NETL Conducts Groundbreaking Research on Syngas-producing Nanocatalysts

Sittichai Natesakhawat (left), a post-doctoral researcher, and Christopher Matranga of NETL’s Office of Research and Development prepare an experiment that will use a specialized chemisorption analyzer to characterize the catalytic properties of a novel class of nanocatalysts. These experiments will collect information that will allow researchers to compare the astonishing reactivity of the nanocatalysts to more traditional catalysts like alumina supported platinum.

NETL researchers are making important contributions to the growing nanotechnology field.

Researchers in the Chemistry and Surface Science Division in the Office of Research and Development have completed a detailed study of a novel nanocatalyst with enhanced capabilities for producing syngas.

The NETL research focused on catalysts consisting of a barium hexa-aluminate support embedded with platinum nanoparticles, which range from 7 to 9 nanometers in diameter. A nanometer is a billionth of a meter and is a hundred thousand times smaller than the diameter of a human hair.

Previous work has shown that with 20 times less platinum, these nanocatalysts yield approximately 5 times as much syngas from the partial oxidation of methane as traditional alumina-supported catalysts.

The work is part of an ongoing collaboration with faculty in the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of Pittsburgh. Portions of the research were submitted for publication in the Journal of Physical Chemistry.

NETL Reports First Regenerable Warm Gas Temperature Carbon Dioxide Removal Sorbent

	Ranjani Siriwardane of the Separations and Fuels Processing Division in the Office of Research and Development has done extensive R&D on sorbents to remove carbon dioxide.

NETL researchers have reported the first regenerable sorbent that can remove carbon dioxide at warm gas temperatures for the coal gasification process. 

A patent application for this NETL developed sodium based sorbent process is under review in the U.S. Patent office. 

There are no regenerable carbon dioxide removal sorbents available for the gasification process at warm gas temperatures, from 200 to 400°C.  The commercially available processes require gas cooling, which contributes to a loss in thermal efficiency. The sorbent developed at NETL can be utilized without cooling the coal gas.

This sodium based sorbent shows very high carbon dioxide capture capacity and greater than 99% carbon dioxide removal efficiency at 315°C. The sorbent can be regenerated at 700°C.  

A 10-cycle test conducted at NETL showed that the capture capacity increased during the cyclic testing.

The sorbent is described in a peer reviewed paper, “Novel Regenerable Sodium Based Sorbents for CO₂ Capture at Warm Gas Temperatures,” that has been accepted for publication in Energy and Fuels journal.

NETL Upgrades Surface Analysis Instrument

	John Baltrus of the Chemistry and Surface Science Div. does an analysis using the upgraded spectrometer.

NETL has upgraded the X-ray photoelectron spectrometer in the Chemistry and Surface Science Division of the Office of Research and Development by installing a new computer and computer-control interface.

The instrument is used for studies of the chemical composition of material surfaces. NETL researchers use it to help understand the behavior of membranes used for hydrogen separation, sorbents for mercury capture, and sorbents for carbon dioxide capture and sequestration.

The upgrade included the installation of sophisticated data handling software that will improve both the amount and the quality of information that NETL researchers are able to extract from measurements made using the instrument.  The upgrade also will extend the useful lifetime of the instrument. 

	Steve Woodruff of the Energy System Dynamics Division runs an experiment with the new Nd:YAG laser.

NETL has enhanced the capabilities of its Laser Spectroscopy Laboratory through the recent acquisition of a more powerful Nd:YAG laser. 

Researchers in the Office of Research and Development intend to use the laser to generate a detailed data set of flame properties to support NETL’s combustion modeling efforts. ORD researchers have conducted experiments using methane and/or hydrogen as a fuel to explore the combustion properties of turbulent flames.