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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 325 records · Page 18
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Plastic waste gasification for low-carbon hydrogen production: a comprehensive review

Hydrogen is one of the most important feedstocks for the chemical industry, power production, and the decarbonization of other sectors that rely on natural gas. The production of hydrogen from plastics enables sustainable use of plastic waste and offers significant environmental benefits. Gasification emerges as a promising route for chemical recycling, converting plastic into hydrogen and other valuable chemicals. Although the gasification of plastic waste has recently gained attention, the number of studies regarding low-carbon hydrogen production is still limited. The effective integration of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) is essential for achieving low-carbon hydrogen production via gasification, which enables the efficient capture and storage of CO 2 emissions. Incorporating coal waste and biomass into plastic gasification can synergistically enhance reforming reactions for hydrogen production, reduce tar content, and resolve feeding issues caused by plastic stickiness. Based on the previous studies, this paper briefly reviews the mechanisms of plastic gasification including plastic depolymerization, reforming, tar and char formation, and gasification; the discussions on feedstocks and effects of operating conditions on H 2 production including plastic-type, temperature, steam/carbon ratio, equivalence ratio, and catalysts; and the integration of CCUS and alternative recovery processes in plastic gasification for low-carbon hydrogen.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Stable salt hydrate-based thermal energy storage materials

Heating and cooling systems in building infrastructure utilize conventional materials that account for a considerable amount of energy usage and waste. Phase change material (PCM) is considered a promising candidate for thermal energy storage that can improve energy efficiency in building systems. In this work, a novel salt hydrate-based PCM composite with high energy storage capacity, relatively higher thermal conductivity, and excellent thermal cycling stability was designed and developed. The thermal cycling stability of the PCM composite was enhanced by using dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) salt as a polyelectrolyte additive, which significantly reduced the phase segregation of salt hydrate. The energy storage capacity and the thermal conductivity of the composite were enhanced by the addition of various graphitic materials along with Borax nucleator. A significant increase in thermal cycling stability was observed for the DSS-modified composite, with over 100 thermal cycles without degradation. The final PCM composite exhibited as much as 290% increase in energy storage capacity relative to the pure salt hydrate, and approximately 20% increase in thermal conductivity. In addition, the PCM composite developed can be produced at larger scale, and can potentially change the future of heating/cooling system in building infrastructure.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Coupling Waste Feedstocks to Microbial Protein Production in a Circular Food System

Global food production is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, and land use. As an alternative to conventional agriculture, the production of waste-derived microbial protein (MP) holds promise for reducing environmental impacts. MP can be mass-produced in volumetrically scalable fermentation processes on short time scales, enabling facile scale-up with lower greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and water impacts than animal and, in some cases, plant protein. MP can also be produced from waste feedstocks, diverting waste from landfills or the natural environment. This Perspective explores the availability and suitability of waste feedstocks for MP production, suggesting that MP generated from waste feedstocks in the United States could fulfill twice the current national protein demand. Here, we also discuss the biotechnological and separations processes required to produce food-grade MP for human consumption from waste. Key challenges include MP consistency, consumer and regulatory acceptance, and the process utilities (electricity, heat, and nutrients) that account for up to 85% of MP costs and most environmental impacts, all of which present opportunities for innovation in the microbiology and process design spaces. Overall, this work highlights the potential of MP to contribute to a more circular, resilient, and sustainable food system.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Calcium Carbonate Cement: A Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) Technique

A novel calcium carbonate cement system that mimics the naturally occurring mineralization process of carbon dioxide to biogenic or geologic calcium carbonate deposits was developed utilizing carbon dioxide-containing flue gas and high-calcium industrial solid waste as raw materials. The calcium carbonate cement reaction is based on the polymorphic transformation from metastable vaterite to aragonite and can achieve >40 MPa compressive strength. Due to its unique properties, the calcium carbonate cement is well suited for building materials applications with controlled factory manufacturing processes that can take advantage of its rapid curing at elevated temperatures and lower density for competitive advantages. Examples of suitable applications are lightweight fiber cement board and aerated concrete. The new cement system described is an environmentally sustainable alternative cement that can be carbon negative, meaning more carbon dioxide is captured during its manufacture than is emitted.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Next-Generation Desiccant-Based Gas Clothes Dryer Systems

The goal of the project is to develop an advanced gas clothes dryer system demonstrating significant improvements in fuel efficiency and drying performance compared to current gas clothes dryer technologies. The new system decouples latent and sensible loads to effectively utilize the latent heat associated with laundry moisture as an advantageous energy source. In other words, the system captures the waste latent heat from moisture produced during the fabric-drying process and reuses it to improve drying efficiency.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2026

Innovations Driven by Advanced Characterization to Strategize Critical Mineral Production and Beneficial Reuse from Fossil Energy Waste

Critical minerals (CM), such as rare earth elements (REE), cobalt, nickel, and lithium, have important uses in modern electronics and advanced manufacturing, yet are vulnerable to potential supply chain disruptions. Relatively abundant and readily available fossil energy (FE) wastes, such as coal combustion ash, acid mine drainage (AMD) and treatment solids (AMD solids), and Oil and Gas (O&G) drilling wastes (drill cuttings and produced waters) are under consideration as CM feedstocks. The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has studied CM resources for various FE wastes as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s mission of bolstering the domestic CM supply, and makes the data available to the public on EDX at sites such as the NEWTS group. Advanced characterization utilizing synchrotron x-ray techniques coupled with laboratory extractions has been performed to identify CM hosting phases in these FE wastes to inform CM recoverability mechanisms. Novel methods to selectively recover CMs while co-producing other valuable byproducts have been developed. Successful examples discussed here include: (1) The identification of REE/Co/Ni/Sc binding and hosting phases in select FE waste (coal combustion ash and AMD solids), resulting in the development of a patented CM step-extraction process, (2) coupled production of functional sorbents from these extraction wastes and for CM recovery. A pilot-scale testing to evaluate the patent’s technical feasibility for extracting REE from coal ash on a barrel scale has been successfully performed. Additionally, (3) evaluation and measurements of brine geochemistry from U.S. O&G produced waters has informed a high Li recovery potential from Marcellus Shale produced water. NETL researchers have been developing tailored pre-treatment processes, an innovative and highly durable lithium sorbent, and geochemical model guided precipitation to accelerate Li production from the Marcellus Shale produced waters. These innovations driven by characterization are integral for maximizing and advancing the potential for CM recovery while offsetting the cost and environmental footprint for FE waste management.

critical mineral processing↗
DOE OSTI2019

Genomewide and Enzymatic Analysis Reveals Efficient D-Galacturonic Acid Metabolism in the Basidiomycete Yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides

Biorefining of renewable feedstocks is one of the most promising routes to replace fossil-based products. Since many common fermentation hosts, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae , are naturally unable to convert many component plant cell wall polysaccharides, the identification of organisms with broad catabolism capabilities represents an opportunity to expand the range of substrates used in fermentation biorefinery approaches. The red basidiomycete yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides is a promising and robust host for lipid- and terpene-derived chemicals. Previous studies demonstrated assimilation of a range of substrates, from C 5 /C 6 sugars to aromatic molecules similar to lignin monomers. In the current study, we analyzed the potential of R. toruloides to assimilate d -galacturonic acid, a major sugar in many pectin-rich agricultural waste streams, including sugar beet pulp and citrus peels. d -Galacturonic acid is not a preferred substrate for many fungi, but its metabolism was found to be on par with those of d -glucose and d -xylose in R. toruloides . A genomewide analysis by combined transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) and RB-TDNA-seq revealed those genes with high relevance for fitness on d -galacturonic acid. While R. toruloides was found to utilize the nonphosphorylative catabolic pathway known from ascomycetes, the maximal velocities of several enzymes exceeded those previously reported. In addition, an efficient downstream glycerol catabolism and a novel transcription factor were found to be important for d -galacturonic acid utilization. These results set the basis for use of R. toruloides as a potential host for pectin-rich waste conversions and demonstrate its suitability as a model for metabolic studies with basidiomycetes. The switch from the traditional fossil-based industry to a green and sustainable bioeconomy demands the complete utilization of renewable feedstocks. Many currently used bioconversion hosts are unable to utilize major components of plant biomass, warranting the identification of microorganisms with broader catabolic capacity and characterization of their unique biochemical pathways. d -Galacturonic acid is a plant component of bioconversion interest and is the major backbone sugar of pectin, a plant cell wall polysaccharide abundant in soft and young plant tissues. The red basidiomycete and oleaginous yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides has been previously shown to utilize a range of sugars and aromatic molecules. Using state-of-the-art functional genomic methods and physiological and biochemical assays, we elucidated the molecular basis underlying the efficient metabolism of d -galacturonic acid. This study identified an efficient pathway for uronic acid conversion to guide future engineering efforts and represents the first detailed metabolic analysis of pectin metabolism in a basidiomycete fungus.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

The effect of wood composition and supercritical CO 2 extraction on charcoal production in ferroalloy industries

This work demonstrates that the integration of supercritical carbon dioxide extraction with slow pyrolysis is an effective method for the production of value-added chemicals and charcoal that is an attractive alternative to coke for industry. Integration of technologies is key for the development of holistic biorefineries that exploit all parts of the biomass feedstock and generate little or ideally no waste. In fact, the use of waste or low valued wood fractions is attractive due to their plentiful abundance and lack of exploitation. Supercritical carbon dioxide has been demonstrated to be effective at the removal of over half of extractives from low quality wood and forestry wastes, which can account for up to 11 wt %, of the dried biomass in waste needles. High extractive yields by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction illustrates the potential of utilizing low quality wood as an alternative feedstock for the sustainable production of value-added chemicals. We report high yields of steroids and derivatives, terpenes and other plant metabolites were obtained in the extracts of needles, branches and bark. Importantly, supercritical carbon dioxide extraction had little impact neither on the physical properties of original wood nor on the yield of solid charcoal. This indicates that extraction by supercritical carbon dioxide can be used as a method for adding further value to the process by removal of bio-based chemicals, whilst still maintaining the yield of the solid fuel product. Moreover, the heat treatment temperature and supercritical carbon dioxide extraction had a significant impact on the tar yields during pyrolysis, leading to an increase in naphthalene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, aromatic and phenolic fractions with greater temperature. These results are promising as they show that the charcoal obtained from this renewable feedstock could be used as an alternative to fossil-based coke in applications including ferroalloy industries.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

A Complex Brownfields Case Study—The Former Bannister Federal Complex, Kansas City, Missouri

Abstract In November 2017, 225 acres (91 ha) of the former Bannister Federal Complex (BFC) in Kansas City, Missouri were transferred from the Federal Government to Bannister Transformation & Development, LLC (BTD), for demolition; environmental corrective measures; and preparation of the site for redevelopment. This presented a once‐in‐a‐lifetime opportunity to reconfigure groundwater remedies and address long‐standing soil contamination issues. The property included more than 40 previously‐identified Solid Waste Management Units, 3.9 million square feet (362,000 m 2 ) of buildings, subsurface utilities dating back to the 1940s, and an active groundwater containment system. Demolition of buildings and installation of an interim groundwater containment system began almost immediately after property transfer. In 2018, BTD substantially modified its project schedule to incorporate the construction of the first new buildings while demolition and remedial activities were ongoing. By October 2020, construction of the first new warehouse commenced while excavation and capping of contaminated soils, installation of a groundwater containment treatment systems, and abandonment of legacy utilities were still underway. Completion of this work, within the originally planned timeframe, was made possible by factors including up‐front multi‐year funding, early and ongoing engagement of regulators, an extended 3‐year due diligence program and planning stage, and establishment of well‐defined environmental targets. Both the soil and groundwater remedies were also designed with the flexibility needed to accommodate unknown conditions, changing schedules, and revisions to the regrading and redevelopment plans. This case study highlights key technical and management factors that led to the successful completion of this complex brownfields remediation project.

Water Resources↗
DOE OSTI2022

Dehalogenation reactions between halide salts and phosphate compounds

Reactions between phosphoric acid [H 3 PO 4 ] or ammonium hydrogen phosphates [i.e., NH 4 H 2 PO 4 , (NH 4 ) 2 HPO 4 ] and halide salts can be used to dehalogenate (remove halides from) salt-based waste streams, where the process of removing halides yields products that have more efficient disposal pathways for repository storage. In this context, the term efficiency is defined as higher waste loadings and simplified immobilization processes with potential for recycle of certain salt components (e.g., 37 Cl as H 37 Cl or NH 4 37 Cl). The main streams identified for these processes are nuclear wastes generated during electrochemical reprocessing of used nuclear fuel as well as used halide salts from molten salt reactor operation. The potential byproducts of these reactions are fairly consistent across the range of halide species (i.e., F, Cl, Br, I) where the most common are hydrogen halides [e.g., HCl (g) ] or ammonium halides (e.g., NH 4 Cl). However, trihalide compounds (e.g., NCl 3 ), nitrogen triiodide ammine adducts [NI 3 ·(NH 3 ) x ], and ammonium triiodide (NH 4 I 3 ) are also possible. Several of these byproducts (i.e., NCl 3 , NBr 3 , NI 3 , and NH 4 I 3 ) are shock-sensitive contact explosives so their production in these processes must be tracked and carefully controlled, which includes methods of immediate neutralization upon production such as direct transport to a caustic scrubber for dissolution. Several benefits arise from utilizing H 3 PO 4 as the phosphate additive during dehalogenation reactions for making iron phosphate waste forms including more oxidized iron (higher Fe 3+ :Fe 2+ ratios), higher chemical durabilities, and the avoidance of trihalides, but the byproducts are hydrogen halides, which are corrosive and require special handling.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Utilizing Temperature and Brine Inflow Measurements to Constrain Reservoir Parameters During a Salt Heater Test

Brine availability in salt has multiple implications for the safety and design of a nuclear waste storage facility. Brine availability includes both the distribution and transport of brine through a damaged zone around boreholes or drifts excavated into the salt. Coupled thermal, hydrological, mechanical, and chemical processes taking place within heated bedded salt are complex; as part of DECOVALEX 2023 Task E this study takes a parsimonious modeling approach utilizing analytical and numerical one-dimensional simulations to match field measurements of temperature and brine inflow around a heater. The one-dimensional modeling results presented arrive at best-fit thermal conductivity of intact salt, and the permeability and porosity of damaged salt of 5.74 W/m∙K, 10 –17 m 2 , and ≈ 0.02, respectively.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2021

A newly proposed isotherm model to predict Cs exchange with crystalline silicotitanate in tank waste simulants

The Zheng Anthony Miller (ZAM) computer model, a multicomponent ion exchange model used to predict the exchange of Group I metals onto crystalline silicotitanate (CST), has historically been used to predict Cs distribution coefficients from Hanford and Savannah River Site (SRS) tank waste simulants. Comparison of experimentally determined Cs distribution coefficients from tank waste simulants with ZAM isotherm model predictions indicate overprediction of Cs and K distribution coefficients for simple and complex simulants with the engineered form of CST. Additionally, recent changes in chemical composition/manufacturing of IONSIV TM R9140-B have resulted in increased Cs capacity from high-salt, highly alkaline solutions. Here, this work served to assess different isotherm models and refine equilibrium parameters to develop a model that can be applied to Hanford and SRS tank waste Cs removal efforts. Toward this goal, the Campbell Westesen Peterson (CWP) model was developed. This model utilized the experimentally determined Cs capacity, and simplified ZAM equilibria expressions to include only the binary substitution of Cs + or K + on the Na + sites. Equilibrium constants for these equations were refined using experimentally determined distribution coefficients. Overall, the CWP model significantly improved our ability to predict both Cs and K loading capacity from complex matrices.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2021

Recovery and Enhanced Upgrading of Rare Earth Elements from Coal-Based Resources: Bioleaching and Precipitation

Rare earth elements (REEs) are of great importance to modern society and their reliable supply is a major concern of many industries that utilize them in metal alloys, semiconductors, electrical equipment, and defense equipment. REEs in the coal waste have been revealed to be an alternative resource for REEs production. In this study, the extraction, recovery, and upgrading of the REEs from coal waste has been realized with the bioleaching and precipitation processes. Reliable and sustainable acid and oxidant production from the oxidation of the pyrite with Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans to generate acid for leaching were realized in this research. The acidified bioleaching solution was used to extract REEs from coal waste, with 13–14% yields for most REE elements (~72 h of leaching). However, recovery for longer duration tests was significant higher (varies from 40–60% for individual REEs). After extraction, precipitation and separation processes were designed with the aid of Visual Minteq calculations and modeling to concentrate the REEs. With the procedures designed in this research, a final REEs precipitate product containing 36.7% REEs was produced.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2022

Dynamic Material Flow Analysis of Silicon Photovoltaic Modules to Support a Circular Economy Transition

Solar photovoltaics (PV) are the fastest growing renewable energy technologies for clean, cheap, and sustainable electricity generation. To prepare for rapid scale-up, the PV industry needs to project material requirements to build out all aspects of the supply chain appropriately and plan to handle large volumes of module waste. Impacts of deploying different material circularity strategies to reduce waste and conserve primary resources need to be quantified to inform sustainable material management. Here, we introduce the photovoltaic dynamic material flow analysis (PV DMFA) model based on PV electricity generation. The model quantifies material flows and stocks in the cradle-to-cradle life cycles of utility-scale c-Si PV systems in the United States through 2100. We present case studies for solar flat glass and aluminum frame materials under various scenarios to project the impacts of PV performance, reliability, and processing parameters, material circularity strategies, and module design shifts. In the absence of circularity measures, ~100 million MT of flat glass and ~12 million MT of aluminum would be needed for PV installations by 2100 to meet projected growth in domestic utility PV demand to nearly 1000 TWh in 2100. With optimistic but feasible improvements in efficiency, reliability, and circularity, material intensity and waste could be reduced by nearly 50%. Efficient module collection, minimally intrusive recycling, and careful scrap handling and cleaning could improve material circularity in the PV value chain. This model serves as a sustainability data support tool that may aid in the circular economy transition for PV systems.

circular economy↗
DOE OSTI2025

Tuning the Selectivity of Carboxylic Acid–Based Eutectic Solvents for the Dissolution and Electrochemical Separation of Metal Oxides

Extracting metals from natural resources and recovering from waste materials with less-hazardous solvents is essential for sustainable technological advancements. The commonly employed method utilizes harsh chemicals for metal dissolution and the ensuing separation. Here, in this study, we examined the potential of eutectic solvents (types III and IV) as alternative media for the selective dissolution of metals and metal oxides and their subsequent electrochemical separation. Notably, type III eutectics composed of betaine:acetic acid and triazole:lactic acid exhibited excellent solubility for cobalt oxide (24.1 g·L –1 ) and copper oxide (30.5 g·L –1 ), respectively. In comparison, the type IV eutectic mixture of Ca(NO 3 ) 2 ·4H 2 O:acetic acid demonstrated the highest conductivity and lowest viscosity with solubility for both copper oxide (6.1 g·L –1 ) and metallic copper (5.4 g·L –1 from a used electronic circuit). Using a Ca(NO 3 ) 2 ·4H 2 O:acetic acid mixture, copper was selectively dissolved from a waste printed circuit board and subsequently electrodeposited onto a nickel electrode. These findings highlight the tunability of DESs for the selective recovery of metals from electronic waste, offering a promising approach for sustainable metal recycling and resource recovery.

electrodeposition↗
DOE OSTI2024

Eligibility Assessment of Items in the TA-60 Rack Assembly and Alignment Complex Legacy Storage Yard

The U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Los Alamos Field Office (NA-LA), documented and evaluated seven structures in the Technical Area 60 (TA-60) Rack Assembly and Alignment Complex (RAAC) legacy storage yard at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL or Laboratory) for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (National Register). This documentation and evaluation was conducted in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended; the Code of Federal Regulations (36 CFR 800); the Programmatic Agreement among the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Los Alamos Field Office, the New Mexico State Historic Preservation Office and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Concerning Management of the Historic Properties at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos New Mexico (PA)1; and A Plan for the Management of the Cultural Heritage at Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico (LANL’s Cultural Resources Management Plan (2017). NA-LA makes the following National Register eligibility determinations: la cuna; the rack transporter (jeep, rack trailer, and steering dolly); the Mexia diagnostic rack; the Mexia device canister; the Mexia device mounting stand; and the Mexia target stand are eligible for listing in the National Register, and the second steering dolly is not eligible for listing in the National Register. This National Register evaluation was completed because LANL proposes to develop a consolidated waste facility in TA-60 next to the former RAAC. Across 3.56 acres, LANL proposes to construct an 8,000-square-foot, pre-engineered waste storage building; a 1,500-square-foot office/warehouse building; and 28,500 square feet of covered storage. The development will also include access control features and fencing, parking spaces, and utilities. Additionally, the Laboratory will continue to use the southern part of TA-60-0017 and reuse TA-60-0086 and TA-60-0324 in the development. The consolidated waste facility will operate as a central accumulation area—storing universal waste, mixed low-level (radioactive) waste, hazardous chemicals, and New Mexico special waste—until the waste can be shipped off site.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗