Core Capabilities
Scientists and engineers in the Chemical and Environmental Technologies business area possess a broad range of technical capabilities
in industrial R&D, ranging from fundamental research to highly applied development in both the process and product arenas. Many of
their scientific contributions have changed the basis of competition in the chemical, petrochemical, and related industries. Key technical
capabilities include catalysis, process chemistry, advanced separations, reaction engineering, computational/quantum chemistry, analytical
science, polymer science, process safety, modeling and simulation, statistical analysis, experimental design, transport phenomena, materials
of construction, and process economics. These capabilities are applied to important needs, such as biomass conversion, alternative raw
materials, coal gasification, more efficient chemical processes, and new products with improved properties.
MATRIC's capabilities are uniquely leveraged by assembling a highly successful multidisciplinary team approach using advanced technologies
and a systems approach to process synthesis. Core competencies are summarized as follows:
Radical Process Innovation
Catalysis
Scale-Up and Technology Verification
Techno-Economic Assessments and Emerging Technology Evaluations
Safety Engineering Services
Intellectual Property
Process and Plant Improvement
Business Strategy, Technology Plans, and Market Introduction
Development of advanced separations technologies, radical process innovation, simulation, and synthesis to reduce capital and operating costs in the chemical and polymer industries
Discovery, development, scale-up, and commercial production of "best-in-class" heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysts for batch and continuous processes
Process and product pilot plant, demonstration unit scale-up, and technological verification to achieve reduced cycle times and commercial risk mitigation
Identification and techno-economic assessments of emerging process and product technologies
MATRIC offers a full suite of safety services, including reviews, analyses, incident investigation, program and plan development, modeling, audits, and training. These capabilities will help an organization reduce the risks associated with a variety of industrial and laboratory operations.
Generation of intellectual property and its leveraging to create unique value and sustainable competitive advantage
Plant operations improvement and process support, including increased yield, capacity, asset utilization, product quality, reliability, inherent safety and reduced energy usage, and lower environmental impact
Business strategy and technology plan development for successful market introduction of new products, processes, and technical services
Strategic Programs
- Process and catalyst technology for ethylene production from natural gas
- Biomass and wood-based raw materials conversion technology to important chemical building blocks and other value-added specialty products
- Advanced inorganic membrane research and separations technology with commercial applications geared to new processes and hardware for air and water purification
- Process chemistry research to enhance the yield of products using alternative raw materials and new catalysts
- Novel technology development for biological terror threat reduction and deactivation of highly toxic materials
- Flexible manufacturing technologies for specialty chemicals
- Advanced catalytic technologies for mercury removal
- Advancements in new polymeric materials technology for highly demanding end use applications
- Development of quantum and computational chemistry tools for improved catalytic systems and for predicting the behavior of very reactive or energetic materials
- Development of process technology for next generation coal gasification for the co-production of electric power and chemicals, hydrogen, or liquid fuels
- Carbon dioxide sequestration technology development
- Process analytical chemistry and chemical forensics