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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 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Stable isotope equilibria in the dihydrogen-water-methane-ethane-propane system. Part 2: Experimental determination of hydrogen isotopic equilibrium for ethane-H2 from 30 to 200 °C and propane-H2 from 75 to 200 °C

The stable isotopic compositions of light n-alkanes, including methane, ethane, and propane, are often used to identify the sources and thermal maturity of natural gas samples. Though stable isotopic compositions of these molecules are commonly assumed to be controlled by kinetic isotope effects, recent studies have proposed both carbon and hydrogen isotopic equilibrium may also occur in some samples. Assessing whether samples are in isotopic equilibrium requires knowledge of light alkane equilibrium fractionation factors over geologically relevant temperatures for formation and storage (up to ∼300 °C). In this study, we report experimental results of hydrogen isotopic equilibrium between ethane and H2 from 30 to 200 °C and propane and H2 from 75 to 200 °C. We compare these results with high-level theoretical calculations and provide a preferred polynomial fit to describe equilibrium fractionation factors. Comparison of these fractionation factors with a compilation of ∼500 compiled environmental gas samples supports the proposal that many (∼50%) of these natural gas samples exhibit hydrogen isotopic compositions consistent with having formed in or attained methane-ethane-propane hydrogen isotopic equilibrium over geologically relevant temperatures for formation and storage (50–300 °C).

Turner, Andrew C↗
DOE OSTI2025

Vacuum-assisted carbon molecular sieve membrane reactor for non-oxidative ethane dehydrogenation

Non-oxidative ethane dehydrogenation (EDH) is equilibrium-limited and endothermic. Selective hydrogen removal using a gas-permeable membrane within the EDH reaction zone can overcome the thermodynamic equilibrium, enabling higher ethane conversions. Employing vacuum as the permeation driving force, rather than a sweep gas, enhances the industrial viability of membrane reactors by eliminating additional post-reaction separation units. This study presents a membrane reactor that integrates H 2 -permeable carbon molecular sieve (CMS) hollow fiber membranes embedded in a fixed bed of cobalt in a dealuminated beta zeolite (Co@DeAl-BEA) catalyst, utilizing a vacuum to remove hydrogen efficiently. The CMS membrane exhibits high hydrogen permeance and an excellent H 2 /C 2 H 6 separation factor. The membrane reactor significantly enhanced the ethane conversion under reaction conditions comparable to those reported in the literature. A Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic rate expression was developed and incorporated into a one-dimensional steady-state reactor model. The experimentally validated model indicates that increasing the number of hollow fibers improves ethane conversion, although ethane loss to the permeate limits the benefit. The contact area between the catalyst and the membrane limits the reactor performance more than the catalytic throughput. Furthermore, we find that the location of the catalyst packing relative to the hollow fiber membranes influences ethane loss and conversion. Higher reactor pressures and inlet ethane flow rates improve space-time yield at the expense of lower ethane conversion. Increasing reactor temperature or packing length promotes both performance metrics. The EDH membrane reactor demonstrated durability over 200 h of continuous operation, maintaining record-low deactivation rates and high ethylene selectivity. Protocols for catalyst regeneration were developed.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2025

Investigation of Solid Particle Reactors for Nonoxidative Dehydrogenation of Ethane: Toward Solar Thermal Ethylene Production

Concentrating solar power plants can generate renewable heat at temperatures well above those of most industrial processes. Ceramic particles irradiated with concentrated sunlight can store high-quality sensible heat and transfer this to power generation systems. These concepts and materials hold great potential to also enable thermal processes in the chemical industry, but effective strategies for transferring heat from thermal energy storage media into chemical reactors are still under development. This present work evaluated the thermal and chemical compatibility of various solid particle media (including quartz, bauxite, and alumina particles) integrated directly into tube reactors and the subsequent effects on reactor performance for the nonoxidative dehydrogenation of ethane reaction. Empty tube reactors without loaded particles (representing conventional ethane cracking coils) showed significant heat transfer limitations as the tube diameter was scaled. The incorporation of media into the reactor significantly aided heat transfer to the gaseous ethane reactant and increased its conversion by as much as 10% at similar space velocities. Despite direct contact with hydrocarbon gases, alumina and quartz media showed negligible coke formation. Even during reaction in 100% ethane feed gas at 825 °C, the average selectivity of the coke product was only 0.57% when using the quartz media. These materials further demonstrated excellent thermal stability during subsequent reoxidation in air at 800 °C, which simulated the reheating of particles in a circulating particle solar receiver. Conversely, high rates of coke formation, with a product selectivity of 27.5%, were observed on sintered bauxite particles during the reaction, likely promoted by transition metal constituents. These particles fractured upon reoxidation due to exotherms generated from coke combustion. In conclusion, while the use of cofed steam could mitigate attrition of redox-active particles, the ability of inert metal oxide particles to efficiently transfer heat to concentrated ethane reactant gas while suppressing side reactions or degradation suggests that these media could effectively couple solar thermal plants to reactors for next-generation production of ethylene and other critical chemicals.

Hydrocarbons↗
DOE OSTI2024

Investigation of Ethane Dehydrogenation and Hydrogenolysis on Pt(111), Pt(211), and Pt(100): Bayesian Quantification and Correction of DFT-Based Enthalpic and Entropic Uncertainties

Computational investigations of heterogeneously catalyzed reactions using density functional theory (DFT) are often inaccurate, largely due to uncertainties in the choice of DFT functional (enthalpic uncertainty) and approximations for modeling adsorbate movement along the catalyst surface (entropic uncertainty). This work illustrates that both uncertainties are significant in the investigation of ethane dehydrogenation (EDH) and hydrogenolysis on Pt catalysts by considering the complete deconstruction of ethane on Pt(111), Pt(211), and Pt(100) using microkinetic modeling (MKM). Hence, this work uses both noncalibrated and Bayesian-calibrated MKMs to quantify and correct inaccuracies in macroscopic properties due to both uncertainties. A Bayesian approach to the correction of entropic errors was introduced using a “Modified Fermi Function (MFF)” to calibrate between the two bounds of entropy represented by the harmonic oscillator (HO) and free translator (FT) approximations. Regardless of enthalpic and entropic uncertainties, all three surfaces are capable of ethane activation; however, Pt(211) was found to be the most active and is largely responsible for methane production. Next, Pt(111) is largely responsible for acetylene production, and Pt(100) has the highest ethylene selectivity but is most susceptible to coking. By comparison of different calibrated models, the FT entropy approximation was found to better describe EDH under typical experimental conditions. Statistical evidence was found to support Pt(111) as the active site for EDH, assuming that one single site is responsible for the chemistry. On the three surfaces, competing second dehydrogenations to CH 2 CH 2 and CH 3 CH were observed as well as isomerization of CH 3 CH back to CH 2 CH 2 and deeper dehydrogenation of CH 3 CH. In conclusion, C–C cleavage was found to largely proceed via the CH 3 C intermediate on Pt(100) and Pt(111), while on Pt(211), it was via both CHC and CH 3 C.

Bayesian model selection↗
DOE OSTI2024

Molten‐Salt‐Mediated Chemical Looping Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Ethane with In‐Situ Carbon Capture and Utilization

Abstract The molten‐salt‐mediated oxidative dehydrogenation (MM‐ODH) of ethane (C 2 H 6 ) via a chemical looping scheme represents an effective carbon capture and utilization (CCU) method for the valorization of ethane‐rich shale gas and concurrent mitigation of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions. Here, stepwise experimentation with Li 2 CO 3 ‐Na 2 CO 3 ‐K 2 CO 3 (LNK) ternary salts (i) assessed how each component of the LNK mixture impacted ethane MM‐ODH performance and (ii) explored physicochemical and thermodynamic mechanisms behind melt‐induced changes to ethylene (C 2 H 4 ) and carbon monoxide (CO) yields. Of fifteen screened LNK compositions, nine exhibited ethylene yields greater than 50 % at 800 °C while maintaining C 2 H 4 selectivities of 85 % or higher. LNK salts rich in Li 2 CO 3 content yielded more ethylene and CO on average than their counterparts, and net CO 2 capture per cycle reached a maximum of ~75 %. Extended MM‐ODH cycling also demonstrated long‐term stability of a high‐performing LNK medium. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations andab initiomolecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations suggested that the molten salt does not directly activate C 2 H 6 . Meanwhile, an empirical model informed by experimental data and reaction thermodynamics adequately predicted overall MM‐ODH performance from LNK composition and provided insights into the system′s primary drivers.

Chemistry↗
DOE OSTI2025

CO Adsorbates Induced Framework-Associated Low-Valence Co δ+ Sites in Co-ZSM-5 for Ethane Dehydrogenation

The dynamic structural evolution of heterogeneous catalysts is a ubiquitous phenomenon that has attracted a lot of interest. Catalyst reconstruction can occur after appropriate pretreatment, resulting in more efficient active catalysts, which is an attractive but challenging issue. Here, we reveal a CO activation strategy that controls the microenvironment of the Co sites in the high-silica Co-ZSM-5 catalyst (denoted as 0.50Co-Z5(340)), resulting in three times higher initial conversion and superior regeneration durability in the ethane dehydrogenation reaction compared to the same catalyst without CO pretreatment. In situ spectroscopy and metadynamics simulations reveal that the Co 2+ sites in 0.50Co-Z5(340) dislodge from the framework and move toward the nearby Brønsted acid sites, forming framework-associated low-valence Co δ+ species. Mechanistic studies indicate that the Co δ+ species catalyze ethane C–H bond cleavage via an oxidative addition mechanism, and ethylene is produced simultaneously with H* coupling (direct pathway). The promoted C–H bond activation and facile ethylene desorption explain the superior ethane dehydrogenation performance of the herein CO preactivated 0.50Co-Z5(340) catalyst.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2026

Laboratory and field assessment of mid-infrared absorption (MIRA) instrument performance for methane and ethane dry mole fractions

Concurrent measurements of methane (CH 4 ) and ethane (C 2 H 6 ) can be used to identify and separate methane sources, as ethane is present in thermogenic sources (e.g., oil and natural gas) but not in biogenic sources (e.g., agriculture). In this study, we evaluated the performance of multiple Aeris MIRA Ultra instruments (Versions 1 and 2) through controlled laboratory tests and tower-based deployments under field conditions. The systems were modified with an external pump, flow control, a Nafion dryer, and a custom-built auxiliary box to automate the system and transmit near real-time data. We determined the best calibration approach for our application, given practical limitations, to be a full calibration cycle (with ambient and high calibration cylinders) about once per day and an ambient calibration cylinder sampled hourly. Measurement uncertainty was assessed, including the uncertainty due to instrument noise as a function of calibration frequency, uncertainty in the water vapor correction, and cylinder assignment uncertainty. Instrument noise was the dominant source of uncertainty for C 2 H 6 , while the water vapor correction dominated the CH 4 uncertainty. For Version 2 systems with hourly calibrations and a Nafion dryer with counterflow, the mean total uncertainty, including both systematic errors and noise, of hourly averages was 0.8–3.0 ppb CH 4 and 0.35–0.37 ppb C 2 H 6 . Laboratory intercomparisons showed network compatibility within 1.2 ppb CH 4 and 0.23 ppb C 2 H6, and a collocated deployment with a NOAA Picarro system agreed within 1.8 ppb CH 4 . Instrument noise varied substantially amongst the instruments, with errors reaching up to 11 ppb CH 4 and 2 ppb C 2 H 6 for hourly means, with similar variability indicated in a 50 h cylinder test. With appropriate engineering and calibration, the Aeris MIRA Ultra has the potential to distinguish regional methane emission sources in many field settings.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Stable isotope equilibria in the dihydrogen-water-methane-ethane-propane system. Part 1: Path-integral calculations with CCSD(T) quality potentials

Isotopic compositions of alkanes are typically assumed to be kinetically controlled, but recently is has been proposed that alkanes can isotopically equilibrate for both C and H isotopes during natural gas generation. Evaluation of this requires knowledge of the isotopic equilibrium between alkanes and other common hydrogen and carbon bearing species. Here, in this study, we calculate isotopic equilibria within and between gaseous dihydrogen (H 2 ), water (H 2 O), methane (CH 4 ), ethane (C 2 H 6 ) and propane (C 3 H 8 ), including isotope fractionation among molecules, clumped isotope effects, as well as among sites of propane (i.e., the site-specific isotope effects) from 0°C to 500°C using a path-integral method paired with high-level descriptions of molecular potentials and the diagonal correction to the Born Oppenheimer approximation. While path-integral calculations with high- level CCSD(T) potentials are available for the isotopic equilibria involving methane, the path-integral calculations for ethane and propane have only been performed based on lower-level descriptions of the molecular potentials. We analyze the relative importance of various approximations that are commonly employed when isotopic equilibria are evaluated. We find that clumped isotope effects can be calculated to the same accuracy using computationally inexpensive combination of the Bigeleisen-Mayer-Urey model with the molecular potential from density functional theory. In contrast, fractionation and site preferences of both deuterium and carbon-13 benefit from the use of the higher level CCSD(T) potentials and accounting for anharmonic effects. Additionally, for fractionation and site preference of deuterium corrections to Born-Oppenheimer approximation can also be important.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Transient Pulse-Response Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry for Complex, Deactivating Heterogeneous Catalytic Systems: Application to Ethane Dehydroaromatization

The study of complex, multistep bond-forming and -breaking reactions in heterogeneous catalytic systems often encounters challenges associated with the involvement of large numbers of intermediates among branching pathways. Kinetic information obtained from traditional steady-state measurements can be complemented with that from time-resolved methods to uncover details of the underlying chemistry. Herein, we describe an approach for tracking the complete time-resolved chemical composition (ca. 4–200 u) of a reactor effluent in response to a reactant pulse. We use a six-port rotary valve with a metered sampling loop to pulse reactants at ambient pressure into a flow reactor packed with a catalyst bed within the isothermal region of a heated furnace. The temporal evolution of effluent species is tracked using time-resolved molecular-beam time-of-flight mass spectrometry. We highlight the possibilities that this method has to offer by studying the complex bifunctional mechanism of ethane dehydroaromatization over an HZSM-5-supported platinum catalyst. We demonstrate that energy-tunable ionization sources, which facilitate isomer resolution, enable the measurement of the full mass spectral time-dependent system response. This includes the evolution of major products and mechanistically relevant reactive intermediates such as 1,3-butadiene and cyclopentadiene; these species have not previously been observed from this reaction. In additional studies, we also assess the role of platinum in the catalyst by examining temporal responses to ethane and ethylene feeds. Results show that two temporally distinct formation pathways exist for methane and benzene, and that their importance depends on both catalyst composition and reactant identity. Additionally, characteristics of catalyst deactivation are uniquely observable in the time-resolved mass spectral response, including the selective deactivation of a benzene formation pathway. The combination of time-of-flight mass spectrometry with tunable ionization enables the simultaneous observation of all effluents in a complex mixture of intermediates with isomer/isobar differentiation capabilities that can be applied to any complex reaction system.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Active Sites in the Dealuminated Beta Zeolite-Supported Cobalt Catalyst for Non-Oxidative Ethane Dehydrogenation

Dispersed metal species in siliceous zeolites have been actively studied for non-oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane (NDE). Fundamental insights into the dynamics of metal species in zeolites under reaction conditions have rarely been explored. Herein, we report an atomic level understanding of the dynamics and activity of cobalt (Co) sites in dealuminated Beta zeolite (DeAl-BEA) for NDE during induction and reaction conditions with extensive characterization techniques such as diffuse reflectance UV–vis, solid state nuclear magnetic resonance and X-ray photoelectron, X-ray diffraction along with in situ Fourier transform infrared and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. For a catalyst with 0.5 mass % Co loading, tetrahedral Co 2+ mononuclear sites, di-coordinated to the zeolite framework and with two silanol groups in vicinity (i.e., (≡SiO) 2 Co(HO–Si≡) 2 ), form upon exposure to hydrogen during induction and persist through the NDE reaction. Increasing the Co loading to 3.0 mass % yielded Co sites with similar electronic and coordination structures but slightly elongated Co–O bonds. Upon cooling to room temperature, the Co sites persisted in the same coordination environment, though the disappearance of a feature in the Co K-edge near-edge region revealed changes in the active site’s electronic structure coinciding with modest shifts in bond lengths. The electronic structure and activity of (≡SiO) 2 Co(HO–Si≡) 2 sites were studied comparatively to a few other hypothetical Co 2+ coordination structures, using electronic structure calculations and microkinetic simulations. The simulations showed that NDE is controlled by β-hydride elimination following C–H bond activation and that Co-sites possessing flexibility because of neighboring silanol defects are more active. Interestingly, dinuclear Co–O–Co sites (i.e., (≡SiO)Co(HO–Si≡) 2 –O–(HO–Si≡) 2 Co(≡SiO)) were more active than the mononuclear (≡SiO) 2 Co(HO–Si≡) 2 sites because of favorable hydrogen bonding with the vicinal silanol groups. In conclusion, the present study bridges the gap between the knowledge acquired by ex-situ characterizations and the active sites under the reaction conditions in alkane dehydrogenation chemistry.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

CO 2 Oxidative Ethane Dehydrogenation on CeO 2 /SiO 2 ‐Supported NiFe 3 Catalysts

CO 2 -assisted oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane is a sustainable alternative to steam cracking for ethylene production. In this study, a series of CeO 2 on SiO 2 supported NiFe 3 catalysts were synthesized by incipient wetness impregnation and tested for oxidative dehydrogenation performance. The CeO 2 /SiO 2 supported catalysts with high weight loading of CeO 2 (50%–75%) provided higher activity than the lower CeO 2 (0%–25%) loaded catalysts (with ethylene production rates of 0.62–0.98 µmol/g cat /s and 0.19–0.3 µmol/g cat /s, respectively) while maintaining high ethylene selectivity (43%–45%). In contrast, the NiFe 3 supported on only CeO 2 also exhibited high activity (ethylene production rate of 0.71 µmol/g cat /s), but the ethylene selectivity (16%) was greatly decreased compared to the mixed system. Temperature programmed reduction, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy all indicate the creation of a solid solution of the Fe and Ni doped into the CeO 2 crystal structure in the catalysts with high CeO 2 loading/bulk CeO 2 support. Here, the high ethylene selectivity in the high CeO 2 loading catalysts indicates that the Fe is preferentially creating the solid solution, with the decrease in selectivity observed in the CeO 2 -only supported catalyst likely resulting from CeO 2 interacting directly with Ni, creating Ni-CeO X interfaces that are known active sites for the unwanted side reaction of dry reforming.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Thermally Initiated Formation of Criegee Intermediate CH 2 OO in the Oxidation of Ethane

Criegee intermediates (CIs) play an important role in atmospheric chemistry as a transient source of the OH radical through their formation by the ozonolysis of unsaturated organic compounds. Here, we report thermally initiated formation of the smallest CI (CH 2 OO) in the oxidation of ethane (CH 3 CH 3 ) that may be relevant to combustion and flames. The SiO 2 /SiC oxidation microreactor is heated to 1800 K and has a short residence time of ∼100 μs. The CH 2 OO we observe is likely formed in a lower-temperature region near the microreactor’s exit. Plausible mechanisms for CH 2 OO formation and retention under these conditions mediated by methylperoxy (CH 3 OO) radicals are discussed. Pure rotational spectra of CH 2 OO and other intermediates (HO 2 , CH 3 CHO, CH 2 CHOH, c-CH 2 OCH 2 , CH 3 CH 2 CHO, CH 3 OOH, and HCOOH) are detected with a chirped-pulse Fourier transform millimeter-wave spectrometer operating in the frequency range of 60–90 GHz. In conclusion, detection occurs in a molecular beam, where the species are supersonically cooled to 5 K.

Hydrocarbons↗
DOE OSTI2025

Influence of Mo- and Ga-Supported HZSM-5 Co-Catalyst Configuration in Microwave-Assisted Methane and Ethane Dehydroaromatization

Microwave (MW)-assisted dehydroaromatization (DHA) using an Mo-supported HZSM-5 catalyst (Mo/HZSM-5) enhances the value of natural gas resources by converting stranded or underutilized natural gas into value-added chemicals in modular microwave reactor systems. This approach offers the potential to generate economic value. However, natural gas mixtures often contain multiple components, including ethane (C2H6) and propane (C3H8), which complicate the reaction pathways. Ga-supported HZSM-5 (Ga/HZSM-5) catalysts are generally inactive toward CH4 but exhibit higher activity toward C2H6 and C3H8. Therefore, investigating the combination of Mo/HZSM-5 and Ga/HZSM-5 in various catalyst bed configurations is essential. This study explores different co-catalyst bed configurations and CH4/C2H6 feed compositions to determine the most effective way for enhanced natural gas conversion and benzene production.

cocatalyst bed configuration↗
DOE OSTI2025

Enhancing carbon nanotube production from carbon dioxide and ethane using bimetallic catalysts

Converting CO 2 into carbon nanotubes (CNTs) offers a promising way for CO 2 utilization and sequestration, potentially mitigating environmental impacts from anthropogenic emissions. This study reports that bimetallic CoFe catalysts can increase CNT production from the reaction of CO 2 and C 2 H 6 by an order of magnitude compared to their monometallic counterparts. The active sites and CNT morphologies are composition-dependent: Co-rich catalysts (Co/Fe ratio ≥ 5) form stable face-centered cubic (fcc) CoFe alloys, producing cylindrical CNTs; Fe-containing catalysts (Co/Fe ≤ 2) favor body-centered cubic (bcc) CoFe alloy upon reduction, which transforms into carbides, resulting in bamboo-like CNTs. Experimental evidence and DFT calculations reveal that adjacent Fe and Co atoms modulate CO and C x H y adsorption, regulating CNT production pathways through the CO Boudouard reaction and C 2 H 6 decomposition. In conclusion, these results highlight the dual benefits of bimetallic catalysts in enhancing CNT yield and controlling CNT morphology through adjustment of catalyst compositions.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Dual Chemical Looping/Catalytic Process for Alkylation of Benzene With Ethane and Propane Yielding Ethylbenzene and Cumene Over Copper‐Containing Mordenite

Given the sustained demand for alkylated aromatics and the strained olefin market, there is an urgent need to develop efficient one‐step processes for the direct alkylation of aromatics using alkanes instead of olefins. Such technologies offer greater energy efficiency and sustainability by eliminating the need for separate, energy‐intensive alkane dehydrogenation steps. In this work, we report a dual chemical looping / catalytic process that couples alkane dehydrogenation with aromatic alkylation over a copper‐containing mordenite yielding up to 25% of alkylated aromatics with >97% selectivity per cycle. In situ MAS NMR and FTIR spectroscopies combined with DFT calculations showed that the alkylation of benzene with alkanes proceeds via a π‐bounded Cu(I)‐olefin intermediate, which subsequently interacts with benzene, catalyzed by Brønsted acid sites, leading to alkylated products that readily desorb from the active material into the gas phase. DFT calculations show that alkylation mediated solely by Cu(I) has prohibitively high barriers (>1.8 eV), whereas a bi‐functional pathway involving both Cu(I) and Brønsted acid sites can proceed with significantly lower barrier (0.8 eV) through a concerted C–C bond formation and proton transfer step.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗