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At least 91 records · Page 5

Optimizing feed modulation for coupled methane and NO x conversion over Pd-Pt/Mn 0.5 Fe 2.5 O 4 /Al 2 O 3 monolith catalyst

Here the impacts of feed modulation (frequency, amplitude) and catalyst design (composition and architecture) parameters are reported for the conversion of methane and NO x over a dual-layer Pt+Pd/Al 2 O 3 + Mn 0.5 Fe 2.5 O 4 /Al 2 O 3 monolith. CH 4 and NO x conversion data show that the dual-layer catalyst outperforms single-layer samples having the same catalyst loadings, with and without spinel. Close proximity of the PGM and MFO functions in the mixed-layer catalyst lowers the CH 4 conversion at high temperature while separating the PGM and spinel layers with an intermediate Al 2 O 3 layer does not. Methane conversion enhancement is linked to its nonmonotonic dependence on O 2 . The performance gains are tied to a transient activity spike that occurs during the lean-to-rich feed transition when water is present in the feed. The transient spike is attributed to the removal of CO and H 2 products via reactions with stored O 2 in the spinel, eliminating inhibition of methane steam reforming.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

Model quantification of the effect of coproducts and refinery co-hydrotreating on the economics and greenhouse gas emissions of a conceptual biomass catalytic fast pyrolysis process

Here we present model results for a scaled-up conceptual process informed by bench scale biomass catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) and hydrotreating experimental data. This process uses a Pt/TiO 2 catalyst during CFP, which produces a partially deoxygenated organic biocrude intermediate that is then hydroprocessed to a hydrocarbon fuel blendstock; the catalyst also enables high yields of acetone and methyl-ethyl-ketone (MEK) coproducts. Two options for hydroprocessing were modeled: (A) co-hydrotreating at a petroleum refinery using hydrogen sourced from steam reforming of natural gas and (B) standalone hydrotreating at a biorefinery using hydrogen sourced from CFP off gases. The results revealed that Case A was economically advantageous with a modeled minimum fuel selling price (MFSP) of $\$$2.83/GGE or gallon gasoline equivalent (in 2016 US dollars), while the additional cost of standalone hydrotreating facilities in Case B increased the MFSP to $3.13/GGE. Conversely, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were lower for Case B (3.9 g CO 2 e/MJ) compared to Case A (21.5 g CO 2 e/MJ) due to the use of biogenic (Case B) and fossil-derived (Case A) hydrogen. In a third option (Case C), the requirements for separation and purification of acetone and MEK were removed from the refinery co-processing scenario (Case A) to evaluate the impacts of this process simplification. Elimination of these coproducts increased the MFSP to $3.21/GGE and GHG emissions to 35 g CO 2 e/MJ. These comparisons based on our detailed conceptual models provide economic and sustainability guidance regarding processing choices for future biorefineries. While refinery coprocessing using existing equipment and the production of relatively valuable coproducts can benefit the economics, the hydrogen-source and biogenic coproducts can have significant impacts on the sustainability of the process, and feasibility to use CFP off-gases or other renewable sources for hydrogen production can help lower GHG emissions.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Structure sensitivity in adsorbate-induced adatom formation on FCC transition-metal surfaces

Recent surface science discoveries reveal that adsorbates may induce in situ sub-nanometer cluster formation on transition-metal surfaces. To elucidate the structure sensitivity behind this phenomenon, we performed density functional theory calculations to construct an adatom formation energy database for eight fcc metals and 26 adsorbates commonly involved in catalytic reactions. We show that the adatom formation on (100) surfaces is generally easier than that on (111) surfaces. Many adsorbate/metal pairs exist, mostly on Pd, Ni, Rh, Pt, and Ir, for which adsorbates might induce adatom formation under near-ambient conditions on the (100) facet, but not on (111), highlighting the role of more open facets in adatom formation on metals intrinsically harder than Ag, Au, and Cu. Furthermore, our study offers a new perspective towards understanding structure sensitivity in heterogeneous thermal- and electro-catalytic systems such as methane steam reforming, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, and ammonia decomposition.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Impact of humidity on gas transport in polybenzimidazole membranes

Polybenzimidazoles (PBIs) are promising materials for high temperature H 2 /CO 2 separation in applications such as steam reforming and pre-combustion carbon capture where significant amounts of water are often present. However, PBIs are hydrophilic, and the impact of humidity on PBI gas separation properties is relatively unexplored. Furthermore, opportunity exists to elucidate the interplay between plasticization, free volume, and gas transport in glassy polymer membranes such as PBIs. Here, this study investigates the effect of humidity on H 2 , O 2 , and CO 2 permeabilities at 35 °C in a commercial PBI and two sulfone-containing PBIs. Water uptake significantly reduces PBI gas permeabilities at low humidities due to competitive sorption and antiplasticization. At high humidities, plasticization increases the permeabilities of larger gases in more hydrophilic PBIs. Effective fractional free volumes evaluated from gas permeation data and previously reported water sorption and dilation data suggest water plasticizes PBIs by increasing accessible free volume via enhanced molecular dynamics rather than by creating new free volume cavities.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Microporous pentiptycene-based polybenzimidazole membranes for high temperature H 2 /CO 2 separation

Separating H 2 from syngas at elevated temperatures (100–250 °C) have attracted significant attention in recent years as a means to reduce energy consumption and capital costs in precombustion carbon capture processes, such as those following steam reforming of natural gas or coal gasification. Polybenzimidazole (PBI), particularly m-PBI, has been reported as a leading membrane material for high-temperature H 2 /CO 2 separation. However, m-PBI exhibits extremely low H 2 permeability, even at high temperatures, which limits its productivity in H 2 /CO 2 separation applications. Here, to address this limitation, this work introduces a new pentiptycene-based polybenzimidazole (PPBI) featuring significantly enhanced H 2 permeability and attractive high-temperature H 2 /CO 2 separation performance, which stems from the unique configurational free volume elements introduced by pentiptycene moieties. Further tuning of the free volume architecture of PPBI films is achieved via acid doping with phosphoric acid (PA) or trans-aconitic acid (TaA), which introduces crosslinking among PPBI chains. Under mixed-gas environment (50/50 mol% H 2 /CO 2 ) at 180 °C, the acid-doped PPBI films exhibit a ∼230 % increase in H 2 /CO 2 selectivity compared to pristine PPBI film while maintaining high H 2 permeability that is nearly 500 % of m-PBI. These properties approach the predicted upper bound for membrane operating at 180 °C, highlighting its great potential for high-temperature H 2 /CO 2 separation.

Liu, Mengdi [University of Notre Dame, IN (United ↗

Evolution of Ni-Mo/MgO during catalytic methane pyrolysis to produce base-growth nanotubes

Catalytic pyrolysis of methane is a promising approach for affordable hydrogen production without CO 2 emissions. While this process is thermodynamically appealing compared to steam reforming, the high stability of methane requires severe conditions, making catalyst stability challenging. Here, we report the behavior of a highly promising Ni-Mo/MgO catalyst, which greatly outperforms its Ni/MgO, Mo/MgO, and Ni-Mo/SiO 2 counterparts at atmospheric pressure. At 800°C, nearly 229 g of carbon nanotubes per gram of Ni are produced. We propose that this superior performance results from the phase evolution of the catalyst, which exsolves stable nickel catalyst particles under reaction conditions. We further reveal that molybdenum carbide formation reduces sintering and adheres the active catalytic particles to the support throughout the reaction, enabling catalyst reuse. Several characterization techniques (same-spot TEM, XPS, XRD, and Raman) are employed to examine catalyst morphology at every step, fostering a deeper understanding of its catalytic activity and stability.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Unravelling Adsorbate-Metal-Oxide Interactions: Water Vapor Chemistry on the Growth and Sintering of Ni over Reducible CeO2(111) Thin Films

The role of water in the growth and sintering of Ni particles over well-ordered CeOx(111) (1.5 < x < 2) thin films was investigated through scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies, considering ceria-supported Ni attracts great attention as a promising catalyst for reactions such as steam reforming of ethanol and water gas shift reaction, in which water vapor is used as a key reactant. In the study, both fully oxidized CeO2 and partially reduced CeO1.75 thin films were prepared to examine the effect of the oxygen vacancies/Ce3+ sites in ceria supports. Our STM results revealed that dosing water before or after Ni deposition over the CeOx(111) surfaces at room temperature influenced the sintering behavior of Ni nanoparticles with further heating. Exposure of water to Ni nanoparticles that were deposited over both CeO2 and CeO1.75 at 300 K causes the formation of flatter particles with significantly reduced height when heating to the same temperatures compared to Ni/ceria with no water adsorbates. The flatter Ni particles were also observed when water was first dosed over CeO2 at 300 K followed by Ni deposition at room temperature and further heating. Over a partially reduced CeO1.75 surface with predosed water at 300 K, there is an extensive decrease in the particle density upon subsequent Ni deposition at room temperature and a significant increase in the height for Ni nanoparticles with further heating to higher temperatures compared to Ni over a pristine CeO1.75 surface. This is due to the filling of oxygen vacancies caused by the dissociation of water. This creates fewer nucleation sites for Ni on ceria, weakening the metal-oxide interaction and causing significant metal sintering. Our experimental findings suggest distinct adsorbate-metal-oxide interactions are key to the tuning of sintering of Ni nanoparticles over the CeOx(111) surface caused by water exposure. Such interactions are essential for the further modification of Ni-based catalysts for improved reactivity and stability.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

The Surface Chemistry of Methanol on Pd(111) and H–Pd(111) Surfaces: C–O Bond Cleavage and the Effects of Metal Hydride Formation

Palladium catalysts are frequently employed in processes where methanol is an energy vector or carrier, being useful for the synthesis of methanol from mixtures of carbon dioxide and hydrogen (CO 2 /H 2 ) or its steam reforming on demand. Results of synchrotron-based ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for the adsorption of methanol on a Pd(111) model catalyst show a rich surface chemistry and complex phenomena that strongly depend on pressure and temperature. At low pressures (< 10 -6 Torr) and temperatures (< 300 K), CO is the dominant decomposition product. Further, as the pressure increases, cleavage of C-H, O-H and C-O bonds is observed, and at elevated temperatures (400-600 K) the formation of CO and CH x /C fragments compete on the surface. Thus, existing reaction networks for methanol decomposition must be modified. Furthermore, surface and subsurface hydrogen (coming from PdH x ) play a significant role in the stability and removal of CH x and C species.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Formic Acid: A Hydrogen-Bonding Cocatalyst for Formate Decomposition

Hydrogen bonding accelerates many catalytic reactions by orienting intermediates, stabilizing transition states, and even opening reaction pathways. However, most mechanistic studies regarding the decomposition of formic acid (FA), a promising hydrogen storage material, neglect hydrogen-bonding interactions even though FA is a strong hydrogen-bond donor and acceptor. Here, we probe the formation of bimolecular hydrogen-bonded complexes between FA and formate (FA–HCOO complexes) adsorbed on metal surfaces and how these complexes affect HCOO* decomposition. Using first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations on 12 close-packed (111)/(0001) and 8 open (100) surfaces of 12 transition metals—Ag, Au, Co, Cu, Ir, Ni, Os, Re, Pd, Pt, Rh, and Ru, we—show that FA–HCOO complexes are generally thermodynamically stable, even at elevated temperatures and pressures. We then illustrate that these complexes produce infrared spectroscopic signatures consistent with as yet unassigned experimental peaks. We last demonstrate that by stabilizing the dangling bond of monodentate HCOO*, these complexes significantly lower the barriers for rotation of HCOO* from a bidentate to a monodentate configuration, the rate-limiting step for HCOO* decomposition on many surfaces. FA thus acts as a cocatalyst for HCOO* decomposition. Our results may guide the community toward improved catalysts for reactions involving HCOO* such as FA decomposition, methanol steam reforming, and the water gas shift reaction. More broadly, our work highlights the ability of hydrogen bonding to modify the adsorbed structures of intermediates and lower the barriers for their reaction on heterogeneous catalysts. Lastly, this phenomenon can be relevant for other reactions involving ammonia, alcohols, and carboxylic acids.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Direct Conversion of Ethane to Oxygenates, Ethylene, and Hydrogen in a Noncatalytic Biphasic Plasma Microreactor

We selectively upgrade ethane (C 2 H 6 ) to ethanol (C 2 H 5 OH), methanol (CH 3 OH), and acetic acid (CH 3 COOH) in a catalyst-free, continuous, argon/water biphasic plasma microreactor. The water (H 2 O) evaporates and electron- dissociates into OH· radicals. OH· recombines with alkyl radicals, produced via electron dissociation of ethane, to generate the oxygenates that absorb into H 2 O. A plasma-assisted path, reminiscent of the low-temperature thermocatalytic ethane steam reforming, leads to significant H 2 coproduction. The gaseous stream also comprises CO 2 and C 2 H 4 . Up to 1.3 and 1 μmol min –1 of liquid C 2 H 5 OH and CH 3 OH are attained, respectively. Compared to CO 2 -assisted ethane plasma conversion, which produces many oxygenates with low selectivity, the carbon selectivity can range from >70% C 2 H 5 OH, CH 3 OH, and CH 3 COOH to 60% C 2 H 4 . Furthermore, the low carbon footprint, electrified, modular, intensified process using a reactive evaporation and separation plasma could pave the way for the valorization of underutilized shale gas resources in remote areas.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Techno-economic performances and life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of various ammonia production pathways including conventional, carbon-capturing, nuclear-powered, and renewable production

Ammonia (NH 3 ) is conventionally produced using fossil natural gas (NG) for hydrogen production through steam reformation and synthesis in the Haber–Bosch (HB) process. The global conventional ammonia production contributes more than 420 million tons of CO 2 emissions annually. Here, in this work, we investigated the techno-economics and well-to-plant-gate (WTG) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of conventional NG-based, carbon-capturing, nuclear-powered, and renewable ammonia production by developing an engineering process model for each. Carbon-capturing ammonia production refers to the NG-based ammonia production while capturing CO 2 and transporting it via pipelines for storage or utilization. Nuclear-powered and renewable ammonia production represents an alternative ammonia production through water electrolysis, air separation, and the HB process using carbon-free energy sources. Nuclear and renewable energy sources are assumed to be used for nuclear-powered and renewable ammonia production, respectively. Sensitivity analyses are performed for CO 2 pipeline transport distances, potential carbon capture tax credits, and clean H 2 production cost. Carbon-capturing ammonia production reduces WTG GHG emissions by 55–70% compared to conventional NG-based ammonia production methods. Nuclear-powered and renewable ammonia production almost eliminate GHG emissions since energy supply is either zero carbon or near-zero carbon. However, when $4.16–4.83 per kg is the cost assumed for clean H 2 production using state-of-the-art electrolysis technologies, the levelized costs of nuclear-powered and renewable ammonia are calculated to be $0.92–1.06 per kg NH 3 , which are approximately four times higher than the conventional NG-based ammonia production cost. The cost of CO 2 emission avoidance is estimated in the range of $266–318 per metric ton of CO 2 for nuclear-powered and renewable ammonia production. The clean H 2 production cost is the major contributor to the levelized costs of nuclear-powered and renewable ammonia production. A lower production cost, near $1 per kg H 2 , for clean H 2 is required for nuclear-powered and renewable ammonia production to be cost-competitive with conventional NG-based ammonia production.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Atomic structure of different surface terminations of polycrystalline ZnPd

The intermetallic compound ZnPd has been found to have desirable characteristics as a catalyst for the steam reforming of methanol. The understanding of the surface structure of ZnPd is important to optimize its catalytic behavior. However, due to the lack of bulk single-crystal samples and the complexity of characterizing surface properties in the available polycrystalline samples using common experimental techniques, all previous surface science studies of this compound have been performed on surface alloy samples formed through thin-film deposition. In this study, we present findings on the chemical and atomic structure of the surfaces of bulk polycrystalline ZnPd studied by a variety of complementary experimental techniques, including scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), low energy electron microscopy (LEEM), photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM), and microspot low-energy electron diffraction ( μ -LEED). These experimental techniques, combined with density functional theory (DFT)-based thermodynamic calculations of surface free energy and detachment kinetics at the step edges, confirm that surfaces terminated by atomic layers composed of both Zn and Pd atoms are more stable than those terminated by only Zn or Pd layers. DFT calculations also demonstrate that the primary contribution to the tunneling current arises from Pd atoms, in agreement with the STM results. The formation of intermetallics at surfaces may contribute to the superior catalyst properties of ZnPd over Zn or Pd elemental counterparts. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

High-Octane Gasoline from Lignocellulosic Biomass via Syngas and Methanol/Dimethyl Ether Intermediates: 2019 State of Technology

The report focuses on 2019 state of technology (SOT) updates to a 2018 SOT report, which presented research and techno-economic analysis updates of the detailed 2015 design report, along with sensitivity analysis showing the effect of key assumptions and parameters. Relevant developments in 2019 are presented here without repeating the bulk of the material included in the previous reports. The conversion pathway presented in this report includes the gasification of biomass, steam reforming and cleanup of the syngas, followed by the conversion of the syngas to high-octane gasoline (HOG) via methanol and dimethyl-ether (DME) intermediates. Key achievements in 2019 for the DME-to-HOG conversion step include increased DME conversion, while maintaining selectivity towards desirable C5+ hydrocarbon products, reduced aromatics formation, and an increased conversion of co-fed C4 to C5+ (in experiments conducted to simulate the recycle of C4 products).

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Multi-Gas Sensors for Enhanced Reliability of SOFC Operation

GE Research, in partnership with SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly), designed, built, and tested gas sensors for in situ monitoring of H 2 and CO anode tail gases produced with on-site steam reforming in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems. The knowledge of the H 2 /CO ratio of these anode tail gases should allow accurate determination and control of the efficiency of the reforming process in the SOFC system and should deliver a lower operating cost for SOFC customers. The project objectives were to achieve multi-gas monitoring capability with a single multivariable sensor, and to sustain this performance in the presence of gaseous interferences and a potential poison for the sensor. The duration of the project was 24 months with the project structure that included three technical tasks such as (1) development of design rules of photonic nanostructures for H 2 and CO gas detection, (2) laboratory validation of photonic nanostructures for selective H 2 and CO gas detection, and (3) validation of photonic nanostructures for initial stability and poison-resistance against H 2 S. To build multivariable sensors for selective H 2 and CO gas detection in the presence of interferences, we expanded our earlier knowledge of multi-gas sensors into new fabrication and functionalization methodologies as well as into new methodologies for the spectral data analysis of multi-gas responses. We have advanced our design rules of the three-dimensional (3D) photonic nanostructures that allowed detection of H 2 and CO at high temperatures as individual gases and as their mixtures and rejection of interferences such as CO 2 , H 2 O, CH 4 , and other hydrocarbons for SOFC applications. Our advanced design rules should be attractive for building the new generation of cost-effective industrial sensors. Stability and poison resistance of our 3D photonic nanostructures was tested in the laboratory conditions. While initially we utilized conventional machine learning data analysis tools, we have found that they were unable to correct for the sensor drift. Thus, we have implemented new methods of machine learning for the analysis of our spectral data. These learnings pave the way to move the future studies into advanced testing of effects of interferences, aging and field tests. In future, our work will continue to advance our sensing designs to operate in conditions with known and unknown interferences by implementing nanostructures with enhanced spectral diversity of responses to gaseous species of interest and interferences. Our systematic reduction of technical risks in this completed project and in future studies will ensure transition of this sensing technology to commercialization.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

High-Octane Gasoline from Lignocellulosic Biomass via Syngas and Methanol/Dimethyl Ether Intermediates: 2020 State of Technology

The 2020 state of technology (SOT) serves as an update to the 2019 SOT report and details the techno-economic analysis (TEA) results for producing high-octane gasoline (HOG) via indirect liquefaction (IDL). This report only describes changes to the experimental and analysis results from previous SOTs; more details regarding the full process design can be found in the 2015 design report. The conversion pathway presented in this report includes the gasification of biomass, steam reforming and cleanup of the syngas, followed by the conversion of the syngas to HOG via methanol and dimethyl-ether (DME) intermediates. Research efforts in 2020 included the collection of experimental results over a variety of isobutane (iC4) to DME ratios in the feed of the DME-to-HOG reactor, enabling the TEA to identify the effect on modeled product yield and cost. Additionally, a significant re-build of the Aspen Plus model allowed for better integration of new research, however underlying conceptual and economic assumptions remain the same as those detailed in the 2015 deign report. The 2020 SOT also considers the potential for federal carbon tax credits from CO 2 capture in the acid-gas removal step and the impact on the final minimum fuel selling price.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Technical Assessment of Novel Hydrogen Producing Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Power System

Solid oxide cell-based electrolysis (SOEC) systems are being considered for hydrogen production due to their potential for high efficiencies and for their integrability with base load power generation systems when operated in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) mode. However, a cost prohibitive combination of SOFC power systems and SOEC systems may be required to operate the plant flexibly to produce a combination of H 2 and power on-demand. A single (consequently less expensive) reversible SOFC/SOEC system, on the other hand, poses technological challenges related to the on demand switching between power and H 2 production. This report provides a high-level technical assessment of a novel SOFC based H 2 production concept that averts the potential drawbacks of the SOEC systems. The novel concept combines the advantages of steam-reforming of natural gas to produce H 2 with the high efficiency power generation capabilities of a SOFC in a single package.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

Strategies for Achieving the DOE Hydrogen Shot Goal: Thermal Conversion Approaches

In July 2021 the United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE) launched the first of a series of Department-wide Energy Earthshot goals designed to accelerate breakthroughs of more abundant, affordable, and reliable clean energy solutions within the decade. The Hydrogen Shot goal seeks to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen to $\$$1 per 1 kilogram in 1 decade ("1 1 1"). Today, thermal conversion of fossil fuels represents the predominant, lowest cost method of hydrogen production. In 2020 approximately 75 percent of global, dedicated hydrogen production was produced via fossil fuels using thermal conversion approaches such as steam reforming and gasification. However, carbon management techniques such as CO 2 capture and sequestration (CCS) and pyrolysis are not widely represented in the current fossil-based hydrogen production fleet. Lowering the cost of clean hydrogen production from commercial and advanced thermal conversion-based technologies is critical for successfully achieving the Hydrogen Shot goal. This report presents the findings from an initial screening analysis of several scenarios that explore cost drivers related to clean hydrogen production. The screening encompasses commercially available and developing thermal conversion technology alternatives as well as factors exogenous to the plant such as feedstock/byproduct pricing, CO 2 pipeline and storage infrastructure costs, and scale to assess potential pathways towards meeting the Hydrogen Shot goal. Additionally, this report presents initial Research and Development (R&D) strategies to advance thermal conversion technology towards meeting the Hydrogen Shot goal.

08 HYDROGEN↗