Hydrogen production by catalytic decomposition of methane using a Fe-based catalyst in a fluidized bed reactor

Catalytic decomposition of methane using a Fe-based catalyst for hydrogen production has been studied in this work. A Fe/Al2O3 catalyst previously developed by our research group has been tested in a fluidized bed reactor (FBR). A parametric study of the effects of some process variables,including reaction temperature and space velocity,is undertaken. The operating conditions strongly affect the catalyst performance. Methane conversion was increased by increasing the temperature and lowering the space velocity. Using temperatures between 700 and 900℃ and space velocities between 3 and 6LN/(gcat·h),a methane conversion in the range of 25%-40% for the gas exiting the reactor could be obtained during a 6 hrun. In addition,carbon was deposited in the form of nanofilaments (chain like nanofibers and multiwall nanotubes) with similar properties to those obtained in a fixed bed reactor.     

Continuous Production of Carbon Nanotubes by Using Moving Bed Reactor

Since the discovery in 19911, carbon nanotubes have been the subject of intensive research due to their extraordinary mechanical and electronic properties2-7. However, lack of sufficient amount of materials limited the study of the fundamental properties and development of more practical applications. It is highly desirable to have large quantities of pure nanotubes. To date, few methods have been developed for the production of high-quality tubes which can adapted to industrial production …     

Production of Carbon Nanotubes over Pre‐reduced LaCoO3 by Using Fluidized‐bed Catalytic Reactor

A technique has been developed to grow carbon nanotubes by flowing acetylene over pre‐reduced LaCoO₃ catalyst in a fluidized‐bed catalytic reactor. Carbon nanotubes were characterized by means of SEM and TEM. The pre‐reduced LaCoO₃ catalyst was found to be effective in producing carbon nanotubes with even diameter. The effects of reduction temperature of LaCoO₃ on the growth of carbon nanotubes were investigated. This process can easily be scaled up.     

Fiber containment for improved laboratory handling and uniform nanocoating of milligram quantities of carbon nanotubes by atomic layer deposition

The presence of nanostructured materials in the workplace is bringing attention to the importance of safe practices for nanomaterial handling. We explored novel fiber containment methods to improve the handling of carbon nanotube (CNT) powders in the laboratory while simultaneously allowing highly uniform and controlled atomic layer deposition (ALD) coatings on the nanotubes, down to less than 4 nm on some CNT materials. Moreover, the procedure yields uniform coatings on milligram quantities of nanotubes using a conventional viscous flow reactor system, circumventing the need for specialized fluidized bed or rotary ALD reactors for laboratory-scale studies. We explored both fiber bundles and fiber baskets as possible containment methods and conclude that the baskets are more suitable for coating studies. An extended precursor and reactant dose and soak periods allowed the gases to diffuse through the fiber containment, and the ALD coating thickness scaled linearly with the number of ALD cycles. The extended dose period produced thicker coatings compared to typical doses on CNT controls not encased in the fibers, suggesting some effects due to the extended reactant dose. Film growth was compared on a range of single-walled NTs, double-walled NTs, and acid-functionalized multiwalled NTs, and we found that ultrathin coatings were most readily controlled on the multiwalled NTs.     

Strategies in lipase production by immobilizedCandida rugosa cells

Growing cells ofCandida rugosa immobilized in polymethacrylamide-hydrazide and polyurethane foam were employed in fluidized and packed bed reactors, for discontinuous and continuous fermentations to obtain extracellular lipase. In spite of hydrodynamic problems, fermentation cultures using polyurethane foam showed higher lipolytic activity than cultures employing polymethacrylamide-hydrazide beads, which was probably owing to the high immobilized biomass concentration in polyurethane observed by direct microscopy enumeration. Different oleic acid concentrations were assayed. The maximum level of lipase was achieved at 4 g/L of oleic acid. These results reaffirm that lipase production is a direct function of cell-substrate contact and that the organic substrate dispersion is important in this system.     

接枝羧基对单壁碳纳米管弹性性质的影响

采用分子动力学方法对端口接枝不同数量羧基的扶手椅型和锯齿型单壁碳纳米管弹性模量进行了模拟研究. 结果表明, 扶手椅型(5, 5)、(10, 10)管和锯齿型(9, 0)、(18, 0)管在未接枝状态下杨氏模量分别为948、901GPa和804、860 GPa. 在接枝2-8个羧基情况下, 扶手椅型单壁碳纳米管拉伸杨氏模量基本不随接枝数量的增加而发生变化, 而锯齿型单壁碳纳米管则不同, 接枝状态下的弹性模量比未接枝状态小很多, 但随接枝数量的增加又呈略增趋势. 分别从接枝后碳纳米管变形电子密度等值线结构变化、键长变化和系统势能变化规律等方面, 对单壁碳纳米管弹性模量的接枝效应进行了分析.     

NEXAFS光谱分析聚合物修饰的单壁碳纳米管

利用C1s、O1s、N1s近边X射线吸收精细结构(Near Edge X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure,NEXAFS)光谱对聚合物修饰的碳纳米管进行了分析,研究了氧化及偶联聚合物对碳纳米管结构的影响。氧化碳纳米管及十八胺修饰的、聚合物/十八胺双修饰的碳纳米管的NEXAFS光谱均出现了碳/氧K边π*(C=O)和σ*(C-O)共振峰;而十八胺修饰的、聚合物/十八胺双修饰的碳纳米管则出现了氮K边π*(N-C=O)和σ*(N1s)共振峰。分析表明,NEXAFS光谱可有效表征聚合物修饰的碳纳米管。     

Combination of CO2 reforming and partial oxidation of CH4 over Ni/Al2O3 catalysts using fluidized bed reactor

The effects of the Ni loading, total feed flow rate, prereduction temperature, reaction temperature and feed gas ratio for combination of CO₂ reforming and partial oxidation of CH₄ over Ni/Al₂O₃ were investigated using a fluidized bed reactor. Methane conversion to syngas was drastically enhanced using a fluidized bed reactor over Ni/Al₂O₃ catalyst calcined at high temperature. The fluidized bed and the fixed bed reactor were compared and a promoting mechanism of the fluidized bed reactor was proposed. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effect of chemical potential on the computer simulation of hydrogen storage in single walled carbon nanotubes

Hydrogen is a kind of clean, sustainable and renewable energy carrier. Of the problems to be solved for the utilization of hydrogen energy, how to store and transport hydrogen has been given high priority on the research agenda. Recently, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were reported to be very promising candidates for hydrogen uptake[1], which may have possibility to satisfy the benchmark set by the US Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen Plan for fuel cell powered vehicles: a gravimetric density …     

Use of DTA in the investigations of fly ashes from fluidized bed boilers

DTA method was used to follow the hydration process of cement admixtures containing fluidized bed combustion by-product, formed on joined combustion and desulphurisation in some installations with fluidized bed. Based on endothermic peaks attributed to the dehydration of phases formed on hydration, the conditions leading to the formation of so-called ‘delayed’ ettringite were found. This calcium alumino-sulphate hydrate is responsible for lower durability of fluidized bed ash containing material. DTA method is also beneficial in the studies of fluidized bed combustion by-product itself, giving information about the un-burnt carbon content and pozzolanic properties. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

固定床反应器参数灵敏性与失控分析

本文采用邻二甲苯氧化的复合反应动力学模型分析了固定床反应器的参数灵敏性和失控行为,并与该反应的简单反应动力学模型的研究结果作了比较,发现二者间有显著的差别。本文还考察了固定床反应器对冷却介质流量和进口温度的灵敏性,发现反应器对冷却介质流量和进口温度的发迹极其敏感。因此对于强放热反应过程,考虑反应器对冷却介质的流量和进口温度的参数灵敏性对反应器的设计和控制是必要的。     

Continuous fast pyrolysis of biomass at high temperature in a fluidized bed reactor

In order to perform biomass pyrolysis a continuous fluidized bed reactor (bench scale unit) has been assembled. The influence of experimental conditions such as heating-up time and optimum particle diameter is presented. By feeding the biomass (almond shells) directly into the bubbling bed, pyrolysis has been performed at temperatures ranging from 730° to 930°C at constant feed rate (44 g/h). Remarkable increase of H₂ in the product gas is observed when steam rather than an inert carrier such as nitrogen is used thus confirming the potential of this approach.The support of ENEA (Italian Agency for Renewable Energies) is gratefully acknowledged.     

A Study of Carbon Deposition on Catalysts During the Catalytic Partial Oxidation of Methane to Syngas in a Fluidized bed

The deposition of carbon on catalysts during the partial oxidation of methane to syngas has been investigated in a fluidized bed. It was found that the relative rate of carbon deposition follows the order Ni>>Pd>Pt, Rh. Although the rate of carbon deposition in the fluidized bed was much lower than that in the fixed bed, carbon deposition could still be detected in the fluidized bed if a CH₄ /O₂ ratio in greater than 2.3 was used.     

High-speed countercurrent chromatography for purification of single-walled carbon nanotubes

A new chromatographic purification of single-walled carbon nanotubes using high-speed countercurrent chromatography is reported. The purification was accomplished on the basis of experiment that dispersed the single-walled carbon nanotubes with sodium dodecyl sulfate, and the result mixture was separated using the two phase system composed of n-butanol/water = 1/1 （v/v）. The sizes of SWNTs separated were observed by scanning electron microscopy. The results demonstrated that the high-speed countercurrent chromatography possessed a good efficency for purification of single-walled carbon nanotubes.     

Single-walled carbon nanotubes for improved enantioseparations on a chiral ionic liquid stationary phase in GC

In order to investigate whether the use of single-walled carbon nanotubes can improve enantioseparations on an ionic liquid stationary phase, a chiral ionic liquid, (R)-N,N,N-trimethyl-2-aminobutanol-bis(trifluoromethanesulfon)imidate, was synthesized. Two capillary columns, one containing the chiral ionic liquid and the other containing the single-walled carbon nanotubes and the chiral ionic liquid, were then prepared for GC. The results of the separations achieved with these columns show that coating the chiral ionic liquid stationary phase onto the capillary column containing single-walled carbon nanotubes improves the enantioselectivety of the chiral ionic liquid. This work indicates that using single-walled carbon nanotubes in this manner enables the application range of such GC chiral separations to be extended.     

Optical properties of single-walled 4 A carbon nanotubes

Optical properties of a series of finite sized hydrogenated carbon nanotubes with the smallest diameter of 4 A are studied systematically. Their absorption spectra are calculated with the localized-density-matrix method. The semiempirical MNDO parametric method 3 (PM3) Hamiltonian is employed. The finite optical gaps are predicted for the infinite long single-walled carbon nanotubes. Strong anisotropy characteristics of the dynamic polarizabilities are found for these tubes. The calculated results are in good agreement with the recent experimental findings. Further the compositions of the dipole-induced excitations are examined by projecting the corresponding density matrices onto the Hartree-Fock molecular orbital representation. Unlike the larger diameter carbon nanotubes whose absorption spectra are insensitive to the tube chiralities, the absorption spectra of 4 A single-walled carbon nanotubes depend very much on their chiralities. The chirality of the single-walled 4 A carbon nanotubes synthesized in the channels of the porous zeolites is thus determined to be (5,0) by comparing the calculated and measured absorption spectra.     

Near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy-assisted purification of single-walled carbon nanotubes

Single-walled carbon nanotubes were produced by the conventional arc discharge method, and purified with a two-step treatment. First, the raw soot containing single-walled carbon nanotubes was burned up at ca. 350 °C in air to remove amorphous carbon, and then it was treated by strong acidic solvents to remove metal catalysts. Near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy was applied to analyze the defects on single-walled carbon nanotubes in whole purification process, so the experimental conditions can be optimized, and finally high-purity single-walled carbon nanotubes were obtained as revealed by various spectroscopic characterizations such as scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and Raman spectroscopy.     

Low-temperature growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes by water plasma chemical vapor deposition

Preferential growth of pure single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) over multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) was demonstrated at low temperature by water plasma chemical vapor deposition. Water plasma lowered the growth temperature down to 450 degrees C, and the grown nanotubes were single-walled without carbonaceous impurities and MWNTs. The preferential growth of pure SWNTs over MWNTs was proven with micro-Raman spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and electrical characterization of the grown nanotube networks.     

氧化钙对流化床煤温和气化半焦性质的影响

在Φ4 8× 5 2 5mm小型流化床反应器中 ,于 4 5 0～ 75 0℃温度区间内 ,研究了氧化钙对煤温和气化产物半焦特性的影响。报道了在煤温和气化过程中添加氧化钙对所得半焦的工业分析、元素组成及热值的影响。采用等温吸附法研究了氧化钙对半焦孔结构和比表面积的影响 ,并给予了合理的解释。     

Uniform directional alignment of single-walled carbon nanotubes in viscous polymer flow

In this work, we probed the effects of shear flow on the alignment of dispersed single-walled carbon nanotubes in polymer solutions. Two different systems were compared: Single-walled carbon nanotubes dispersed using an anionic surfactant and single-walled carbon nanotubes dispersed using an anionic surfactant and a weakly binding polymer. It was determined that the addition of the weakly binding polymer increased the degree of dispersion of the carbon nanotubes and the ability to induce their alignment when subjected to shear forces.