Characterization and development of a Ni-based catalysts for the conversion of methane into H2 and solid carbon
EMSL Project ID
60653
Abstract
The overall objective of this study is to further develop PNNL’s Regenerable Catalytic Pyrolysis (ReCaP) process to generate scaled CO2-free hydrogen (H2) from methane. The solid carbon is selectively formed as multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) and carbon fiber (CF) instead of amorphous carbon. We have demonstrated efficient catalytic processing at the bench scale. In FY23 we aim to scale up the processing by 10X using a fluidized bed reactor. Here, we aim to improve durability of the catalyst while still producing a valuable MWCNT byproduct. Additionally, we will understand how reactor scaling affects the properties of the produced MWCT. We aim to do this by addressing the following two areas. First, we will perform advanced environmental transmission electron microscope (ETEM) studies to gain fundamental understanding of the catalytic structure and active site that enables stable H2 and CNT/CF generation. Specifically, analysis will be used to understand i) correlations between active site morphology and CNT/CF selectivity and ii) CNT and CF growth mechanism. Second, characterization results will be used to understand the reaction mechanism and identify new catalyst formulations. Increasing CNT selectivity and improving catalytic durability are also two catalyst design objectives in FY23. Optimizing composition, particle size, and metal loading are key design variables. Project Details
Start Date
2022-11-21
End Date
2023-10-01
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
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