Abstract: A method for producing aromatic compounds from fatty acid oils including heating a fatty acid oil to a temperature between about 100° C. to about 800° C. at a pressure between about vacuum conditions and about 200 psia for a time sufficient to crack the oil and produce a cracked fatty acid oil; removing undesired materials, unreacted oil, heavy ends, and light ends from the cracked fatty acid oil; heating the resulting purified cracked fatty acid oil to a temperature between about 100° C. to about 800° C. at a pressure between about vacuum conditions and about 200 psia for a time sufficient to reform alkenes and alkanes in the cracked fatty acid oil into aromatic compounds and produce a reformed fatty acid oil; and extracting components from the reformed fatty acid oil to produce a mixture of chemical products containing between 5% and 90% aromatic compounds by weight.

Abstract: In a method for producing high carbon content products from biomass, a biomass oil is added to a cracking reactor vessel. The biomass oil is heated to a temperature ranging from about 100° C. to about 800° C. at a pressure ranging from about vacuum conditions to about 20,700 kPa for a time sufficient to crack the biomass oil. Tar is separated from the cracked biomass oil. The tar is heated to a temperature ranging from about 200° C. to about 1500° C. at a pressure ranging from about vacuum conditions to about 20,700 kPa for a time sufficient to reduce the tar to a high carbon content product containing at least about 50% carbon by weight.

Abstract: A method for producing aromatic compounds from fatty acid oils including heating a fatty acid oil to a temperature between about 100° C. to about 800° C. at a pressure between about vacuum conditions and about 200 psia for a time sufficient to crack the oil and produce a cracked fatty acid oil; removing undesired materials, unreacted oil, heavy ends, and light ends from the cracked fatty acid oil; heating the resulting purified cracked fatty acid oil to a temperature between about 100° C. to about 800° C. at a pressure between about vacuum conditions and about 200 psia for a time sufficient to reform alkenes and alkanes in the cracked fatty acid oil into aromatic compounds and produce a reformed fatty acid oil; and extracting components from the reformed fatty acid oil to produce a mixture of chemical products containing between 5% and 90% aromatic compounds by weight.

Abstract: In a method for producing high carbon content products from biomass, a biomass oil is added to a cracking reactor vessel. The biomass oil is heated to a temperature ranging from about 100° C. to about 800° C. at a pressure ranging from about vacuum conditions to about 20,700 kPa for a time sufficient to crack the biomass oil. Tar is separated from the cracked biomass oil. The tar is heated to a temperature ranging from about 200° C. to about 1500° C. at a pressure ranging from about vacuum conditions to about 20,700 kPa for a time sufficient to reduce the tar to a high carbon content product containing at least about 50% carbon by weight.

Abstract: A method, using a photocatalyst, to accelerate the reduction of semivolatile organic chemicals absorbed into porous, solid materials. The porous, solid material having absorbed one or more semivolatile organic contaminants. The photocatalytic material located on the surface of the porous, solid material is exposed to a light source, under aerobic conditions, which excites the photocatalyst and results in the reduction of the absorbed semivolatile organic chemical contaminants.

Abstract: A method for oxidizing elemental mercury contained in flue gas uses a catalytic barrier filter. The method comprises directing the flue gas towards the catalytic barrier filter; passing the flue gas through the catalytic barrier filter in the presence of an oxidant; and outletting the flue gas from the catalytic barrier filter, wherein about 50 percent to about 99 percent of the elemental mercury is oxidized.

Abstract: A method for producing a mixture of short chain carboxylic acids from biomass includes adding biomass to a reactor vessel, heating the biomass to crack it, removing undesired and unreacted materials and light ends from the cracked biomass, and removing a mixture containing carboxylic acids having carbon chain lengths between C2 and C16. A composition includes a carboxyl group-containing compound derived by cracking biomass and having a carboxyl carbon chain length between C2 and C16.

Abstract: Plant or animal oils are processed to produce a fuel that operates at very cold temperatures and is suitable as an aviation turbine fuel, a diesel fuel, a fuel blendstock, or any fuel having a low cloud point, pour point or freeze point. The process is based on the cracking of plant or animal oils or their associated esters, known as biodiesel, to generate lighter chemical compounds that have substantially lower cloud, pour, and/or freeze points than the original oil or biodiesel. Cracked oil is processed using separation steps together with analysis to collect fractions with desired low temperature properties by removing undesirable compounds that do not possess the desired temperature properties.

Abstract: A method and apparatus automates and accelerates the extraction and analysis of trace elements from biomass. The method and apparatus are especially useful at key segregation points in the food chain where speed and accuracy is necessary to separate agricultural cereals that are elevated in beneficial trace element content which provides higher value to the producer.

Abstract: A method, using a photocatalyst, to accelerate the reduction of semivolatile organic chemicals absorbed into porous, solid materials. The porous, solid material having absorbed one or more semivolatile organic contaminants. The photocatalytic material located on the surface of the porous, solid material is exposed to a light source, under aerobic conditions, which excites the photocatalyst and results in the reduction of the absorbed semivolatile organic chemical contaminants.

Abstract: A method for oxidizing elemental mercury contained in flue gas uses a catalytic barrier filter. The method comprises directing the flue gas towards the catalytic barrier filter; passing the flue gas through the catalytic barrier filter in the presence of an oxidant; and outletting the flue gas from the catalytic barrier filter, wherein about 50 percent to about 99 percent of the elemental mercury is oxidized.