Development of efficient catalysts for production of synthetic fuels"

• Grant number: 12/15587-4
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): January 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): May 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Process Industries
• Principal researcher: Jose Mansur Assaf
• Grantee: Cristhiane Guimarães Maciel Reis
• Home Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 09/15984-0 - Bioenergy production from wastewaters and environmental fitting of liquid and solid wastes generated, AP.TEM

Abstract

The search for alternative energy sources that can replace oil is gaining prominence in the world energy scenary. In this regard, recent studies show that synthetic liquid fuels derived from syngas present themselves as potential candidates for partially or totally replace conventional fuels derived from petroleum. Furthermore, important environmental aspects may be contemplated when the synthesis gas is obtained from non-fossil methane, resulting from the anaerobic fermentation of biomass contained in domestic and industrial waste in the form of biogas. The transformation process of the synthesis gas to liquid compounds is called GTL (Gas to Liquid) and is carried out at moderate temperatures, high pressures and in the presence of a catalyst. It is proposed the study of two different catalytic systems characterized by nanometric dimensions, which will be evaluated by the Fischer-Tropsch process. The first system will consist of CoFe/ZrO2 catalysts with core-shell morphology. The second system will be composed by CoPt/FAU catalysts prepared from ion exchange in nanocrystalline faujasite zeolite. The choice of catalytic systems was performed by searching in literature sources which point the potential of these materials in reactions similar to the proposed one. Studies comprove that nanocrystalline solids have relevant features that improve its performance in several catalytic reactions. Furthermore, bimetallic type core-shell catalysts have great flexibility in the improvement of various catalytic properties when compared to monometallic catalysts. From the above, it is clear that the physico-chemical characteristics as well as the metal-support interactions, the particle size and reaction conditions are the main points to be approached for better understanding and improvement of the Fischer-Tropsch process and with this, we have the projection of a job with scientific, technological and environmental relevancies.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MACIEL, CRISTHIANE GUIMARAES; SILVA, TATIANA DE FREITAS; ASSAF, ELISABETE MOREIRA; ASSAF, JOSE MANSUR. Hydrogen production and purification from the water-gas shift reaction on CuO/CeO2-TiO2 catalysts. APPLIED ENERGY, v. 112, n. SI, p. 52-59, DEC 2013. Web of Science Citations: 21.