Screening heterogeneous catalysts for the pyrolysis of lignin

The pyrolytic conversion of pure lignin at 600 °C in flowing helium over five catalysts is described and compared to the control bed material, sand. Product distribution as char, liquid, and gas are described as well as the composition of the liquid and gas fractions. The catalysts examined were HZSM-5, KZSM-5, Al-MCM-41, solid phosphoric acid, and a hydrotreating catalyst, (Co/Mo/Al₂O₃). The sand yielded a liquid phase that was 97% oxygenated aromatics and a gas phase that was CO (18 vol%), CO₂ (16 vol%), and CH₄ (12 vol%). HZSM-5 was the best catalyst for producing a deoxygenated liquid fraction yielded almost equal amounts of simple aromatics (46.7%) and naphthalenic ring compounds (46.2%). The gas phase over this catalyst consisted of CO (22 vol%), CO₂ (14 vol%), H₂ (12 vol%), and CH₄ (10 vol%). The Co/Mo/Al₂O₃ hydrotreating catalyst yielded a liquid consisting of 21% aromatics, 4% naphthalenics, and 75% oxygenated aromatics and a gas phase that was rich in hydrogen: H₂ (18 vol%), CO₂ (16 vol%), CO (12 vol%), and CH₄ (8 vol%).     

Statu quo sur la méthanation du dioxyde de carbone : une revue de la littérature

This review summarizes the statu quo and the perspectives of chemical methanation. CO₂ methanation, including catalyst deactivation, reactors, mechanisms, and thermodynamics are presented. This reaction serves as a test bed for our fundamental understanding of heterogeneous catalysis and is used in various industrial processes, including the removal of oxo-compounds (CO_x) in the feed gas for the ammonia synthesis, in connection with the gasification of coal, where it can be used to produce methane from synthesis gas, and in relation to Fischer–Tropsch's synthesis. Moreover, CO₂ methanation became of interest as a renewable energy storage system based on a “power-to-gas” conversion process by SNG (synthetic natural gas) production integrating water electrolysis and CO₂ methanation as a highly effective way to store the energy produced by renewables sources. The effectiveness and efficiency of the “power-to-gas” plants strongly depends on the CO₂-methanation process.     

Electrochemical behavior of CO2 reduction on palladium nanoparticles: Dependence of adsorbed CO on electrode potential

The electrochemical reduction of CO₂ is strongly influenced by both the applied potential and the surface adsorption status of the catalyst. In this work a gas diffusion electrode (GDE) coated with Pd nanoparticles/carbon black (Pd/XC72) was used to study the electrochemical reduction of CO₂. Cyclic voltammetric (CV) analysis of Pd/XC72 between 1.5 V and − 0.6 V (vs. RHE) shows the formation of intermediates and the blocking of hydrogen absorption on the Pd nanoparticles (NPs) under a CO₂ atmosphere. The relationships between the Faradaic efficiency/current density and the applied potential reveal that the onset potential of CO formation is around − 0.4 V. Moreover, the presence of adsorbed CO was confirmed through CV analysis of Pd/XC72 under CO₂ and CO/He atmospheres. This demonstrates that H atoms and CO intermediates co-adsorb on the surface of the Pd NPs at an applied potential of around − 0.4 V. When the applied potential is more negative than − 0.6 V, adsorption of CO intermediates on the surface of the Pd NPs becomes dominant.     

Syngas Production from Lignite Coal Using K2CO3 Catalytic Steam Gasification with Controlled Heating Rate in Pyrolysis Step

Gasification uses steam increases H2 content in the syngas. Kinetics of gasification process can be improved by using K₂CO₃ catalyst. Controlled heating rate in pyrolysis step determines the pore size of charcoal that affects yield gas and H₂ and CO content in the syngas. In previous research, pyrolisis step was performed without considering heating rate in pyrolysis step. This experiment was performed by catalytic steam gasification using lignite char from pyrolysis with controlled heating rate intended to produce maximum yield of syngas with mole ratio of H₂/CO ≈ 2. Slow heating rate (3 °C/min) until 850 °C in the pyrolysis step has resulted in largest surface area of char. This study was performed by feeding Indonesian lignite char particles and K₂CO₃ catalyst into a fixed bed reactor with variation of steam/char mole ratio (2.2; 2.9; 4.0) and gasification temperature (750 °C, 825 °C, and 900 °C). Highest ratio of H₂/CO (1.682) was obtained at 750 °C and steam/char ratio 2.2. Largest gas yield obtained from this study was 0.504 mol/g of char at 900 °C and steam/char ratio 2.9. Optimum condition for syngas production was at 750 °C and steam/char mole ratio 2.2 with gas yield 0.353 mol/g of char and H₂/CO ratio 1.682.     

In situ FT-IR and TPD-MS study of carbon monoxide oxidation over a CeO2/Co3O4 catalyst

The forming of surface species during the adsorption of carbon monoxide (CO) and CO/O₂ on a CeO₂/Co₃O₄ catalyst was investigated by in situ Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and temperature programmed desorption-mass spectroscopy (TPD-MS). When CO was adsorbed on the CeO₂/Co₃O₄ catalyst, two types of surface species were distinguishable at room temperature: carbonate and bicarbonate. Surface carbonate was adsorbed on the cerium and cobalt, while the surface bicarbonate absorbed on the CeO₂/Co₃O₄ catalyst at 1611, 1391, 1216 and 830 cm⁻¹. Furthermore, the TPD-MS profiles revealed that the CeO₂/Co₃O₄ catalyst showed a greater amount of CO₂ than CO at 373 K. The CO desorption from the CeO₂/Co₃O₄ catalyst with increasing temperature showed that the order of thermal stability was surface bicarbonate < surface carbonate < interface carbonate species. Interestingly, the residual carbonate species could remain on the interface up to 473 K. The results revealed that surface bicarbonate could promote the conversion of CO into CO₂ for CO oxidation below 50 K.     

Enhanced effect of plasma on catalytic reduction of CO_2 to CO with hydrogen over Au/CeO_2 at low temperature

In terms of the reaction of CO_2 reduction to CO with hydrogen, CO_2 conversion is very low at low temperature due to the limitation of thermodynamic equilibrium(TE). To overcome this limitation, plasma catalytic reduction of CO_2 to CO in a catalyst-filled dielectric barrier discharge(DBD) reactor is studied. An enhanced effect of plasma on the reaction over Au/CeO_2 catalysts is observed. For both the conventionally catalytic(CC) and plasma catalytic(PC, Pin= 15 W) reactions under conditions of 400 °C, H_2/CO_2= 1,200 SCCM, GHSV = 12,000 mL·g~(-1)cat·h~(-1), CO_2 conversions over Au/CeO_2 reach 15.4% and 25.5% due to the presence of Au, respectively, however, those over CeO_2 are extremely low and negligible. Moreover,CO_2 conversion over Au/CeO_2 in the PC reaction exceeds 22.4% of the TE conversion. Surface intermediate species formed on the catalyst samples during the reactions are determined by in-situ temperatureprogrammed decomposition(TPD) technique. Interestingly, it disclosed that in the PC reaction, the formation of formate intermediate is enhanced by plasma, and the acceleration by plasma in the decomposition of formate species is much greater than that in the formation of formate species on Au/CeO_2. Enhancement factor is introduced to quantify the enhanced effect of plasma. Lower reactor temperature, higher gas hourly space velocity(GHSV), and lower molar ratio of H_2/CO_2 would be associated with larger enhancement factor.     

Products distribution and gas release in pyrolysis of thermally thick biomass residues samples

The pyrolysis of thermally thick (approximately 75 g) biomass residues samples (i.e. brewer spent grains, fibreboard and coffee beans waste) has been investigated in an in-house designed and fabricated macro-TGA both by rapid sample introduction at reactor temperatures from 600 to 900 °C and by applying a constant heating rate of 10 K/min. The composition of the product gas is determined by simultaneous online use of a micro-GC and a FTIR analyser. The product yields (liquid, char and gas) and the gas composition show a clear dependence on temperature and heating rate. The main gas products are CO₂, CO, CH₄, H₂, C₂H₂, C₂H₆ and C₂H₄. The results show that a rise in temperature leads to increasing gas yields and decreasing liquid and char yields. Lower heating rates favour liquid and char yields. The release patterns of the gaseous species are also greatly affected by the temperature history of the sample.     

Effect of manganese-based pigment catalyst on CO removal during biomass pyrolysis

A commercially available black pigment was evaluated for its potential as a CO oxidation catalyst during the pyrolysis of biomass. Characterization by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that the pigment consisted of a mixed oxide system (Cu_1.5Mn_1.5O₄–Mn₃O₄–Fe₂O₃) with an average particle size of 30–300 nm. The as received pigment catalyst was able to completely oxidize CO to CO₂ in a 4% CO–21% O₂–He gas mixture. In this study, the effect of catalyst on CO removal was evaluated during the pyrolysis of tobacco in inert and oxidizing conditions. The experiments were carried out in a flow tube reactor, which was connected to a multi-channel gas analyzer capable of measuring CO, CO₂ and O₂ concentrations. The catalyst was able to decrease the amount of CO production by 56% during the pyrolysis of biomass (tobacco) in the presence of oxygen (21% O₂–He). Oxidation of the biomass/catalyst mixture started at a lower temperature of 260 °C as opposed to a higher temperature of 300 °C in the absence of catalyst. Experiments in thermo gravimetric analyzer and differential scanning calorimeter (TG/DSC) mass spectrometer showed evidence of two-stage oxygen consumption during the pyrolysis of biomass/catalyst mixture while pure biomass pyrolized in single-stage oxygen consumption. Based on the experimental findings, a mechanism of reaction is proposed. The results show that the manganese-based mixed oxide pigment is a promising CO oxidation catalyst for biomass pyrolysis.     

High pressure measurement and CPA equation of state for solubility of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate

Removal of acid gases such as CO₂ and H₂S from natural gas is essential for commercial, safety and environmental protection that demonstrate the importance of gas sweetening process. Ionic liquids (IL) have been highly demanded as a green solvent to remove acid gases from sour natural gas and capturing of CO₂ from flue gases. In this work, the solubility of CO₂ in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([bmim][Ac]) is measured at temperatures (303.15, 328.15, 343.15) K and pressure range of (0.1 to 3.9) MPa. Moreover, the experiments are carried out for simultaneous measurements of (CO₂ + H₂S) (70% + 30% on a mole basis) solubility in the same ionic liquid at T = (303.15, 323.15, 343.15) K and a pressure range of (0.1 to 2.2) MPa. To model the solubility of acid gases in IL, both physical and chemical equilibria are applied so that the (vapour + liquid) equilibrium calculation is carried out through Cubic-Plus-Association (CPA) EoS. The reaction equilibrium thermodynamic model is used in liquid phase so that the chemical reaction is taking place between IL and acid gasses. The Henry’s and reaction equilibrium constants are obtained though optimization of the solubility data. Using CPA EOS, the pure parameters of [bmim][acetate] are optimised and consequently using these parameters, gas partial pressure calculation is performed for the (CO₂ + IL) and (CO₂ + H₂S + IL) systems. For the (CO₂ + IL) system, the percent average absolute deviation (AAD%) of 4.83 is resulted and for the (H₂S + CO₂ + IL) system the values of 18.8 and 13.7 are obtained for H₂S and CO₂, respectively.     

Solubility of hydrogen in toluene for the ternary system H2 + CO2 + toluene from 305 to 343 K and 1.2 to 10.5 MPa

The solubility of hydrogen in toluene in the presence of the compressed CO₂ at the temperatures from 305 to 343 K and the pressures from 1.2 to 10.5 MPa was measured by using a continuous flow technique. The obtained data indicate that more hydrogen could be dissolved in toluene at the pressures higher than a certain value depending on temperature and the molar ratio of H₂ to CO₂ in gas. The Peng–Robinson equation of state associated with the van der Waals mixing rule were found to correlate the VLE data of the ternary system H₂ + CO₂ + toluene satisfactorily. From the volume expansion resulted from the dissolution of CO₂ in toluene calculated by the proposed model, it was found that hydrogen solubility was generally increased with increasing volume expansion. A large volume expansion was required to enhance hydrogen solubility when the mole fraction of hydrogen in gas was low.     

Gas solubility of CO2 in aqueous solutions of N-methyldiethanolamine and diethanolamine with 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol

Gas solubility of carbon dioxide in an aqueous solution of 32.5 wt.% N-methyldiethanolamine and 12.5 wt.% diethanolamine with 4, 6, and 10 wt.% 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol has been measured, at 313.15, 343.15, and 393.15 K, over a range of pressure from 3 to 2000 kPa, using a chromatographic method for analysis of the liquid phase. The results of the gas solubility are given as the partial pressure of CO₂ against its mole ratio α (mol CO₂/mol alkanolamine) and its mole fraction at each temperature studied. The solubility of CO₂ in all the systems studied decreases with an increase in temperature and increases with an increase in the partial pressure of CO₂ at a given temperature and it is a function of the concentration of the mixture of alkanolamines in solution. The enthalpy of solution of CO₂ has been calculated from the experimental solubility data.     

Gas separation in nanoporous membranes formed by etching ion irradiated polymer foils

Polymer membranes with pores with radii in the range of several 10–100 nm were formed by irradiating polyimide foil with highly energetic heavy ions and etching the latent ion tracks with hypochlorite. The aerial density of the pores could be chosen up to an upper limit of 10⁸ pores cm^?2, at which too many pores start to overlap. The straight cylindrical pores were tested for their gas permeation and gas separation performance. With a gas mixture of CO and CO₂ as model system, gas chromatographic measurements showed that CO penetrates faster through the membrane than CO₂, leading to gas separation. This is possible because the mean free path of the molecules is in the order of the pore radius, which is in the transition flow region close to molecular flow conditions.     

Diesel soot oxidation by nitrogen dioxide,oxygen and water under engine exhaust conditions: Kinetics data related to the reaction mechanism

Experimental studies on diesel soot oxidation under a wide range of conditions relevant for modern diesel engine exhaust and continuously regenerating particle trap were performed. Hence, reactivity tests were carried out in a fixed bed reactor for various temperatures and different concentrations of oxygen, NO₂ and water (300–600 °C, 0–10% O₂, 0–600 ppm NO₂, 0–10% H₂O). The soot oxidation rate was determined by measuring the concentration of CO and CO₂ product gases. The parametric study shows that the overall oxidation process can be described by three parallel reactions: a direct C–NO₂ reaction, a direct C–O₂ reaction and a cooperative C–NO₂–O₂ reaction. C–NO₂ and C–NO₂–O₂ are the main reactions for soot oxidation between 300 and 450 °C. Water vapour acts as a catalyst on the direct C–NO₂ reaction. This catalytic effect decreases with the increase of temperature until 450 °C. Above 450 °C, the direct C–O₂ reaction contributes to the global soot oxidation rate. Water vapour has also a catalytic effect on the direct C–O₂ reaction between 450 °C and 600 °C. Above 600 °C, the direct C–O₂ reaction is the only main reaction for soot oxidation. Taking into account the established reaction mechanism, a one-dimensional model of soot oxidation was proposed. The roles of NO₂, O₂ and H₂O were considered and the kinetic constants were obtained. The suggested kinetic model may be useful for simulating the behaviour of a diesel particulate filter system during the regeneration process.     

Recovering methane from quartz sand-bearing hydrate with gaseous CO_2

The replacement method by CO_2 is regarded as a new approach to natural gas hydrate(NGH) exploitation method, by which methane production and carbon dioxide sequestration might be obtained simultaneously. In this study, CO_2 was used to recover CH_4 from hydrate reservoirs at different temperatures and pressures. During the CO_2–CH_4 recovery process, the pressure was selected from 2.1 to 3.4 MPa, and the temperature ranged from 274.2 to 281.2 K. Calculating the fugacity differences between the gas phase and the hydrate phase for CO_2 and CH_4 at different conditions, it has found rising pressure was positive for hydrates formation process that was helpful for the improvement of CH_4 recovery rate. Rising temperature promoted the trend of CH_4 hydrate decomposition for the whole process of CO_2–CH_4replacement.The highest recovery rate was 46.6 % at 3.4 MPa 281.2 K for CO_2–CH_4replacement reaction in this work.     

Electrochemical CO2 reduction with power generation in SOFCs with Cu-added LSCF–GDC cathode

Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) unit was constructed with Ni–GDC (gadolinia-doped ceria) as the anode, YSZ as the electrolyte, and Cu-added La_0.58Sr_0.4Co_0.2Fe_0.8O_3–δ–GDC as the cathode. Electrochemical CO₂ reduction occurs. The CO formation rate, the CO₂ conversion and the generated current density increase with increasing CO₂ concentration and temperature. The CO₂ conversion rate equals exactly the CO formation rate. No carbon deposition occurs. The activation energy is 2.72 kcal mol^?1. The electrochemical CO₂ reduction (dissociation) can have much lower activation barrier than the catalytic one. Simultaneous CO₂ reduction with power generation in SOFCs can be feasible.     

Characterization of the different fractions obtained from the pyrolysis of rope industry waste

A study of the possibilities of pyrolysis for recovering wastes of the rope's industry has been carried out. The pyrolysis of this lignocellulosic residue started at 250 °C, with the main region of decomposition occurring at temperatures between 300 and 350 °C. As the reaction temperature increased, the yields of pyrolyzed gas and oil increased, yielding 22 wt.% of a carbonaceous residue, 50 wt.% tars and a gas fraction at 800 °C. The chemical composition and textural characterization of the chars obtained at various temperatures confirmed that even if most decomposition occurs at 400 °C, there are some pyrolytic reactions still going on above 550 °C. The different pyrolysis fractions were analyzed by GC–MS; the produced oil was rich in hydrocarbons and alcohols. On the other hand, the gas fraction is mainly composed of CO₂, CO and CH₄. Finally, the carbonaceous solid residue (char) displayed porous features, with a more developed porous structure as the pyrolysis temperature increased.     

Utilization of Low-grade Iron Ore in Ammonia Decomposition

Due to its cleanliness, fast energy cycle, and convenience of energy conversion, hydrogen has been regarded as the new energy source. Conventional process to produce hydrogen yield large amount of CO as byproduct. Moreover, the hydrogen storage and transportation have become the drawbacks in hydrogen economy. Thus, there has been increased interest in the hydrogen transportation medium as alternatives from the conventional process to produce and transport hydrogen. Ammonia has drawn worldwide attention as the most reliable hydrogen transportation medium. Through the decomposition of ammonia, hydrogen and nitrogen gas were produces as the byproduct without any CO or CO₂ emission. In this experiment, the ore were introduced as the medium for ammonia decomposition. The ore were put into quartz tube reactor and were dehydrated at 400 °C for 1 hour, then hydrogen reduced for 2 hours before and undergone ammonia decomposition at 500-700 °C for 3 hours. The effects of temperature to the % conversion of ammonia decomposition were also studied. Ammonia decomposition at higher temperature gives higher conversion. As seen in the results, the NH₃ conversion decreased with increasing time and the value after 3 hours of reaction increased in the sequence of 500 °C<600 °C< 700 °C. During ammonia decomposition, nitriding of iron occurred. The relation between temperature and the nitriding potential, K_N is also investigated. The purpose of this study is to investigate the utilization of low-grade ore as medium for ammonia decomposition to produce hydrogen.     

The precise measurement of the (vapour + liquid) equilibrium properties for (CO2 + isobutane) binary mixtures

Recently, it has been suggested that natural working fluids, such as CO₂, hydrocarbons, and their mixtures, could provide a long-term alternative to fluorocarbon refrigerants. (Vapour + liquid) equilibrium (VLE) data for these fluids are essential for the development of equations of state, and for industrial process such as separation and refinement. However, there are large inconsistencies among the available literature data for (CO₂ + isobutane) binary mixtures, and therefore provision of reliable and new measurements with expanded uncertainties is required. In this study, we determined precise VLE data using a new re-circulating type apparatus, which was mainly designed by Akico Co., Japan. An equilibrium cell with an inner volume of about 380 cm³ and two optical windows was used to observe the phase behaviour. The cell had re-circulating loops and expansion loops that were immersed in a thermostatted liquid bath and air bath, respectively. After establishment of a steady state in these loops, the compositions of the samples were measured by a gas chromatograph (GL Science, GC-3200). The VLE data were measured for CO₂/propane and CO₂/isobutane binary mixtures within the temperature range from 300 K to 330 K and at pressures up to 7 MPa. These data were compared with the available literature data and with values predicted by thermodynamic property models.     

Natural gas permeation in polyimide membranes

Polyimide membranes derived from 6FDA-DAM:DABA and 6FDA-6FpDA:DABA copolymers have been used to separate 50/50 CO₂/CH₄ mixtures and multicomponent synthetic natural gas mixtures at 35 °C and feed pressures up to 55 atm. For 6FDA-DAM:DABA 2:1 membranes the effects of thermal annealing and covalent crosslinking are decoupled with respect to effects on permeabilities and selectivity. Crosslinking at 295 °C with 1,4-butylene glycol and 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol increases CO₂ permeabilities by factors of 4.1 and 2.4, respectively, at 20 atm feed pressure, without a loss in selectivity, relative to crosslinking at 220 °C. Thermal annealing and crosslinking also reduce CO₂ plasticization effects. Crosslinking of DABA-containing copolymers, therefore, can produce membranes with tunable transport properties that offer significantly higher performance with better plasticization-resistance than that reported in the literature for the commercial polymers Matrimid^® and cellulose acetate for CO₂ removal from natural gas mixtures. Separation of complex mixtures containing CO₂, CH₄, C₂H₆, C₃H₈, and C₄H₁₀ or toluene results in a significant decrease of the CO₂ permeability, but only a moderate decrease in the CO₂/CH₄ selectivity.     

Phase equilibrium for ozone-containing hydrates formed from an (ozone + oxygen) gas mixture coexisting with gaseous carbon dioxide and liquid water

The paper reports the three-phase (gas + aqueous liquid + hydrate) equilibrium pressure (p) versus temperature (T) data for a (O₃ + O₂ + CO₂ + H₂O) system and, for comparison, corresponding data for a (O₂ + CO₂ + H₂O) system for the first time. These data cover the temperature range from (272 to 279) K, corresponding to pressures up to 4 MPa, for each of the three different (O₃ + O₂)-to-CO₂ or O₂-to-CO₂ mole ratios in the gas phase, which are approximately 1:9, 2:8, and 3:7, respectively. The mole fraction of ozone in the gas phase of the (O₃ + O₂ + CO₂ + H₂O) system was from ∼0.004 to ∼0.02. The modified pressure-search method, developed in our previous study [S. Muromachi, T. Nakajima, R. Ohmura, Y.H. Mori, Fluid Phase Equilib. 305 (2011) 145–151] for p–T measurements in the presence of chemically unstable ozone, was applied, having been further modified for dealing with highly water-soluble CO₂, for the (O₃ + O₂ + CO₂ + H₂O) system, while the conventional temperature-search method was used for the (O₂ + CO₂ + H₂O) system. The measurement uncertainties (with 95% coverage) were ±0.11 K for T, ±6.0 kPa for p, and ±0.0015 for the mole fraction of each species in the gas phase. It was confirmed that, at a given CO₂ fraction in the gas phase, p for the (O₃ + O₂ + CO₂ + H₂O) system was consistently lower than that for the (O₂ + CO₂ + H₂O) system over the entire T range of the present measurements, indicating a preference of O₃ to O₂ in the uptake of guest-gas molecules into the cages of a structure I hydrate.