SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “ethane”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 685 records · Page 38

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI2016

“Conversion of Waste CO 2 and Shale Gas to High Value Chemicals”

The ultimate objective of the project was to develop, build, operate and validate a laboratory scale continuous process to make carbon dioxide (CO 2 )-based chemical intermediates with significantly lower energy content, carbon footprint, and cost than today’s petrochemical versions. Novomer’s catalyst allows carbon monoxide (CO) – an output of Praxair’s solid oxide electrolyzer (SOE) CO 2 to CO conversion technology – to be combined with an ethane-derivative (ethylene oxide, (EO)) to form a versatile intermediate called beta-propiolactone (BPL) via carbonylation chemistry. The BPL can be converted to acrylic acid using known technologies previously demonstrated at commercial scale, or further reacted in the presence of Novomer’s catalyst to form four-carbon chemical intermediates. The team has collected engineering data required to build a pilot plant (out of scope project scope) with the assistance of an industrial chemical partner.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

DOE OSTI2016

Analysis of Gas Membrane Ultra-High Purification of Small Quantities of Mono-Isotopic Silane

A small quantity of high-value, crude, mono-isotopic silane is a prospective gas for a small-scale, high-recovery, ultra-high membrane purification process. This is an unusual application of gas membrane separation for which we provide a comprehensive analysis of a simple purification model. The goal is to develop direct analytic expressions for estimating the feasibility and efficiency of the method, and guide process design; this is only possible for binary mixtures of silane in the dilute limit which is a somewhat realistic case. Among the common impurities in crude silane, methane poses a special membrane separation challenge since it is chemically similar to silane. Other potential problematic surprises are: ethylene, diborane and ethane (in this order). Nevertheless, we demonstrate, theoretically, that a carefully designed membrane system may be able to purify mono-isotopic, crude silane to electronics-grade level in a reasonable amount of time and expenses. We advocate a combination of membrane materials that preferentially reject heavy impurities based on mobility selectivity, and light impurities based on solubility selectivity. We provide estimates for the purification of significant contaminants of interest. To improve the separation selectivity, it is advantageous to use a permeate chamber under vacuum, however this also requires greater control of in-leakage of impurities in the system. In this study, we suggest cellulose acetate and polydimethylsiloxane as examples of membrane materials on the basis of limited permeability data found in the open literature. We provide estimates on the membrane area needed and priming volume of the cell enclosure for fabrication purposes when using the suggested membrane materials. These estimates are largely theoretical in view of the absence of reliable experimental data for the permeability of silane. Last but not least, future extension of this work to the non-dilute limit may apply to the recovery of silane from rejected streams of natural silicon semi-conductor processes.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2017

Intermediate Temperature Hybrid Fuel Cell System for the Conversion of Natural to Electricity and Liquid Fuels

This goal of this project was to develop a new hybrid fuel cell technology that operates directly on natural gas or biogas to generate electrical energy and to produce ethane or ethylene from methane, the main component of natural gas or biogas, which can be converted to a liquid fuel or high-value chemical using existing process technologies. By taking advantage of the modularity and scalability of fuel cell technology, this combined fuel cell/chemical process technology targets the recovery of stranded natural gas available at the well pad or biogas produced at waste water treatment plants and municipal landfills by converting it to a liquid fuel or chemical. By converting the stranded gas to a liquid fuel or chemical, it can be cost-effectively transported to market thus allowing the stranded natural gas or biogas to be monetized instead of flared, producing CO2, a greenhouse gas, because the volumes produced at these locations are too small to be economically recovered using current gas-to-liquids process technologies.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2018

Abstract for CRADA between Solar Turbines Incorporated and NETL

The National Energy Technology Laboratory is developing the Raman Gas Analyzer (RGA) to be a fast, non-destructive instrument for on-line measurement of gas composition. The RGA has been demonstrated to have an extremely fast response (<1 second) multi-gas analysis capability. All but the noble gases are Raman active, but Raman interaction is weak with gas phase substances. The RGA uses a reflectively lined capillary as the optical cell in a patented configuration, providing both a small sample volume for fast gas exchange, and a much greater Raman signal collection than traditional instrument configurations. This allows very fast measurement of fuel gases (hydrogen, methane, ethane, propane) as well as other common industrial gases (including CO, CO2, N2, O2, H2O). The RGA provides a new enabling technology for faster, smarter process control based on the chemical composition of the gases in the process, such as improving fuel flexibility and efficiency for power generation systems. NETL has constructed a field prototype of the RGA to test the instrument performance in various applications in fossil energy. The objective of this CRADA is to field test the Raman Gas Analyzer in a commercial or near-commercial gas turbine application, to advance its Technology Readiness Level and support technology transfer to the commercial marketplace.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2018

Catalytic Conversion of Cellulosic Biomass or Algal Biomass plus Methane to Drop in Hydrocarbon Fuels and Chemicals

The goal of this Bioincubator Project was to improve the pyrolysis of biomass through the use of methane. Our initial concept was to use methane as a fluidizing gas with a hydrogen transfer catalyst. The results of the experiments did show that methane as a fluidizing gas, with a hydrogen transfer catalyst, does enhance catalytic pyrolysis over that which is achieved with an inert fluidizing gas. Using methane as a fluidizing gas, with a hydrogen transfer catalyst, consistently produced better products with lower oxygen content than the products produced when an inert gas was used. These improvements were also consistent with the results obtained through pure component testing as well. However, the improvement was too small to justify any significant expense. The addition of hydrogen with a hydrogen transfer catalyst consistently showed a much greater, more significant effect than methane. This indicates that hydropyrolysis is a more effective approach to improved catalytic pyrolysis than methane addition. During the course of this project, another way to significantly increase biogenic liquid yields from pyrolysis through the use of methane was discovered. We discovered a remarkably stable CO 2 /steam reforming catalyst which directly makes a 2:1 H 2 /CO synthesis gas from the CO, CO 2 , methane, ethane and propane product gas from integrated hydropyrolysis and hydroconversion (IH 2® ). The biogenic synthesis gas can then be converted to liquid hydrocarbons using Fischer Tropsch. The hydrogen for the IH 2 unit would then be provided through the use of added methane. By utilizing the biogenic gas to make liquids, 40% more biogenic liquid hydrocarbons can be made from wood, thereby increasing liquid yields from IH 2 from 86GPT to 126GPT. It also simplifies the hydrogen plant since no CO or CO 2 removal is required.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2018

Central Appalachian Basin Unconventional (Coal/Organic Shale) Reservoir Small Scale CO 2 Injection Test

The Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research (VCCER) project, “Injecting Carbon Dioxide into Unconventional Storage Reservoirs in the Central Appalachian Basin, with an Emphasis on Enhanced Coalbed Methane Recovery (ECBM), to Validate Prior Geological Characterization,” successfully completed two unique field projects: (1) a 510 ton scale ‘huff-and-puff’ carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) injection into a legacy horizontal Chattanooga Shale well in Morgan County, Tennessee and (2) a 13,263 ton CO 2 injection into 3 legacy coalbed methane (CBM) wells in Buchanan County, Virginia. The results from this Morgan County shale injection test confirm the injectivity and storage potential of CO 2 in organic shales formations while enhancing gas recovery. During the flowback phase, gas composition and flow rate were frequently monitored. Results indicated that there was a significant increase in gas flow rate during the first five months of the flowback phase and there was also a significant increase in gas quality, such that the percent composition of NGLs (natural gas liquids), including ethane, propane, and butane, increased. The primary objective of the research is to test the injectivity of CO 2 into unmineable coal seams and the potential for enhanced coalbed methane recovery (ECBM) by stressing the coals under continuous injection for a one-year period. The results from the Buchanan County ECBM test provided data to better understand the effect of matrix swelling, due to the adsorption of CO 2 on the coal surface, on injectivity and ECBM. During the greater than 13,000-ton injection, injectivity was maintained and coal swelling reduced by injecting into multiple wells at a moderate injection rate. Flowback has recently commenced and will be instrumental in determining the ECBM potential of central Appalachian coals and identifying commercialization opportunities.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

DOE OSTI2018

Production of Medically Important Radionuclides 52 Mn and 90 Nb

Over the final reporting period of this project, we at MGH finalized our effort on Project 2: Production and Characterization of 90 Nb which, as per our previous report led us to an interesting application of mass spectrometry in radiometal chemistry. Overall, our research has developed parameters and procedures for delivering high 90 Nb for preclinical and translational applications by initializing the cyclotron targetry and separation chemistry for delivering 90 Nb in a chemical form suitable for subsequent development of 90 Nb-based PET radiotracers, and most recently we have published on the mass spectrometry applications described in the present report. We have been working with MSKCC (PI Jason Lewis) on the 90 Nb methodology and have had input from UAB (PI Suzy Lapi). An in-person meeting was held during the upcoming funding period with 2 PIs who are co-organizing the Radiochemistry Symposium (Lapi and Vasdev) and Program Director Dr. Ethan Balkin, during the ACS National Meeting in March 2018, and 2 PIs (Lewis and Vasdev) co presented in at the World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology at a symposium sponsored by the Australian Nuclear Sciences and Technology Organisation, where they are both collaborating, in Melbourne, Australia in April 2018. Future projects and collaborations are under discussion with the Lapi lab to focus on new applications of 76 Br chemistry, and a new collaboration has already resulted with the Lewis lab on 18 F radiochemistry that employ iodonium ylide based precursors developed in the Vasdev lab, for clinical production of [ 18 F]MFBG. It is noteworthy that the PI has now relocated to the University of Toronto and has 2 cyclotrons (IBA Cyclone and Scanditronix MC-17) that will also be used to explore new 11 C-radiochemistry including [ 11 C]CO.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

DOE OSTI2019

Monitoring, Understanding, and Predicting the Growth of Methane Emissions in the Arctic

Concern over Arctic methane (CH 4 ) emissions has increased following recent discoveries of poorly understood sources and predictions that methane emissions from known sources will grow as Arctic temperatures increase. New efforts are required to detect increases and explain sources without being confounded by the multiple sources. Methods for distinguishing different sources are critical. We conducted measurements of atmospheric methane and source tracers and performed baseline global atmospheric modeling to begin assessing the climate impact of changes in atmospheric methane. The goal of this project was to address uncertainties in Arctic methane sources and their potential impact on climate by (1) deploying newly developed trace-gas analyzers for measurements of methane, methane isotopologues, ethane, and other tracers of methane sources in the Barrow, AK, (2) characterizing methane sources using high-resolution atmospheric chemical transport models and tracer measurements, and (3) modeling Arctic climate using the state-of-the-art high- resolution Spectral Element Community Atmosphere Model (CAM-SE).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2019

Final Report – Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between National Energy Technology Laboratory and Oxergy, Inc.

The NETL Raman Gas Analyzer (RGA) has been demonstrated to have an extremely fast response (<1 second) multi-gas analysis capability. All but the noble gases are Raman active, although the Raman interaction is weak. The RGA uses a reflectively lined capillary as the optical cell, providing both a small sample volume for fast gas exchange, and a much greater Raman signal collection than traditional instrument configurations. This allows very fast measurement of fuel gases (hydrogen, methane, ethane, propane) as well as other common industrial gases (carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen, and water). This provides a new enabling technology for faster, smarter process control based on the chemical composition of the gases in the process – including improved fuel flexibility and efficiency for power generation systems. Research and development up to 2016 resulted in the construction of two field prototypes of the NETL RGA, which has been in applied to various laboratory applications for testing. The results of the testing have been used to improve the RGA design, with the intent to support technology transfer. The quality of the optical capillary used in the RGA is critical to its performance, and prior work at NETL produced a few optical capillaries superior to those commercially available. The production of high optical quality capillaries, however, was inconsistent in its results. With the support of the DOE Office of Technology Transitions, through the Technology Commercialization Fund program, this project was undertaken to address this commercialization barrier and to also evaluate the possible application of Raman gas analysis to a supercritical water gasification process being developed by Oxergy Inc. Oxergy, a small business located in Fairbanks, Alaska, is developing ultra-compact thermochemical reaction devices built with advanced manufacturing processes. Chief Technology Officer Jonathan Kamler holds the (pending) patent to Oxergy’s core reactor technology. Oxergy maintains wet-lab and combustion-lab space at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Center for Sustainable Living in Palmer, Alaska, where Mr. Kamler operates a pilot-scale, supercritical water gasification system designed and built by Oxergy. Mr. Kamler also operates an All Powers Labs Power Pallet gasifier coupled to a 10KW electrical generator as a dry biomass test platform at the Palmer facility. Both systems are suitable for real-world, collaborative testing of Raman gas analysis applications. The objectives of the CRADA include making the production of high-quality optical capillaries consistent and high yield, investigating other options for optical waveguides, and testing the capillaries for measurements in supercritical water gasification. Success on these objectives will support commercialization of both the RGA and supercritical water gasification technologies. Through the work performed on this project, a new apparatus was constructed and optimized to provide consistent production of high-quality optical capillaries. Several thick-walled capillaries were coated using this apparatus and shipped to Oxergy in September 2018 for testing in both dry gasification and supercritical water gasification process monitoring applications at University of Alaska Fairbanks facilities in Palmer. The strong earthquake near Anchorage and Palmer in November 2018 caused extensive damage and closure of the facilities used by Oxergy, preventing Oxergy from proceeding with experimental testing before the end of the project; the facility has been closed indefinitely. Earthquake damage prohibited the completion of all the project objectives prior to the end of the project. However, significant progress was made toward addressing a core technology commercialization barrier. The largest and most mature potential market for Raman gas analysis is its use in analytical instruments, which require sensitivity and low detection limits, and Oxergy’s market research found that market inertia is a barrier to commercial success in this market. Although NETL’s innovations in capillary coating have substantially improved Raman gas analysis capability, the likely market is expected to be niche applications that value the fast detection of real-time changes in gas composition.

Chorpening, Benjamin↗

DOE OSTI2021

Imaging APO-BMI with Micro X-ray Computed Tomography (CT)

APO-BMI is a high-strength, high-temperature, and low-density foam comprised of 1,2-bis(2-aminophenylthio) ethane (APO-Link, formerly Apocure-601) and 4,4’-bismaleimidodiphenylmethane (BMI) that is used structural applications within the aerospace and weapons manufacturing sectors. APO-link is the diamine reagent used to synthesize BMI, a thermosetting resin. This resin can remain in a molten, flowing state for an extended period of time before crosslinking, allowing addition of glass or carbon microballoons to form its final structure. A portion of the current project was to observe the thermal effects on the structural integrity of the foam associated with exposure to an ion beam. Features within the foam were imaged using micro X-ray computed tomography (CT). The resulting imaging provided evidence that microballoon structure remained mostly intact at the points of failure, indicating that the failure of the material was occurring in the binder material.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2021

The Quantum Nature of the Neutrino

Over the last 100 years we have learned much about the neutrino, but there remain interesting questions about this weakly interacting particle. In particular, at LLNL we are developing an experiment to measure the quantum nature of the neutrino. The 2015 long range plan recom mended tonne-scale neutrinoless double beta decay experiments as the top new project priority and this experiment will target the quantum nature of the neutrino. The LLNL team is motivated and focused on developing the best technology for this experiment which is a liquid xenon time projection chamber called nEXO. Work on nEXO at LLNL started in 2015 with an LDRD and program development funds to de velop the nEXO concept, publish sensitivity predictions, explore alternatives and risks, and to build a credible project team and this effort is on going. In addition, we received research funding from DOE-SC NP and LLNL manages pre-conceptual R&D for the nEXO collaboration a portion of which is executed at LLNL. LLNL has a long history of building large projects, science projects and time projection chambers, but nEXO is in fact the first project of this scale that LLNL is prepared to lead for DOE-SC NP. We have the tools, skills, people and motivation to make nEXO a reality. The current program devel opment dollars are used to prepare the nEXO concept for down select and CD1. These internal LLNL dollars pay for a number of things including project staff to organize the nEXO collaboration for the various reviews, to develop the draft plans and structure to manage the project as well as setting up external advisory committees. The DOE-SC NP base funding is targeted at simulation and analysis of the nEXO concept in preparation for the down select and refinement of the under standing of the detector as well as scientific effort on the large xenon test stand (LXTS) that will burn down one of the largest risks to the nEXO project. Lastly, LLNL is leading the pre-conceptual R&D effort and managing the funds for the nEXO collaboration. LLNL continues to build the best scientific team for nEXO and this year that includes adding Ethan Bernard to lead the efforts on the LXTS. We will also soon add a new postoc, Samuel Hedges, in the fall to the LLNL nEXO team. The effort this year was influenced by the portfolio review, and there were a number of scientific activities led by LLNL to prepare for this review. In addition, we again took a lead role on the new sensitivity paper as well as publishing a paper based analyzing the effects of skin xenon in nEXO. LLNL leads the software and analysis for the project and we continued work in this area as well. High voltage remains a significant risk for the project and we continue to make progress on the LXTS that will mitigate this risk. Lastly we remain active in looking at how to scale the technology to larger scales, and expect to produce a paper on this topic in the near future.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Novel Modular Electrocatalytic Processing for Simultaneous Conversion of Carbon Dioxide and Wet Shale Gas into Valuable Products (Final Report)

This report examines solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) technology as an alternative process for the manufacture of carbon monoxide (CO) and the separation of ethane (C 2 H 6 ) from wet natural gas (WNG). SOEC cathodes for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) to CO and SOEC anodes for the selective electrochemical oxidation of C 2 H 6 to ethylene (C 2 H 4 ) are described and presented. Lifecycle and techno-economic analyses (LCA and TEA) utilizing SOEC technology for the production of CO are also reported.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

DOE OSTI2023

Novel Modular Electrocatalytic Processing for Simultaneous Conversion of Carbon Dioxide and Wet Shale Gas into Valuable Products

03 NATURAL GAS↗

DOE OSTI2023

A Novel Molten Salt System for CO 2 Based Oxidative Dehydrogenation with Integrated Carbon Capture (Final Technical Report)

The objective of this project was to develop a comprehensive proof-of-concept for sustainable and cost-effective production of propionic acid and value-added olefins from carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in power plant flue gas and domestic shale gas resources. This was realized via a molten-salt-mediated oxidative dehydrogenation (MM-ODH) process that performs CO 2 capture (from power plant flue gas) and CO 2- assisted alkane oxidative dehydrogenation in a two-step, thermochemical scheme. The resulting carbon monoxide (CO) and light olefin (e.g., ethylene from ethane ODH) can be subsequently converted into propionic acid via the industrially proven hydrocarboxylation process.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Thermocatalytic Ethylene Production using Targeted RF Induction Heating

Ethylene, a key building block in the petrochemical industry is a top five chemical in annual production and the second highest energy consuming chemical per weight. Industrial-scale production of ethylene remains an energy consuming process and is conventionally practiced by steam cracking of ethane or naphtha feedstocks. Our project using Targeted RF Induction Heating aims to optimize the heating of the catalyst to improve energy efficiency (>50%). Induction heating also improves ethylene low-temperature yield, selectivity, and stability that will increase catalyst lifetime by >20% and result in a >15% decrease in operational costs.

Colon-Mercado, Hector R.↗

DOE OSTI2024

Novel Microbial Routes to Synthesize Industrially Significant Precursor Compounds

Ethylene is the most widely employed organic precursor compound in industry. The potential to impact ethylene formation via recently discovered microbial processes is tenable using plentiful CO2 feedstocks. The overall long-term objective of this project was to develop an industrially compatible microbial process to synthesize ethylene in high yields. The key objective of this project was to fully define and initially characterized a recently discovered and genetically regulated anaerobic pathway to produce high levels of ethylene called the Dihydroxyacetone Phosphate - Ethylene Pathway in phototrophic bacteria. This was addressed through the following specific aims: 1. Fully probe the catalytic potential of all enzymes of the DHAP ethylene pathway and determine the regulatory mechanism of DHAP-ethylene pathway gene expression. 2. Discover effective and active ethylene enzymes encoded in cultured and uncultured organisms from anoxic environments. 3.Model the thermodynamics and kinetics of ethylene synthetic pathways to guide engineering efforts in integrating best performing DHAP-ethylene pathway enzymes into model bacteria chassis for enhance ethylene yields. Through this project we discovered the initially missing genetic and enzyme component of the DHAP-ethylene pathway that directly synthesized ethylene and other important industrial compounds like methane and ethane from specific substrates. We uncovered and partially characterized a nitrogenase-like reductase that functions in DHAP-ethylene pathway specifically and in methionine synthesis in general. This nitrogenase-like system is called the Methylthio-Alkane Reductase (MAR) for its ability to cleave volatile organic sulfur compounds into methanethiol (CH3-SH) for methionine synthesis and a hydrocarbon byproduct. Key to the DHAP-ethylene pathway, MAR is the essential enzyme that cleaves 2-methylthioethanol (CH3-S-CH2-CH2-OH) into ethylene. Coordinately, we uncovered that the MAR genes and genes associated with conversion of methanethiol (CH3-SH) to methionine are under genetic control of a LysR Type Transcriptional Regulator called SalR, whose activity is dependent upon the amount of sulfate available to the cell. When sulfate as the preferred sulfur source for cell growth drops below 200 micromolar, SalR become active for expressing the MAR and methionine biosynthesis genes to enable the cell to grow from volatile organic sulfur compounds and make ethylene. Metabolic thermos-kinetic modeling revealed that these MAR reactions for ethylene and other hydrocarbon production are highly thermodynamically favorable and are one of the largest driving forces for ethylene production by the DHAP-ethylene pathway for high ethylene yields. Modeling also indicated that a key aldolase and to a lesser extent an isomerase of the DHAP-ethylene pathway for production of the ethylene precursor, 2-methylthioethanol, also would increase ethylene yields. Through metagenomic mining and gene synthesis by the JGI DNA synthesis program, over 500 aldolase and isomerase homologs were synthesized and screened. From this, variants were uncovered with substantially higher activity that increased ethylene yields 5-fold via the aldolase reaction and 1.5-fold via the isomerase reaction. Each of these elements that increase ethylene production were integrated together via plasmid under appropriate gene promoter elements in the phototrophic bacterium, Rhodospirillum rubrum, resulting in at least 3 orders of magnitude increase in ethylene yield from carbon dioxide feedstock.

10 SYNTHETIC FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Terephthalic Acid Synthesis from Ethanol via p-Methyl Benzaldehyde

Terephthalic acid (TA) is a high volume and high market commodity chemical which is a monomer used in making polyethylene terephthalate (known as PET) for beverage bottles and packaging films. The global demand for TA in 2012 was 47 million ton and it is expected to grow at a 6 percent rate to reach around 65 million ton in 2018. TA is currently made from petroleum derived p-xylene produced as a co-product during ethylene production in the naphtha cracking process. At present, ethylene is mostly made by ethane cracking of cheap natural gas-shale gas, making naphtha cracking to produce p-xylene uneconomical. Combined with potential unavailability of the petroleum based p-xylene to meet market demand and the end user’s interest in sustainable PET products has created significant attention towards biomass based feed sources for the TA production. The goal of the proposed work is to develop a catalytic process from a biomass-sourced feedstock to a chemical intermediate that can serve as the basis for the economical and renewable TA production that meets market needs.

02 PETROLEUM↗

DOE OSTI2024

Microwave-Assisted Catalytic Conversion of Tar Using Iron Catalyst Doped with Ni/La/Ce

The goal of this research is to study the microwave-assisted catalytic dry reforming of toluene using Fe/Al2O3 as a catalyst in the presence of various dopants such as Ni/La/Ce in a conventional fixed-bed reactor. Initial studies show that both CO2 and toluene conversion can be achieved up to 85% at 500 °C. Higher toluene conversion and syngas production was achieved under microwave conditions compared to conventional thermal conditions. The pre and post-reaction catalyst characterizations were performed using X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The tar analysis was performed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The product gas mainly consisted of H2, CO, methane, propane, ethylene, and ethane along with small amounts of benzene, and naphthalene. The production of benzene indicates the hydrodemethylation (HDM) process of toluene, which requires hydrogen to initiate the reaction. The reaction pathway was proposed based on the observed product gas.

Linge Gowda, Anitha Shankara↗