STTR Phase I: An Innovative Spray Pyrolysis Process for Producing Pyrochlore Catalysts

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is the development of a continuous and low-cost spray-pyrolysis process for making mixed metal oxide (MMO) materials that can be used in the petroleum and chemicals synthesis, precursors for solar panels, electrode materials, fuel cells, oxygen selective membranes, and chemical sensors. Of particular interest are crystalline pyrochlore mixed metal oxides for catalyzing chemical reactions because they offer atomic dispersion of the catalytic metals and the ability to influence activity and selectivity through the control of the elemental composition. As catalysts, crystalline MMOs offer unparalleled thermal stability, resistance to poisons and lifetimes that exceed conventional supported metals. The problem has been that MMOs require a time-consuming and costly batch process for producing crystalline materials and this has limited their use to mainly niche applications. In contrast, the spray pyrolysis process uses similar solution chemistry but creates very small droplet size and high temperatures to rapidly form the crystalline materials. While the process has been applied to pure oxides, this represents the first application to MMOs. The development of a continuous and low cost process can finally unlock the potential of MMOs for new and existing applications. This Small Business Innovation Research Phase 1 project focuses specifically on identifying the process parameters of a continuous spray pyrolysis process that control MMO particle size, crystallinity, surface morphology, surface area and catalytic activity for certain chemical reactions. The process parameters of interest include temperature, multiple reaction zones, droplet size, flow patterns, droplet residence time and metal solution concentrations. For this project, the spray pyrolysis process will target the production of crystalline pyrochlore materials used as catalysts in the partial oxidation and reforming of hydrocarbons. These materials (synthesized in batch mode) have demonstrated superior performance for steam reforming, CO2 reforming and partial oxidation reactions important in syngas and hydrogen production, so there is an excellent baseline for comparison of performance. The project, led by Pyrochem Catalyst Company (New Brighton, PA) brings together expertise from the National Energy and Technology Labs (the original inventors of the catalyst), the University of West Virginia and the University of Louisville. Collectively, the team?s objective is to create a clear understanding of the physical and chemical attributes of the spray pyrolysis process so that it can be scaled to demonstration and ultimately commercial capacities.