Miron V.Landau
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
Title: Development of novel catalytic materials for production of renewable transportation fuels from carbon dioxide
Biography
Biography: Miron V.Landau
Abstract
Carbon dioxide hydrogenation (CDH) is a viable catalytic process that converts the greenhouse gas and hydrogen potentially produced from water into eco-friendly renewable chemicals and fuels. Production of hydrocarbons from CO2 requires a polyfunctional iron-based catalyst enabling a tandem reaction where reverse water gas shift (RWGS) producing CO is followed by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS). The most efficient combination of these catalytic functions is achieved when the working catalytic material is produced by reductive carburization of a Fe-oxide matrix: Crystalline multimetal compounds-precursors where iron ions are uniformly distributed in the crystals bulk. This yields after activation and self-oprganization at process conditions a two(multi)-phase system where residual oxide phase(s) is responsible for catalysis of RWGS and Fe-carbide phase(s) – for FTS. Systematic study of a series of Fe-oxide matrices revealed that most efficient catalytic materials may be obtained from Fe-Al-O spinel and Fe-Ba-Hexaaluminate precursors yielding nanocomposites with higly balanced RWGS/FTS functioins. These matrices should be promoted with additives like K, Zr, Mn, Ti which action is critical for achieving high selectivity to C5+ hydrocarbons. Recently in the Blechner Center at BGU was developed a CDH process conducted on a novel Fe-Al spinel catalyst in three packed-bed reactors in series with interim removal of water and higher hydrocarbons. The CO2 conversion reached 89% and the C5+ productivity was >0.5 g/g cat*h. This novel catalyst and process were tested for >1500 h demonstrating high catalysts stability. The C5+ liquid produced in this process was used as a feedstock for preparation of high quality blending stock for transportation fuels.