PROJECTS

FOOD WASTE TO ELECTRICITY FEASIBILITY STUDY

We are currently teaming up with Guillette and Co., a biogas producer in southeast New Mexico, to synthesize biogas from food waste collected from New Mexico Tech's cafeteria, then use the biogas to produce electricity for campus using chemical reactors used in junior design projects in the chemical engineering department at New Mexico Tech.

DRY REFORMING OF METHANE USING OXYGEN ION CONDUCTING SUPPORTS

We are synthesizing and characterizing catalysts for the dry reforming of methane.  Dry reforming is a process where carbon dioxide and methane are reacted in similar ratios to the composition of biogas.  In our work, we will determine the effects of oxygen ion conductivity in the support material on carbon formation that can deactivate the catalyst.

WOODY BIOMASS REDUCTIVE PYROLYSIS AND PLASTIC UPCYCLING

Our lab carries out reductive pyrolysis in order to produce bio-oils deficient in oxygen.  Using hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide atmospheres at temperatures between 600°C and 900°C, we are able to convert woody biomass and/or plastics including polyethylene terephthalate from water bottles and polystyrene to liquid fuels.  On a small scale, we are able to convert several grams per minute.

SCALEUP OF SHORT CONTACT TIME CATALYTIC PARTIAL OXIDATION (SCT-CPO)

Our group is currently experimenting with a SCT-CPO reactor that is 34 mm in diameter or double the typical 17 mm reactor.  In doing so, we can show that the relationship between linear velocity and gas hourly space velocity is complex due to the steep temperature gradient in the reactor.  Comparing the larger reactor to the smaller reactor with constant gas hourly space velocity and linear velocity, we have shown that the larger reactor achieves higher methane conversion than the smaller reactor.  We theorize that the increased conversion is due to a smaller external surface area to reactor volume of the larger reactor.

3-D PRINTED CERAMIC CATALYST SUPPORTS

We use 3-D printed ceramics as structured catalyst supports in short contact time catalytic partial oxidation reactions.  Working with Robocasting LLC, we have utilized structured supports made out from oxides of zinc and cerium which are not currently available as reticulated or straight channel monoliths.  

BIOGAS CONVERSION TO HYDROGEN

Biogas, a 50:50 mixture of methane and carbon dioxide, is converted to synthesis gas (H2 and CO) at millisecond contact times.  We have done so without noble metal catalysts and are currently designing a system to power a fuel cell.

LOW COKE CATALYST SUPPORTS

We synthesize ion conducting supports that lead to reduced carbon formation in reforming reactions.

PLASMA ASSISTED CATALYST SYNTHESIS        

Our lab uses non-thermal plasmas to modify ceramic catalysts supports in order to engineer the ceramic surface prior to the deposition of metal salts.  Our research has shown that non-thermal plasma modification changes the point of zero charge of the ceramic when added to water and that the plasma atmosphere affects how much the point of zero charge changes.   Further experiments showed that plasma gases may adsorb onto the surface and disturb the dissociation of water on the surface that causes surface charging.

AQUEOUS PHASE REFORMING

We have investigated different catalysts for the APR of ethanol and butanol.  The low temperature, high pressure process is ideal for high water gas shift activity to optimize hydrogen production.