ExxonMobil and the University of Houston sign a multi-year research agreement that will focus on helping the industry develop energy-efficient solutions for manufacturing petrochemical products while minimizing their environmental impact. The agreement, valued at $1 million over a five-year period, will involve faculty and students from the disciplines of chemistry, chemical engineering and material science. Researchers from ExxonMobil will have the opportunity to collaborate with UH faculty and students on various projects and the resulting publications.
Ramanan Krishnamoorti, chief energy officer at UH, says the projects will range from studying the fundamentals of catalysis to exploring processes for producing specialty chemicals and polymers. Work has already begun on the first project, which involves studying the production of advanced elastomers.
Amr Elnashai, vice president for research and technology transfer at UH, says the agreement and the resulting collaboration between industry and university-based research organizations offer an outstanding opportunity to advance the region’s economic development.
“This agreement could have a lasting impact on both ExxonMobil and UH students and faculty,” says Elnashai. “Innovative solutions to challenges that ExxonMobil faces in deploying their cutting-edge technologies may grow from UH research, and the students working on these challenges will be innovation-ready when they join the workforce.”
For more information, visit: www.uh.edu
