Likely feed stocks to be used in this dehydrogenation process include hydrocarbons such as:

• Ethylbenzene;

• Methanol;

• Butane & Butene; and

• Cyclohexane

Intellectual Property
U.S. patent 5,449,848 protects:

• Two-zone chamber separated by a hydrogen-permeable membrane.

• Directing the evolved hydrogen (by combusting Oxygen- or oxygen-containing feed gas) into the chamber.

• Hydrogen permeable membrane that is comprised of a ceramic membrane sandwiched between two metal layers of palladium, palladium-alloy, Ti, Ni, or Cu.

Intellectual Capital
On April 1, 2001, the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology began operations as the "new" AIST. The new AIST is a research organization that comprises 15 research institutes previously under the former Agency of Industrial Science and Technology in the Ministry of International Trade and Industry and the Weights and Measures Training Institute.

AIST is Japan's largest public research organization with research facilities and more than 3,200 employees across Japan.

AIST is seeking to license these technologies and assist with their commercialization. A number of investment options are currently under consideration.