WVU Researcher Looks for Way to Convert Shale Ethane to Olefins
Natural gas is a booming industry in West Virginia and the United States, accounting for more than 38% of the nation’s total energy consumption. One West Virginia University researcher is hoping to capitalize on valuable untapped chemicals that come from shale gas, commonly found throughout the Marcellus/Utica region. Madelyn Ball, an assistant professor of chemical and biomedical engineering at WVU’s Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, received $110,000 in funding from the American Chemical Society to conduct research that will convert ethane and propane from shale gas into olefins, a class of chemicals made up of hydrogen and carbon such as ethylene and propylene, that can be used in the production of plastics and other complex chemicals.
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