Abstract: An example system for co-liquefying feedstock and yellow grease includes: a feedstock container to contain a feedstock; a yellow grease container to contain a yellow grease; a hydrothermal liquefaction system configured to receive feedstock from the feedstock container and to receive yellow grease from the yellow grease container; the feedstock received by the hydrothermal liquefaction system and the yellow grease received by the hydrothermal liquefaction system to become a mixture; a controller connected to the feedstock container and the yellow grease container, the controller configured to control the amount of the feedstock supplied from the feedstock container to the hydrothermal liquefaction system, the controller further configured to control the amount of the yellow grease supplied from the yellow grease container to the hydrothermal liquefaction system to be between 10% to 50% of the mixture; and a collector configured to receive a bio-crude from the hydrothermal liquefaction system.

Abstract: A polymer of formula (I): where: n is an integer from 10 to 5,000; m is an integer from 10 to 5,000; Ar1 and Ar3 are the same or different and are residues derived from a tetra-hydroxy aromatic monomer, the tetra-hydroxy aromatic monomer being wherein R is the same or different and is H or a C1-C8 alkyl, C2-C8 alkenyl or C3-C8 cycloalkyl group; and, Ar2 and Ar4 are the same or different and are residues derived from a tetra-halogenated aromatic monomer, the tetra-halogenated aromatic monomer being wherein X is F, Cl or Br, and R1 and R2 are the same or different and are wherein y is an integer from 1 to 8; with the proviso that when Ar1 is the same as Ar3 and Ar2 is the same as Ar4, R1 and R2 are not both —CN is useful as a material for gas separation, vapor separation, adsorbents or catalysis.

Abstract: A polymer of formula (I): where: n is an integer from 10 to 5,000; m is an integer from 10 to 5,000; Ar1 and Ar3 are the same or different and are residues derived from a tetra-hydroxy aromatic monomer, the tetra-hydroxy aromatic monomer being wherein R is the same or different and is H or a C1-C8 alkyl, C2-C8 alkenyl or C3-C8 cycloalkyl group; and, Ar2 and Ar4 are the same or different and are residues derived from a tetra-halogenated aromatic monomer, the tetra-halogenated aromatic monomer being wherein X is F, Cl or Br, and R1 and R2 are the same or different and are wherein y is an integer from 1 to 8; with the proviso that when Ar1 is the same as Ar3 and Ar2 is the same as Ar4, R1 and R2 are not both —CN is useful as a material for gas separation, vapor separation, adsorbents or catalysis.

Abstract: A film of a carboxylated polymer of formula (I): wherein the sum of x, y and z is an integer from 10 to 10,000 and degree of hydrolysis is 0.05 or greater provides gas separation materials in which the degree of hydrolysis may be used to tune the selectivity of the gases to an optimal required range. Such films may be prepared by casting a film of a polymer of formula (II): wherein n is an integer from 10 to 10,000, and hydrolyzing all or a portion of the —CN groups to form —COOH groups.

Abstract: A polymer of formula (I): where: n is an integer from 10 to 5,000; m is an integer from 10 to 5,000; Ar1 and Ar3 are the same or different and are residues derived from a tetra-hydroxy aromatic monomer, the tetra-hydroxy aromatic monomer being wherein R is the same or different and is H or a C1-C8 alkyl, C2-C8 alkenyl or C3-C8 cycloalkyl group; and, Ar2 and Ar4 are the same or different and are residues derived from a tetra-halogenated aromatic monomer, the tetra-halogenated aromatic monomer being wherein X is F, Cl or Br, and R1 and R2 are the same or different and are wherein y is an integer from 1 to 8; with the proviso that when Ar1 is the same as Ar3 and Ar2 is the same as Ar4, R1 and R2 are not both —CN is useful as a material for gas separation, vapor separation, adsorbents or catalysis.

Abstract: A film of a carboxylated polymer of formula (I): wherein the sum of x, y and z is an integer from 10 to 10,000 and degree of hydrolysis is 0.05 or greater provides gas separation materials in which the degree of hydrolysis may be used to tune the selectivity of the gases to an optimal required range. Such films may be prepared by casting a film of a polymer of formula (II): wherein n is an integer from 10 to 10,000, and hydrolyzing all or a portion of the —CN groups to form —COOH groups.

Abstract: A polymer of formula (I): where: n is an integer from 10 to 5,000; m is an integer from 10 to 5,000; Ar1 and Ar3 are the same or different and are residues derived from a tetra-hydroxy aromatic monomer, the tetra-hydroxy aromatic monomer being wherein R is the same or different and is H or a C1-C8 alkyl, C2-C8 alkenyl or C3-C8 cycloalkyl group; and, Ar2 and Ar4 are the same or different and are residues derived from a tetra-halogenated aromatic monomer, the tetra-halogenated aromatic monomer being wherein X is F, Cl or Br, and R1 and R2 are the same or different and are wherein y is an integer from 1 to 8; with the proviso that when Ar1 is the same as Ar3 and Ar2 is the same as Ar4, R1 and R2 are not both —CN is useful as a material for gas separation, vapor separation, adsorbents or catalysis.

Abstract: A sulfonated poly(aryl ether) (SPAE) having a poly(aryl ether) (PAE) main chain and a sulfonated phenyl group pendent from the main chain are useful in proton exchange membranes (PEMs), particularly for fuel cells. The pendent phenyl group can provide an easily sulfonable site that may be sulfonated under mild conditions, providing the ability to precisely control the sulfonic acid content of the SPAE.

Abstract: A novel class of proton exchange membrane materials, sulfonated poly(phthalazinones), were prepared by modification of poly(phthalazinone). Sulfonation reactions were conducted at room temperature using mixtures of 95-98% concentrated sulfuric acid and 27-33% fuming sulfuric acid with different acid ratios in order to get SPPEK with degree of sulfonation (DS) in the range of 0.6 to 1.0. The presence of sulfonic acid groups was confirmed by FT-IR analysis, and the DS and structures were characterized by NMR. The introduction of sulfonic groups into the polymer chains led to an increase in the glass transition temperature and a decrease in the decomposition temperature. Membrane films were cast from solution in N,N-dimethylformamide or N,N-dimethylacetamide. Water uptakes and swelling ratios of the membrane films increased with DS and sulfonated polymers with DS>1.2 were water soluble at 80° C. Proton conductivity increased with DS and temperature up to 95° C., reaching 10?2 S/Cm.

Abstract: Ether nitrile co-polymers containing sulfonic acid groups, including wholly aromatic poly(aryl ether ether nitrile)s containing sulfonic acid groups (SPAEEN)s, and poly(phthalazinone ether ketone nitrile) co-polymers containing sulfonic acid groups (SPPEKN)s, intended for fuel cells applications as proton conducting membrane materials, were prepared.

Abstract: A new series of wholly aromatic poly(arylene ether ether ketone ketone)s containing pendant sulfonic acid groups (SPAEEKK) were conveniently prepared by potassium carbonate mediated nucleophilic polycondensation reactions of inexpensive commercially available monomers: 1,3-bis(4-fluorobenzoyl)benzene (BFBB), sodium 6,7-dihydroxy-2-naphthalenesulfonate (DHNS), and 4,4?-biphenol or hydroquinone in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) at 170° C. FT-IR and NMR were used to characterize the structures and the sulfonate or sulfonic acid contents (SC) of the polymers. Flexible membrane films were obtained by casting N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) solutions of copolymers. Membrane films in acid form were then obtained by treating the sodium form membrane films in 2 N sulfuric acid at room temperature. Glass transition temperatures (Tgs) and decomposition temperatures (Tds) of SPAEEKKs in both sodium and acid forms were determined. Water uptake and swelling ratio values increased with SCs and temperatures.

Abstract: A sulfonated poly(aryl ether) (SPAE) having a poly(aryl ether) (PAE) main chain and a sulfonated phenyl group pendent from the main chain are useful in proton exchange membranes (PEMs), particularly for fuel cells. The pendent phenyl group can provide an easily sulfonable site that may be sulfonated under mild conditions, providing the ability to precisely control the sulfonic acid content of the SPAE.

Abstract: A polysulfone-zeolite composite membrane can be used to separate gas pairs such as hydrogen/carbon dioxide. Zeolite, preferably zeolite 3A particles are covalently bonded to the polymer using an aminofunctional methoxysilane as a coupling agent to bind the zeolite particles to an aldehyde modified polysulfone matrix.

Abstract: A polysulfone—zeolite composite membrane can be used to separate gas pairs such as hydrogen/carbon dioxide. Zeolite, preferably zeolite 3A particles are covalently bonded to the polymer using an aminofunctional methoxysilane as a coupling agent to bind the zeolite particles to an aldehyde modified polysulfone matrix.

Abstract: The invention disclosed relates to a process for producing azide-substituted aromatic polymers such as polysulfones, and to certain novel azide-substituted polysulfones so produced. The process involves attaching azide groups onto the aromatic rings of the polymers by first activating the attachment site by direct lithiation or bromination, followed by lithiation. The lithiated intermediates are converted substantially qantitatively to azides by reacting with a suitable azide, preferably tosyl azide, under substantially anhydrous conditions. Novel azide-substituted polysulfones containing from one to about three azide groups per repeat polymer unit were obtained, the degree of azide substitution being determined by the degree of lithiation. The azides may also be converted to other functional derivatives such as primary amines and cross-linked membranes.