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= NOVACAM =

Introduction
NOVACAM is a collaborative EU-Japan research project involving catalysis research groups from the EU and Japan. EU-Japan project. The European Consortium has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement No 604319 and the Japanese consortium is supported by the Japan Science and Technology Agency.

NOVACAM aims to create new catalytic technologies for the conversion of waste biomass into useful chemicals, using new catalysts which do not require the metals which are classed as critical raw materials.

Critical raw materials are those where there are uncertainties about future supply on political, economic or ethical grounds. In the context of catalysis, the most important critical raw materials are the platinum group metals, which have a range of catalytic activities, and rare earth compounds, used as supports and as oxidation-reduction catalysts.

The project is coordinated by Prof Emiel J Hensen of Technische Universitat Eindhoven. It started in September 2013 and will run until March 2017.

Participants
The research consortium comprises three universities each from Europe and Japan, plus the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) from the UK. Shell and Nippon Shokubai Co are involved in the project in an advisory capacity.

The European academic institutions participating in the project are:


 * Technische Universitat Eindhoven: Principal Investigator - Prof Emiel J Hensen


 * CSIC/ITQ Valencia: Principal Investigator - Prof Avelino Corma Canos


 * Cardiff University: Principal Investigator - Prof Graham J Hutchings

The Japanese academic institutions participating in the project are:


 * Chiba University: Principal Investigator - Prof Satoshi Sato


 * Tokyo Institute of Technology: Principal Investigator - Prof Michikazu Hara


 * Hokkaido University: Principal Investigator - Prof Wataru Ueda

The Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) is a network aiming to stimulate growth in UK industry through collaboration and innovation. It is funded partly by the UK government, partly through grants and partly by income from service it provides for industrial customers. KTN has more than 50000 members across multiple sectors.

Scientific and Technical Approach
The project aims to create catalytic technology which can convert waste lignocellulose biomass into useful chemicals through cheap processes which can provide an alternative to petrochemical supply chains for platform chemicals and fuels.

The project is structured to create three platform technologies:


 * The valeric platform: the conversion of cellulose and carbohydrates to produce γ-valerolactone, a biofuel precursor.


 * Chemocatalytic glycolysis: new acid catalysts for depolymerising cellulose or dehydrating glucose, based on the insertion of metal oxide moeties into porous zeolitic structures.


 * Aqueous phase reforming: new catalysts able to produce hydrogen from biomass molecules avoiding precious metal nanoparticles.

The research work incorporates a “catalysis by design” approach, employing theoretical and experimental methods in conjunction to convert reactivity at the nanoscopic level into usable macroscopic effects.

About the Acronym
NOVACAM stands for : NOVel Cheap and Abundant Materials for catalytic biomass conversion

Project websites
http://www.novacam.eu

http://www.novacam.jp