Towards decarbonization of critical technologies using renewable energy

许多现有的和新兴的化学技术都是基于涉及甲烷、乙烷和二氧化碳等具有强键的分子的反应。这些反应需要实用的催化剂、高温和大量的能量输入，而目前这些能量输入是由天然气燃烧提供的。例如，在用于大规模合成气和氢气生产的甲烷蒸汽重整过程中，排放的二氧化碳中约有一半来自天然气燃烧，以向反应器提供热量。这项探索基金的愿景是，通过使用可再生电力的感应加热，直接向发生反应的催化剂提供热量，从而消除反应堆加热所需的天然气燃烧。磁敏性催化剂的感应加热将导致反应现场的高温，而不会加热整个反应堆。为此目的使用可再生电力可以减少目前与工艺有关的二氧化碳排放量的一半。虽然感应加热已经在不同的行业中得到了成功的实践，但对于催化应用，只有当催化剂具有特定的磁性属性时，才能实现感应加热，如居里温度(铁磁性材料成为顺磁性材料的点)。催化剂的居里温度必须至少与工作温度一样高。例如，目前用作甲烷水蒸气重整活性催化剂组分的镍的居里温度为354摄氏度，而反应温度必须在700-1000摄氏度左右，因此不能在感应加热而不是传统加热的情况下使用。然而，钴和铁(居里点分别为1115摄氏度和770摄氏度)可以在催化剂配方中与活性镍并置时提供所需的温度。居里温度受金属比和催化剂结构的影响。为了能够在催化反应器技术中使用感应加热，必须开发一种全新的温度选择性铁磁催化剂。催化剂的开发是拟议项目的短期目标。将合成不同的钴镍和铁镍催化剂，并在二氧化碳氧化甲烷重整制合成气和氢气以及二氧化碳辅助乙烷脱氢制取急需的乙烯中进行实验评估；将使用感应加热。该项目的影响包括减少温室气体排放，过渡到使用可再生能源而不是化石燃料来供暖化学反应堆，提高化学工业的安全性，以及分散生产氢气的潜力。学生和其他高素质人员将接受化学反应工程、催化、感应加热和新兴技术中可再生能源的使用方面的培训。

A plethora of existing and emerging chemical technologies are based on reactions involving molecules with strong bonds, such as methane, ethane, and CO2. These reactions require catalysts for practical rates, high temperatures, and a significant energy input, which is currently provided by natural gas combustion. For example, in methane steam reforming for large-scale syngas and hydrogen production, approximately half of the emitted CO2 originates from the natural gas combustion to supply the heat to the reactor. This Discovery Grant has the vision to eliminate the need for natural gas combustion for reactor heating by directly supplying the heat to the catalysts, where the reaction occurs, via induction heating using renewable electricity. Induction heating of magnetically susceptible catalysts will result in high temperatures at the reaction site without heating the entire reactor. The use of renewable electricity for this purpose may reduce up to half of the current process-related CO2 emissions. Although induction heating has been successfully practiced in different industries, for catalytic applications, it can only be enabled if the catalyst possesses specific magnetic properties, such as the Curie temperature (the point at which ferromagnetic material becomes the paramagnetic one). The catalysts must have a Curie temperature that is at least as high as the operating temperature. For example, nickel, which is used currently as methane steam reforming active catalyst component, has a Curie temperature of 354 degrees Celsius, while the reaction temperature must be around 700 - 1,000 degrees, so it cannot be used when induction heating is applied instead of conventional heating. However, cobalt and iron (Curie point of 1,115 and 770 degrees Celsius, respectively) can provide the required temperatures when collocated with the active nickel in catalyst formulations. The Curie temperature is influenced by the metal ratio and the catalyst structure. To enable the use of induction heating in catalytic reactor technologies, an entirely new class of temperature-selective ferromagnetic catalysts must be developed. The catalyst development is the short-term objective of the proposed project. Different cobalt-nickel and iron-nickel catalysts will be synthesized and experimentally assessed in oxidative methane reforming with CO2 for syngas and hydrogen production and CO2-assisted ethane dehydrogenation to much-needed ethylene; the induction heating will be used. The project's impact includes reducing greenhouse gas emissions, a transition to the use of renewable energy instead of fossil fuels for chemical reactor heating, increased safety of chemical industries, and potential for decentralized hydrogen production. Students and other highly qualified personnel will be trained in chemical reaction engineering, catalysis, induction heating, and the use of renewable energy for emerging technologies.