has received a grant of Rup 1.2 crore, and will be carried out by the School of Nano Science and Technology of NITC. The project is titled 'Investigations on the application of catalytic nanoparticles in diesel and bio-diesel'. The method developed by the project which, when applied, is expected to increase the efficiency of fuel by 5-10%. The project will focus on producing new types of diesel and bio-diesel, modified by catalytic nanoparticles to produce better fuel performances and minimise emissions to a large extent when compared to conventional fuels. (1 crore=10 M, 1 lakh=100,000).
Chemical Engineering World, Feb 2010, 45 (2), 30
Fuel cell catalysts without platinum
Nisshinbo Industries and Showa Denko are developing alternatives to platinum catalysts in a race among companies to make fuel cells a costeffective technology for eco-cars and other applications. Nisshinbo's doped carbon catalyst costs a tenth of platinum catalysts, but the electrical output of fuel cells will need to reach a certain threshold for the catalysts to become commercially viable in automotive applications. Showa Denko's catalysts, created by adding nitrogen and carbon to niobium and titanium oxides, cost just 5% of platinum-based technology. The company expects to develop other substitutes by 2015 when fuel-cell vehicles are expected to enter the mainstream.