interested in implementing United States Patent Number 7,619,011 titled "Design of Slurry Bubble Column Reactors: Novel Technique for Optimum Catalyst Size Selection."

Disclosed in this patent is a method to determine the optimum catalyst particle size for application in a fluidized bed reactor, such as a slurry bubble column reactor (SBCR), to convert synthesis gas into liquid fuels. The reactor can be gas-solid, liquid-solid, or gas-liquid-solid. The method considers the complete granular temperature balance based on the kinetic theory of granular flow, as well as the effect of a volumetric mass transfer coefficient between the liquid and the gas. After the method computes the granular temperature of the catalyst particles, the volumetric mass transfer coefficient between the gas and liquid phases is calculated using that temperature. The method then can determine the optimum catalyst particle size to maximize the production of fuels in fluidized bed reactors such as SBCRs.