SCOPE
Use of hydrogen as a raw material
Maturity Level
TRL 3-4
Development Level
Prototype
Protection Level
Under study
Catalytic transformation of 5-HMF in the presence of hydrogen to obtain biofuel additives
Entity:
This technology explores the conversion of CO2 to methane, methanol and synthetic fuels using a selective catalytic hydrogenation process. Hydrogen can be obtained from biomass with a combination of catalytic, photocatalytic and biological processes, taking advantage of all the fractions contained in a lignocellulosic material.
Catalytic hydrogenation of CO2 currently represents the most promising technology for its conversion into high value-added products (e.g. methane, methanol) by catalysis. Most of the existing CO2 to ethanol catalytic processes have a low selectivity on ethanol (65%) with a significant presence of by-products in the effluent (methanol, higher alcohols, organic acids, etc.) and, to obtain better results, unrealistic batch systems must be used.
Challenges met
Development of new multifunctional catalysts featuring:
- high selectivity to methanol/ethanol (95%)
- high stability (> 100 h in current) allow the production of by-products to be minimised.
CO2 hydrogenation using gas-phase fixed-bed reactors on CH4 to produce a fuel gas that meets the criteria of a substitute natural gas (SNG).
Scope of application
- Agricultural sector
- Biomass waste sector
- If you had a good time, you had a good time.
Main publications
- Contreras, S.; Medina, F.; et. al., 2021: Photocatalytic hydrogen production from watermethanol and -glycerol mixtures using Pd/TiO2(-WO3) catalysts and validation in a solar pilot plant. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 46(73): 36152-36166. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2021.08.141
- Constantí, M.; Contreras, S.; Medina, F.; et. al., 2021: Microwave-assisted condensation of biobased hydroxymethylfurfural and acetone over recyclable hydrotalcite-related materials. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 282: 119599. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2020.119599
Related projects
- H2_BIOCAPABLE: H2 production from biomass by combination of catalytic, photocatalytic & biological processes
- FUELPHORIA: Accelerating the sustainable production of advanced biofuels and RFNBOs – from feedstock to end-use
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