Synthesis and characterization of nanocatalysts for CO hydrogenation, kinetics and modeling

• Grant number: 22/05469-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: December 01, 2022
• End date: August 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Technology
• Principal Investigator: Reinaldo Giudici
• Grantee: Thaieny Zucolotto
• Host Institution: Escola Politécnica (EP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Company: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Politécnica (EP)
• Associated research grant: 20/15230-5 - Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Innovation - RCG2I, AP.PCPE
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/00852-1 - Characterization of nanocatalysts for CO hydrogenation and kinetics, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

The incessant and majority use of fossil fuels since their discovery has generated undeniable consequences for the environment, especially with the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere, at the same time that it has shaped human lifestyle. The aviation sector has grown and impacted social and commercial relationships and stood out in war situations. In view of this context, an improvement in the efficiency of the processes for obtaining hydrocarbon-based fuels, capable of supplying the air fleet, has been increasingly demanded. In another sense, the search for alternatives to the excess CO2 produced, and often discarded into the atmosphere, still continues. A solution that seeks to encompass both issues is addressed by the international project 4AirCRAFT, through which scientists from 7 countries can contribute knowledge and scientific material. The alternative created was the production of hydrocarbons through the transformation of CO2 in a multi-catalytic process, one of the steps being marked by the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS). The problem to be solved is to develop a cheap, efficient and industrially viable catalyst for this transformation, while avoiding its deterioration and deactivation. Therefore, it is suggested the study of active metals supported on SBA-15, since viable characteristics for the application of the metals and the support, individually, are noted, but whose synergy in a single species has not yet been reported in the literature. Not only the catalysts will be synthesized, but also their structure and morphology will be characterized. In addition, the Fischer-Tropsch reaction will be replicated in the laboratory, estimating the kinetic parameters and performing the computational modeling of the reactor used.