Workshop on Carbon Management
Speaker’s
Biographical Sketches
and
Abstracts
December 9-10, 2000
National Academy of Sciences
Lecture Room
Carol A. Creutz
Brookhaven National Laboratory
PO Box 5000, Building 555a
Upton, NY 11973-5000
Carol Creutz is Senior Chemist at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Dr. Creutz received her B.S. in
Chemistry in 1966 from the University of California, Los Angeles and her Ph. D. 1971 in Chemistry from Stanford
University. She served as Assistant Professor at Georgetown University from 1970 to1971 before joining the staff
at Brookhaven National Laboratory Chemistry Department: Research Associate 1972-1975; Associate Chemist
1975-1977; Chemist 1977-1980; Chemist with Tenure 1980-1989; Senior Chemist 1989-present; Chair, Chemistry
Department 1995-2000.
Her professional activities include Chemistry Research Evaluation Panel, Air Force Office of Scientific
Research, 1979-83; Editorial Board, Inorganic Chemistry, 1988-91; Councilor, American Chemical Society,
Inorganic Division, 1992-95; National Research Council Committee on Prudent Practices for Handling, Storage, and
Disposal of Chemicals in the Laboratory, 1992-95; National Research Council Panel on Laboratory Design, 19981999
Dr. Creutz’s research interests: kinetics and mechanisms of ground and excited-state reactions of transition
metal complexes, homogeneous catalysis in water; charge transfer processes in nanoscale clusters.
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Carbon Dioxide as a Feedstock
ABSTRACT
As an alternative to sequestration of carbon dioxide, carbon dioxide can be used as a raw material for
different chemical processes including bulk and fine chemical production and fuel production. Current and
proposed utilization strategies will be surveyed with emphasis on the reactivity of carbon dioxide and catalysts used
to augment this reactivity. This will be an overview talk based on material 1 presented at the Opportunities for
Catalysis Research in Carbon Management Workshop sponsored by the Council on Chemical Sciences (Santa Fe,
New Mexico, 1999) and other sources.2-4
Acknowledgment: This talk utilizes the contributions of the authors of the publication below. 1 This work
was carried out at Brookhaven National Laboratory under contract DE-AC02-98CH10886 with the U.S. Department
of Energy and was supported by its Division of Chemical Sciences, Office of Basic Energy Sciences.
”Opportunities for Catalysis Research in Carbon Management”
M. Aresta, J. N. Armor, M. A. Barteau, E. J. Beckman, A. T. Bell, J. E. Bercaw, C. Creutz, E. Dinjus, D. A. Dixon,
K. Domen, D. L. Dubois, J. Eckert, E. Fujita, D. H. Gibson, W. A. Goddard, D. W. Goodman, J. Keller, G. J. Kubas,
H. H. Kung, J. E. Lyons, L. E. Manzer, T. J. Marks, K. Morokuma, K. M. Nicholas, R. Periana, L. Que, J. RostrupNielson, W. M. H. Sachtler, L. D. Schmidt, A. Sen, G. A. Somorjai, P. C. Stair, B. R. Stults and W. Tumas
Chem. Rev. (submitted)
1
2
Behr, A. Carbon dioxide activation by metal complexes; VCH: Cambridge, 1988.
3
Electrochemical and Electrocatalytic Reactions of Carbon Dioxide; Sullivan, B. P.; Krist, K.; Guard, H. E., Eds.;
Elsevier: Amsterdam, 1993.
4
Carbon Management: Assessment of Fundamental Research Needs, S. Benson. W. Chandler, J. Edmonds, M.
Levine, L. Bates, H. Chum, J. Dooley, D. Grether, J. Houghton, J. Logan, G. Wiltsee, and L. Wright (1997)
James A. Edmonds
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
901 D Street Southwest, Suite 900
Washington, DC 20024
James Edmonds is a Chief Scientist and Technical Leader of Economic Programs at the Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory (PNNL). Dr. Edmonds heads an international global change research program at PNNL with
active collaborations in more than a dozen institutions and countries. Dr. Edmonds is well known for his
contributions the Integrated Assessment of climate change, the examination of interactions between energy,
technology, policy and the environment. Dr. Edmonds has expounded extensively on the subject of global change
including books, papers, and presentations. Dr. Edmonds’ books on the subject of global change include, Global
Energy Assessing the Future, with John Reilly (Oxford University Press). His book, with Don Wuebbles, A Primer
on Greenhouse Gases won the scientific book of the year award at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
He presently serves as a Lead Author in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change third assessment report,
currently underway. Dr. Edmonds’ current research focuses on the application of Integrated Assessment Models to
the development of a long-term, Global Energy Technology Strategy to Address Climate Change. Dr. Edmonds’
Global Climate Change Group at PNNL, received the Director’s Award for Research Excellence in 1995. In 1997
Dr. Edmonds received the BER50 Award from the United States Department of Energy in recognition of his
research accomplishments. Dr. Edmonds recently received the Stanford Energy Modeling Forum “Hall of Fame”
Award (2000). Dr. Edmonds was trained as an economist with a B.A. from Kalamazoo College (1969), and M.A.
(1972) and Ph.D. (1974) from Duke University.
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Carbon Management-The Challenge
ABSTRACT
The presentation will provide a motivation for carbon management, including a discussion of the
relationship between carbon dioxide emissions and the concentration of carbon in the atmosphere, the relationship
between human activities and the emissions of greenhouse gases with special emphasis on the energy connection,
and the role of technology development in developing a long-term strategy for addressing the problem.
John Stringer
Materials and Chemistry Support Department
Science and Technology Division
EPRI
3412 Hillview Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94304-1395
Dr. John Stringer is the Director of Materials & Chemistry Support in the Science & Technology
Development Division at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) in Palo Alto, California. In 1988 he was
appointed Director of Technical Support in the Generation and Storage Division. He was appointed to his present
post in 1991. From 1982 to 1988 Dr. Stringer was Manager of the Materials Support Program and also of the
Exploratory Research Program.
Dr. Stringer joined the Institute in 1977 as Project Manager in the Materials Support Program. Before
joining EPRI, Dr. Stringer was Head of the Department of Metallurgy and Materials Science at the University of
Liverpool, England. From 1963 to 1966, he worked for Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio as a Fellow
in the Metal Science Group. From 1957 to 1963, Dr. Stringer was a member of the teaching staff in the Department
of Metallurgy at the University of Liverpool.
Dr. Stringer received a B.S. degree in Engineering with first class honors in Metallurgy from the University
of Liverpool in 1955. He was awarded the Ph.D. degree in 1958 and a Doctor of Engineering degree from the
University in 1975.
Dr. Stringer is the author of two books, editor of nine others, and is the author or co-author of over 300
papers, primarily in the areas of high temperature oxidation and corrosion of metals and alloys, galvanomagnetic
effects in alloys, and erosion and corrosion of components in fluidized bed combustors.
Dr. Stringer is a Fellow of the Institute of Fuel, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement
of Science, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and a Chartered Engineer (U.K.). He is one of the first group of
Fellows of NACE International (formerly the National Association of Corrosion Engineers), elected in 1993, and a
Fellow of The Metallurgical Society (TMS) of the American Institute of Metallurgical Engineers, elected in 1992.
He is also a member of the American Society for Metals and of the Materials Research Society. In 1993 he was
awarded the Ulick R. Evans Award of the Institute of Corrosion (U.K.) “for outstanding work in the field of
corrosion.”
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Carbon Management Alternatives for the Electric Utility Industry
ABSTRACT
The electric utility industry is responsible for approximately 1/3 of the anthropogenic CO2 generated in the
U.S. The sources are large and fixed, which makes them a logical target for early approaches to controlling CO2
emissions. Of the electricity generated, a little over half comes from pulverized coal fired stations, based on the
steam Rankine cycle. The approaches proposed include trading credits, but this aspect will not be discussed in this
presentation. The others are, essentially, continuing the improvements in the thermal efficiency of generation; the
increase in the hydrogen-to-carbon ratio of the fuel, and the improvements in the efficiency
in end use (this has the effect of decreasing the energy/GDP ratio). Continuing the increase in the fraction of the
total energy usage which is represented by electricity is also believed to be helpful, although this is perhaps more
evident in a global context. The final approach is to capture and sequester the CO2 which is emitted by fossil-fired
systems. The progress in these different approaches, and the part they can be expected to play over the next few
decades will be discussed.
Leo E. Manzer
DuPont Central Research
Experimental Station
Wilmington DE, 19880-0262
Leo E. Manzer is a DuPont Fellow in DuPont's Central Science and Engineering Laboratories at the
Experimental Station in Wilmington, Delaware, USA. He was born and educated in Canada. After receiving his
Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Western Ontario, Canada, in 1973, he joined DuPont in Wilmington.
During his career, he has held a variety of positions in Delaware and Texas, overseeing research programs in
homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. He founded and directed the Corporate Catalysis Center at DuPont from
1987-1993. Dr. Manzer is a member of the North American catalysis society and is an Adjunct Professor in the
Departments of Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Delaware. He is on the
editorial boards of several major catalysis journals and is actively involved in promoting the value of catalysis to
society. Dr. Manzer has been involved in all aspects of catalysis in DuPont and led the research effort for the
development of alternatives to chlorofluorocarbons.
Dr. Manzer is the author of over 80 publications and 60 patents. He has received a number of awards,
including the 1995 Earle B. Barnes Award from the American Chemical Society for leadership in Chemical
Research Management and the 1997 Philadelphia Catalysis Society Award for excellence in catalysis.
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Managing Carbon Losses Through Selective Oxidation Catalysis
ABSTRACT
Increasing awareness of global warming has raised concern about the rising levels of gases such as carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere. Although the contribution from chemical processes is minor relative to stationary power
sources and automobiles, the opportunity for reducing CO 2 emissions is worth pursuing. Catalytic oxidation
processes are among the least selective of all catalytic processes and therefore offer the highest potential for CO 2
reduction.
During this presentation an overview of current and future trends in selective oxidation catalysis will be
given. These include 1) gas-phase oxidations under anaerobic conditions, 2) the use of non-conventional oxidants
such as H2-O2, N2O, H2O2, and RO2H; 3) the use of paraffin feedstocks; 4) new process chemistry; 5) oxidations
under unusual process conditions.
James A. Spearot
General Motors
Research & Development Center and Planning
30500 Mound Road
Mail Code 480-106-160
Warren, MI 48090-9055
James A. (Jim) Spearot was appointed Director of the Chemical and Environmental Sciences Laboratory at
the General Motors Research and Development Center in August 1998.
His laboratory’s mission is to develop cost-effective environmental strategies and systems for General
Motors’ products and processes. Key research areas for the laboratory include life cycle analysis, low cost
emissions control strategies, environmental systems for advanced material processing, fuel and lubricant systems for
advanced powertrains, and innovative, efficient test environments and analytical measurements. Additionally, Dr.
Spearot serves as Chief Scientist of GM’s Powertrain Division, a position he has held since November 1998.
A native of Hartford, Connecticut, Dr. Spearot was born on April 26, 1945. He received a Bachelor of
Science degree in chemical engineering from Syracuse University in 1967, and a master’s and doctorate, also in
chemical engineering, from the University of Delaware, in 1970 and 1972, respectively.
Dr. Spearot began his GM career in 1972 as an Assistant Senior Research Engineer in the Fuels and
Lubricants Department. He held positions of increasing responsibility, including Principal Research Engineer and
Section Manager of Surface and Rheological Studies, that led to his appointment as Department Head in 1992.
He is a member of several organizations: the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), the Society of
Rheology, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and the American Society for Testing and Materials
(ASTM). He is a former chairman of the SAE Fuels and Lubricants Division, and serves on the Fluids Committee
of the Engine Manufacturers Association. He also serves as Chairman of the Fuels Working Group of the
Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV). His professional honors include: an ASTM Award for
Excellence in 1990; the Arch T. Colwell Merit Award from the SAE in 1987; and the Award for Research on
Automotive Lubricants, also from the SAE in 1987.
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Advanced Engine/Fuel Systems Development For Minimizing Co2 Generation
ABSTRACT
Potential changes in energy utilization during the 21st century are predicted based on past and current trends
in fuel usage. Since motor vehicles represent a growing portion of global energy requirements, it is important to
determine how automotive technology can align with societal needs and demands. Four stroke, direct injection,
internal combustion engines and fuel cells represent leading powertrain technologies for future vehicle applications.
These technologies, in combination with reformulated petroleum-based fuels, will be developed to meet applicable
emissions and fuel efficiency goals, and will provide substantial reductions in CO 2 generation per mile of vehicle
travel during the early decades of the 21 st century. Elimination of carbon emissions from motor vehicles will
demand advanced powertrain technologies in combination with totally different fuels. Engine/fuel systems that
could potentially be used to create a CO2-neutral transportation system are reviewed and discussed.
David C. Thomas
BP Amoco
CO2 Mitigation Technology
150 West Warrenville Road
Naperville, IL 60566
David C. Thomas as Manager of CO2 Mitigation Technology leads BP Amoco’s efforts in reducing CO 2
emissions from its operations. He has held a broad range of positions in technology development, research,
management, and strategy development in exploration, production, and chemicals. Dr. Thomas holds a PhD in
Physical Chemistry from the University of Oklahoma and has published over 40 papers and 5 patents.
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Carbon Dioxide Mitigation – A Challenge for the 21st Century
ABSTRACT
Global warming has become an important topic for businesses that produce and consume significant
quantities of hydrocarbon-based fuels or feedstocks. Global concern is growing that greenhouse gases, of which
CO2 is the dominate component, are causing serious harm to the world’s climate. Some nations have begun to take
regulatory steps to curb emissions and to encourage mitigation activities. The petroleum industry plays a special
role because it both produces hydrocarbons for use by our customers and generates significant levels of GHG
emission. The industry also presents the best short and mid-range options for mitigating those emissions through
geological storage. BP Amoco has chosen to take a leadership role in addressing greenhouse gas emissions. We are
carrying out an aggressive internal program to reduce our own emissions and to test an emissions trading program as
a tool for cost effective mitigation. We are also leading an international consortium of energy companies to develop
cost effective technologies in support of capture and storage of material amounts of CO 2. This presentation will
summarize the available options and comment on their applicability. We will discuss directional approaches and
issues on geological sequestration concentrating on capture, separation, transport, injection, and monitoring issues.
Few solutions will be presented but viable options will be described and evaluated.
Patrick R. Gruber
Cargill Dow LLC
15305 Minnetonka Boulevard
Minnetonka, MN 55345
Pat Gruber is currently Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Cargill Dow LLC. Cargill Dow LLC
is a joint venture between Cargill, Incorporated, and Dow Chemicals. Dr. Gruber began working with Cargill Dow
in 1997 and has served as Vice President since Cargill Dow’s formation. Dr. Gruber joined Cargill Dow full time
beginning in January 2000.
During his tenure at Cargill he served in a wide range of roles in the technology and business development
area. Dr. Gruber has spent his career developing technology and business opportunities in the area of chemical
products made from renewable resources targeted to animal feed products, food ingredients, and industrial
chemicals.
Dr. Gruber has served on strategy and business teams at the Division level of Cargill. From 1995-1998
Gruber was Director of Technology Development for Cargill’s bioproducts areas. From 1998 through 1999 he
served as Technical Director of Cargill’s BioScience Division where as a member of the Business Management
Team was involved with identifying, then starting up a variety of new businesses, as well as building capability in
the food products and animal nutrition area.
Dr. Gruber was President of Lactech, a technology development company, from 1989-1995, which
successfully developed lactic acid technology which was licensed to Cargill, Incorporated. In 1989 he was named
leader of Cargill's renewable bioplastics project with responsibility for the development and marketing of a lactic
acid polymer now known as NatureWorkstm. In this general management role, Gruber led the development from
concept through technical and market validation, building the organization which formed the core of Cargill Dow.
Dr. Gruber has 37 U.S. patents issued with more than dozen pending. In 1998 he received Inventor of the
Year from Minnesota Patent Lawyers. In 1993, he received R & D Magazine's Top 100 Inventions of the Year
award for advances in stabilizing enzymes. Dr. Gruber has served as one of the program reviewers of DOE's
Biofuels Program 1998 and 1999. He has been counselor of BEPDS since 1997.
Gruber received a bachelor's degree in from the University of Saint Thomas, St. Paul, Minn., in 1983,
where he majored in chemistry and biology. He earned a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Minnesota
in 1987. Gruber also has a Masters in Business Administration from the Carslon School of Management at the
University of Minnesota in 1994.
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Polymers and Chemicals made from Renewable Resources: Polylactic Acid as a Case Study
ABSTRACT
Using PLA as an example, I will discuss CO2 use in polymers and chemical intermediates made from
renewable resources. PLA provides an interesting example because of its world scale commercialization by Cargill
Dow. PLA has the attributes typical of traditional thermoplastic materials and can serve a wide market area from
packaging, to fibers for apparel and carpet. PLA process technology is advanced enough so that it can compete on
price and performance against commodity types of materials. PLA is made from lactic acid, a product of
fermentation from sugar. The sugar sources are renewable feedstocks such as corn or cane. The process technology
guidelines Cargill Dow has used will be presented. Select “cradle to grave” data and issues from PLA’s life cycle
assessment will be presented. This information is useful for determining approaches to CO 2 emission minimization
and eventual sequestration. Cargill Dow’s approaches to CO2 utilization will be discussed. Market potential for
products made from renewable resources using technology similar to that used for PLA will be presented. These
products include derivatives of lactic acid as well as other organic acids and derivatives. In total, the potential for
these products would be on the order of 10 billion pounds or more. Finally, suggestions for research direction will
be presented.
John A. Turner
Center for Basic Sciences
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Golden, Colorado 80401-3393
John A. Turner, Ph. D., is a senior electrochemist in the Center for Basic Sciences at the National
Renewable Energy Laboratory. His research is primarily concerned with direct conversion (photoelectrolysis)
systems for hydrogen production from water. His monolithic photovoltaic-photoelectrochemical device has the
highest efficiency for any direct conversion water splitting device (>12%). Other work involves the study of new
materials for fuel cell separators, corrosion of bipolar plates (fuel cells), electrode materials for high energy density
lithium batteries and fundamental processes of charge transfer at semiconductor electrodes. These research projects
involve electrocatalysis, new semiconductor materials, surface modification, and the development of novel
experimental techniques. He is the author or co-author of over 50 peer-reviewed publications in the areas of
photoelectrochemistry, batteries, general electrochemistry and analytical chemistry.
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Renewable Energy: Generation, Storage and Utilization
ABSTRACT
Renewable energy offers the possibility of providing a complete, sustainable energy infrastructure without
anthropogenic emission of CO2. Large-scale implementation of renewable technologies would eliminate the need to
develop and implement sequestration systems, by reducing the use of, and ultimately eliminating fossil based energy
production. Renewable energy also offers energy security because indigenous resources are sufficient. The major
renewable energy systems include phovoltaics (solar cells), solar thermal (electric and thermal), wind, biomass
(plants and trees), hydroelectric, ocean, and geothermal. Given the intermittent nature of solar energy, only those
energy systems that are coupled to an energy storage technology will be viable. Among the energy storage
technologies are hydrogen, batteries, flywheels, superconductivity, ultracapacitors, pumped hydro, molten salts (for
thermal storage), and compressed gas. One of the most versatile energy storage systems and the best energy carrier
for transportation is hydrogen. This report will review some of the basic renewable energy systems, present possible
pathways for the implementation of hydrogen into the energy infrastructure and offer research areas that need to be
addressed to increase the viability of these renewable energy technologies.
David W. Keith
Carnegie Mellon University
Department of Engineering and Public Health
129 Baker Hall
Pittsburgh, Pa 15213-3890
David Keith joined the CMU faculty in 1999. His current research centers on the use of fossil fuels without
atmospheric emissions of carbon dioxide by means of carbon sequestration. This research aims to understand the
economic and regulatory implications of this rapidly evolving technology. Questions range from near term
technology-based cost estimation, to attempts to understand the path dependency of technical evolution; for
example, how would entry of carbon management into the electric sector change prospects for hydrogen as a
secondary energy carrier? In addition, Dr. Keith’s research interests include geoengineering, biomass energy, and
the use of quantified expert judgment in policy analysis.
Dr. Keith trained as an experimental physicist at MIT (Ph.D., 1991) where he developed an interferometer
for atoms. During 1991-1999 he worked in atmospheric science, first at NCAR and then at Harvard, he also a
collaborated in the research program on climate related public policy at Carnegie Mellon as adjunct faculty and as
an investigator in the center for the human dimensions of global change.
As an atmospheric scientist in Professor James Anderson's group at Harvard, Dr. Keith led the development
of a new Fourier-transform spectrometer that flies on the NASA ER-2, and worked as project scientist on Arrhenius,
a proposed satellite aimed at establishing an accurate benchmark of infrared radiance observations for the purpose of
detecting climate change. He continues to collaborate with on high-accuracy radiance measurements.
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Industrial Carbon Management
ABSTRACT
The long-term use of fossil energy without emissions of CO2 is an energy path that may substantially lower
the cost of mitigating anthropogenic climate change. I call the required technologies Industrial Carbon Management
(ICM), defined as the linked processes of capturing the carbon content of fossil fuels while generating carbon-free
energy products such as electricity and hydrogen and sequestering the resulting carbon dioxide. Although many of
the component technologies are well known, the idea that ICM could play a central role in our energy future is a
radical break with recent thinking about energy system responses to climate change.
I will briefly describe the magnitude of challenge that the CO2-climate problem poses for energy policy
and the role for ICM in meeting that challenge. Next, I will describe the link between technological choice and the
likely diffusion of ICM technologies throughout the energy system, and the implications of that link for research
prioritization. Finally, I will turn to the present, and sketch the current view of ICM in two audiences: Industry and
environmental NGOs.
John W. Frost
Michigan State University
528 Chemistry Building
East Lansing, MI 48824
John W. Frost is a Professor in the Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and Director of
the Center for Plant Products and Technologies at Michigan State University. He received his B.S. in Chemistry
from Purdue University, his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and was a postdoctoral fellow at
Harvard University. The Frost group genetically engineers and uses recombinant microbes as synthetic catalysts
and interfaces this type of biocatalysis with chemical catalysis. Research has focused on elaborating microbecatalyzed syntheses of starting materials critical to the manufacture of pharmaceuticals as a replacement for the
current isolation of these starting materials from exotic natural sources. Hoffmann La Roche is currently
commercially employing a Frost group microbe to synthesize shikimic acid, which is the starting material used in
manufacture of the antiinfluenza drug known as Tamiflu. Frost group research is also directed towards employing
recombinant microbes in syntheses of larger volume chemicals including adipic acid, catechol, hydroquinone, and
vanillin. These microbe-catalyzed syntheses exploit renewable feedstocks (starch, cellulose, hemicellulose) and
nontoxic starting materials (glucose, xylose, arabinose, glycerol) as sustainable, environmentally-benign alternatives
to the nonrenewable feedstocks (petroleum) and toxic starting materials (benzene, toluene) that are currently
employed in chemical manufacture. Professor Frost and his wife and collaborator, Professor Karen M. Frost, were
awarded The Presidential Green Challenge Award for these research efforts.
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Chemicals from Plants
ABSTRACT
Research activities to be discussed are designed to establish fundamental synthetic connections between
carbohydrate starting materials and chemical products. This is a necessary enabling step for ultimately switching a
significant proportion of chemical manufacture from its current dependence on nonrenewable fossil fuel feedstocks
to the use of renewable, carbohydrate feedstocks. Specifically, syntheses of shikimic acid, hydroquinone, and adipic
acid from glucose using recombinant microbial biocatalysts under controlled fermentor conditions will be presented.
Shikimic acid synthesis will illustrate the use of genetic manipulation of an existing biosynthetic pathway to
delineate factors that limit yield in microbe-catalyzed syntheses when glucose is the starting material. Conversion of
glucose into hydroquinone is an example of how microbial biocatalysis and chemical catalysis can be effectively
interfaced to create new syntheses of building-block organic chemicals. Adipic acid synthesis from glucose
provides a case study of the use of genetic manipulation to create new biosynthetic pathways in microbes.
Harold H. Kung
Department of Chemical Engineering
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL 60208
Harold H. Kung is professor of chemical engineering at Northwestern University. His areas of research
include surface chemistry, catalysis, and chemical reaction engineering. His professional experience includes work
as a research chemist at E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc. He is recipient of the P.H. Emmett Award and the
Robert Burwell Lectureship Award from the North American Catalysis Society, the Herman Pines Award of the
Chicago Catalysis Club, the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science Fellowship, the John McClanahan
Henske Distinguished Lectureship of Yale University, and the Olaf A. Hougen Professorship at the University of
Wisconsin, Madison. He is editor of Applied Catalysis A: General. He has a Ph.D. in chemistry from Northwestern
University.
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Increasing Efficiencies in Hydrocarbon Activation
ABSTRACT
Hydrocarbons are the source of many commodity chemicals and consumer products, as well as energy. In
the chemical processing industry, higher selectivity in the transformation of hydrocarbons to other useful products
would result in less carbon wasted as byproducts, and reducing the number of energy intensive steps in processing
would generally save carbon consumption for energy production. Examples to illustrate these and the corresponding
research opportunities will be presented. For energy generation, more efficient capture of energy released in
hydrocarbon conversion would lower carbon consumption. An example is in using fuel cell for transportation.
Opportunities in fuel cell research will be presented.
Brian P. Flannery
Exxon Mobil Corporation
Safety, Health and Environment
5959 Los Colinas Boulevard
Irving, TX 75039-2298
Dr. Brian P. Flannery is Science, Strategy and Programs Manager in the Safety, Health and Environment
Department, Exxon Mobil Corporation. Before joining Exxon he received degrees in astrophysics from Princeton
(BA 1970) and UC Santa Cruz (Ph.D. 1974), and was a post-doctoral fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in
Princeton (1974-76) and assistant and associate professor at Harvard University (1976-80). Since joining Corporate
Research, Exxon Research and Engineering Company in 1980, Flannery has worked in research, supervisory, and
management roles involving theoretical science, mathematical modeling, and the environment. At Exxon he led the
effort to develop a new form of microscopy utilizing synchrotron x-ray radiation to produce non-invasive, threedimensional images of the internal structure of small objects. Flannery is co-author of the widely used reference
Numerical Recipes: the Art of Scientific Computing.
Since 1980 Flannery has been involved in research and policy analysis of scientific, technical, economic
and political issues related to global climate change. He served on the State-of-the-Art Review of Greenhouse
Science of the U.S. Department of Energy 1984-86, where he co-authored the chapter on transient climate change.
He was a member of the Scientific Advisory Subcommittee on Climate Change of the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency 1988-90. He served on of the editorial committee of Annual Reviews of Energy and Environment, and
Consequences, and was a member of the Evaluation Committee of the International Geosphere Biosphere Program.
Currently he participates in the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as lead
author in Working Group III.
Through the Global Climate Change Working Group of the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association, Flannery has organized international seminars, workshops, and symposia that
address scientific, technical, social, economic, and policy aspects of global climate change. These include the 1992
Rome Symposium, Global Change: A Petroleum Industry Perspective, the 1993 Lisbon Experts Workshop SocioEconomic Assessment of Global Climate Change, and the 1996 Paris Symposium Critical Issues In the Economics
of Climate Change, and the 1999 Milan Workshop Kyoto Mechanisms and Compliance. On behalf of industry he
participates as an observer at meetings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Framework
Convention on Climate Change.
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An Industry Perspective on Carbon Management
ABSTRACT
Concerns about human emissions of carbon dioxide from energy use and land use changes and their
possible effect on future climate have led to policy proposals that would dramatically restrict future emissions.
Meanwhile, projections indicate that energy use and associated CO 2 emissions will grow substantially to fuel
economic growth and prosperity. Consequently, restrictions on energy demand would have significant economic
and social impacts— especially in developing countries where efforts to alleviate poverty and meet essential needs,
as well as aspirations, will require large increase in future energy use.
Scenarios indicate that a range of future emissions pathways could lead to CO2 stabilization at various
levels over the next century. However, the social, environmental and economic costs of different pathways are
sensitive to the availability and performance of technologies that may become available. In particular,
implementation of new energy technology requires extensive infrastructure to function. If it becomes necessary to
stabilize atmospheric CO2 concentrations, the ultimate cost and capability to reduce emissions will depend on the
development, commercialization, and widespread global use of currently non-commercial technologies.
Consequently, the chemical R&D community should focus on efforts to enhance our ability to assess the potential
extent and consequences of climate change and to contribute to the development of advanced technology.
Technology research should aim to devise options that reduce costs, improve performance, and foster acceptance of
potential new technologies. Programs on carbon management in coming decades should not focus on optimizing
options based on today's limited understanding and costly systems, but rather, on identifying and addressing
fundamental barriers, so that more economic and effective options become available in the future.