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  • 1.
    Ahmadi, Mozhgan
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Brage, Claes O.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Sjöström, Krister
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Engvall, Klas
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Knoef, H.
    Van De Beld, B.
    Development of an on-line tar measurement method based on photo ionization technique2011In: Catalysis Today, ISSN 0920-5861, E-ISSN 1873-4308, Vol. 176, no 1, p. 250-252Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This paper presents work in progress for development of an on-line method based on PID (Photo Ionization Detector) for quantitative measurement of tar from biomass gasification. To calibrate the method the PID signals are compared to quantitative data of individual tar compounds obtained by an established reference method. The measured response factors for the model tar compounds demonstrated very good linearity. The PID approach was tested on-line with real producer gases from an atmospheric fluidized bed gasifier operated at 800-900 °C. The results suggest that PID can be used for continuous on-line tar measurement of product gases from biomass gasification.

  • 2.
    Ahmadi, Mozhgan
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Knoef, Harrie
    Van De Beld, Bert
    Liliedahl, Truls
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Engineering.
    Engvall, Klaus
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Engineering.
    Development of a PID based on-line tar measurement method: Proof of concept2013In: Fuel, ISSN 0016-2361, E-ISSN 1873-7153, Vol. 113, p. 113-121Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    In this study, a proof of concept was conducted for an on-line tar analyzer based on photo ionization detection (PID). Tar model compounds (naphthalene, acenaphthene, acenaphthylene, fluorene, indane and indene) were used for the initial investigation of the analysis method. It was found that the analysis method has a high sensitivity and a linear behavior was observed between the PID response and the tar concentration over a wide concentration span. The on-line tar analysis method was successfully validated against the solid phase adsorption (SPA) method using a real producer gas.

  • 3.
    Ahmadi, Mozhgan
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Sjöström, Krister
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Brage, Claes
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Engvall, Klas
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Liliedahl, Truls
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Develompent of an online tar measuring method using ionization potential2010Conference paper (Refereed)
  • 4.
    Alvfors, Per
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Energy Processes.
    Arnell, Jenny
    IVL.
    Berglin, Niklas
    Innventia.
    Björnsson, Lovisa
    LU.
    Börjesson, Pål
    LU.
    Grahn, Maria
    Chalmers/SP.
    Harvey, Simon
    Chalmers.
    Hoffstedt, Christian
    Innventia.
    Holmgren, Kristina
    IVL.
    Jelse, Kristian
    IVL.
    Klintbom, Patrik
    Kusar, Henrik
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Lidén, Gunnar
    LU.
    Magnusson, Mimmi
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Energy Processes.
    Pettersson, Karin
    Chalmers.
    Rydberg, Tomas
    IVL.
    Sjöström, Krister
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology.
    Stålbrand, Henrik
    LU.
    Wallberg, Ola
    LU.
    Wetterlund, Elisabeth
    LiU.
    Zacchi, Guido
    LU.
    Öhrman, Olof
    ETC Piteå.
    Research and development challenges for Swedish biofuel actors – three illustrative examples: Improvement potential discussed in the context of Well-to-Tank analyses2010Report (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    Currently biofuels have strong political support, both in the EU and Sweden. The EU has, for example, set a target for the use of renewable fuels in the transportation sector stating that all EU member states should use 10% renewable fuels for transport by 2020. Fulfilling this ambition will lead to an enormous market for biofuels during the coming decade. To avoid increasing production of biofuels based on agriculture crops that require considerable use of arable area, focus is now to move towards more advanced second generation (2G) biofuels that can be produced from biomass feedstocks associated with a more efficient land use. Climate benefits and greenhouse gas (GHG) balances are aspects often discussed in conjunction with sustainability and biofuels. The total GHG emissions associated with production and usage of biofuels depend on the entire fuel production chain, mainly the agriculture or forestry feedstock systems and the manufacturing process. To compare different biofuel production pathways it is essential to conduct an environmental assessment using the well-to-tank (WTT) analysis methodology. In Sweden the conditions for biomass production are favourable and we have promising second generation biofuels technologies that are currently in the demonstration phase. In this study we have chosen to focus on cellulose based ethanol, methane from gasification of solid wood as well as DME from gasification of black liquor, with the purpose of identifying research and development potentials that may result in improvements in the WTT emission values. The main objective of this study is thus to identify research and development challenges for Swedish biofuel actors based on literature studies as well as discussions with the the researchers themselves. We have also discussed improvement potentials for the agriculture and forestry part of the WTT chain. The aim of this study is to, in the context of WTT analyses, (i) increase knowledge about the complexity of biofuel production, (ii) identify and discuss improvement potentials, regarding energy efficiency and GHG emissions, for three biofuel production cases, as well as (iii) identify and discuss improvement potentials regarding biomass supply, including agriculture/forestry. The scope of the study is limited to discussing the technologies, system aspects and climate impacts associated with the production stage. Aspects such as the influence on biodiversity and other environmental and social parameters fall beyond the scope of this study. We find that improvement potentials for emissions reductions within the agriculture/forestry part of the WTT chain include changing the use of diesel to low-CO2-emitting fuels, changing to more fuel-efficient tractors, more efficient cultivation and manufacture of fertilizers (commercial nitrogen fertilizer can be produced in plants which have nitrous oxide gas cleaning) as well as improved fertilization strategies (more precise nitrogen application during the cropping season). Furthermore, the cultivation of annual feedstock crops could be avoided on land rich in carbon, such as peat soils and new agriculture systems could be introduced that lower the demand for ploughing and harrowing. Other options for improving the WTT emission values includes introducing new types of crops, such as wheat with higher content of starch or willow with a higher content of cellulose. From the case study on lignocellulosic ethanol we find that 2G ethanol, with co-production of biogas, electricity, heat and/or wood pellet, has a promising role to play in the development of sustainable biofuel production systems. Depending on available raw materials, heat sinks, demand for biogas as vehicle fuel and existing 1G ethanol plants suitable for integration, 2G ethanol production systems may be designed differently to optimize the economic conditions and maximize profitability. However, the complexity connected to the development of the most optimal production systems require improved knowledge and involvement of several actors from different competence areas, such as chemical and biochemical engineering, process design and integration and energy and environmental systems analysis, which may be a potential barrier.

  • 5.
    Andersson, Robert
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Catalytic conversion of syngas to higher alcohols over MoS2-based catalysts2015Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    The present thesis concerns catalytic conversion of syngas (H2+ CO) into a blend of methanol and higher alcohols, an attractive way of producing fuels and chemicals. This route has the potential to reduce the oil dependence in the transport sector and, with the use of biomass for the syngas generation, produce CO2-neutral fuels.

    Alkali promoted MoS2-based catalysts show a high selectivity to higher alcohols, while at the same time being coke resistant, sulfur tolerant and displaying high water-gas shift activity. This makes this type of catalyst especially suitable for being used with syngas derived from biomass or coal which typically has a low H2/CO-ratio.

    This thesis discusses various important aspects of higher alcohol synthesis using MoS2-based catalysts and is a summary of four scientific papers. The first part of the thesis gives an introduction to how syngas can be produced and converted into different fuels and chemicals. It is followed by an overview of higher alcohol synthesis and a description of MoS2-based catalysts. The topic alcohol for use in internal combustion engines ends the first part of the thesis.

    In the second part, the experimental part, the preparation of the MoS2-based catalysts and the characterization of them are handled. After describing the high-pressure alcohol reactor setup, the development of an on-line gas chromatographic system for higher alcohol synthesis with MoS2 catalysts is covered (Paper I). This method makes activity and selectivity studies of higher alcohol synthesis catalysts more accurate and detailed but also faster and easier. Virtually all products are very well separated and the established carbon material balance over the reactor closed well under all tested conditions. The method of trace level sulfur analysis is additionally described.

    Then the effect of operating conditions, space velocity and temperature on product distribution is highlighted (Paper II). It is shown that product selectivity is closely correlated with the CO conversion level and why it is difficult to combine both a high single pass conversion and high alcohol selectivity over this catalyst type. Correlations between formed products and formation pathways are additionally described and discussed. The CO2 pressure in the reactor increases as the CO conversion increases, however, CO2 influence on formation rates and product distribution is to a great extent unclear. By using a CO2-containing syngas feed the effect of CO2 was studied (Paper III).

    An often emphasized asset of MoS2-based catalysts is their sulfur tolerance. However, the use of sulfur-containing feed and/or catalyst potentially can lead to incorporation of unwanted organic sulfur compounds in the product. The last topic in this thesis covers the sulfur compounds produced and how their quantity is changed when the feed syngas contains H2S (Paper IV). The effect on catalyst activity and selectivity in the presence of H2S in the feed is also covered.

    Download full text (pdf)
    Thesis
  • 6.
    Andersson, Robert
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology.
    Boutonnet, Magali
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Järås, Sven
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology.
    Effect of CO2 in the synthesis of mixed alcohols from syngas over a K/Ni/MoS2 catalyst2013In: Fuel, ISSN 0016-2361, E-ISSN 1873-7153, Vol. 107, p. 715-723Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    An unsupported K-Ni-MoS2 catalyst for higher alcohol synthesis from syngas (H-2/CO) has been studied during 360 h on stream. It shows a gradual increase in activity with time on stream and some possible reasons for this are discussed in the paper. The main focus of this paper was to study the on the effect of CO2-containing syngas, relative CO2-free syngas under identical reaction conditions and identical inlet H-2 and CO partial pressures (340 degrees C, 100 bar, GHSV = 6920 ml/(g(cat) h)). The effect of increased partial pressure of H-2 and CO was also studied, and to a minor extent also the effect of changed gas hourly space velocity (GHSV). Under the studied conditions, addition of CO2 was found to greatly decrease total product yield, while the selectivities to alcohol and hydrocarbons (C%, CO2-free), respectively, were unchanged. CO2 addition, however, led to a great change in the distribution within the alcohol and hydrocarbon groups. With CO2 added the methanol selectivity increased much while selectivity to longer alcohols decreased. For hydrocarbons the effect is the same, the selectivity to methane is increased while the selectivity to longer hydrocarbons is decreased. It has earlier been shown that product selectivities are greatly affected by syngas conversion level (correlated to outlet concentration of organic products, i.e. alcohols, hydrocarbons etc.) which can be altered by changes in space velocity or temperature. This means that alcohol selectivity is decreased in favor of increased hydrocarbon selectivity and longer alcohol-to-methanol ratio when syngas conversion is increased. At first it might be thought that the selectivity changes occurring when CO2 is present in the feed, just correlate to a decreased organic product concentration in the reactor and that the selectivities with CO2-containing and CO2-free syngas would be identical under constant concentration of organic products in the reactor. However, CO2-addition studies where space velocity was varied showed that significantly lower alcohol selectivity (mainly ethanol selectivity) and increased hydrocarbon selectivity (mainly methane) were found at similar organic outlet concentrations as when CO2-free syngas was feed. Comparing addition of extra H-2 or extra CO, it was found that a high H-2/CO ratio (H-2/CO = 1.52 tested in our case) favors maximum product yield, especially methanol formation, while a lower H-2/CO ratio (H-2/CO = 0.66 tested in our case) leads to higher yield of higher alcohols simultaneously minimizing hydrocarbon and methanol formation.

  • 7.
    Andersson, Robert
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Boutonnet, Magali
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Järås, Sven
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Higher alcohols from syngas using a K/Ni/MoS2 catalyst: Trace sulfur in the product and effect of H2S-containing feed2014In: Fuel, ISSN 0016-2361, E-ISSN 1873-7153, Vol. 115, p. 544-550Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Two types of experiments have been performed related to the higher alcohol synthesis from syngas over a K-Ni-MoS2 catalyst which beforehand has been operated for 1000 h on stream in sulfur-free syngas. In the first experimental part, sulfur-free syngas was used as feed and the condensed liquid product was found to contain 67 ppmw sulfur, while the sulfur concentration in the gas was 19 ppmv. The gas phase was found to contain mainly COS and H2S, while the liquid phase contained methanethiol (13.8 ppmw S), ethanethiol (10.6 ppmw S), dimethyl sulfide (21.3 ppmw S), ethyl methyl sulfide (12.2 ppmw S), unidentified sulfur compounds (7.9 ppmw S) together with some dissolved COS (0.5 ppmw S) and H2S (1.2 ppmw S). In the second experimental part, the effect of feeding syngas containing 170 ppm H2S compared to a sulfur-free syngas was studied, while all products were carefully monitored online. The presence of H2S in the syngas was found to increase CO conversion, but the largest change was found in product selectivity. The hydrocarbon selectivity greatly increased at the expense of alcohol selectivity, while the alcohol distribution shifted towards longer alcohols (increased C2+OH/MeOH ratio). From product yields it became clear that most of the increased CO conversion with H2S in the feed was due to increased methane formation (and CO2 formation due to the water-gas shift reaction). The presence of H2S in the feed greatly increased the concentration of all sulfur compounds. Together with COS, formation of thiols (methanethiol and ethanethiol) was especially favored by the presence of H2S. The thioether concentration also increased, however, to a much lower extent.

  • 8.
    Andersson, Robert
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology.
    Boutonnet, Magali
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Järås, Sven
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology.
    On-line gas chromatographic analysis of higher alcohol synthesis products from syngas2012In: Journal of Chromatography A, ISSN 0021-9673, E-ISSN 1873-3778, Vol. 1247, p. 134-145Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    An on-line gas chromatographic (GC) system has been developed for rapid and accurate product analysis in catalytic conversion of syngas (a mixture of H-2 and CO) to alcohols, so called "higher alcohol synthesis (HAS)". Conversion of syngas to higher alcohols is an interesting second step in the route of converting coal, natural gas and possibly biomass to liquid alcohol fuel and chemicals. The presented GC system and method are developed for analysis of the products formed from syngas using alkali promoted MoS2 catalysts, however it is not limited to these types of catalysts. During higher alcohol synthesis not only the wanted short alcohols (similar to C-2-C-5) are produced, but also a great number of other products in smaller or greater amounts, they are mainly short hydrocarbons (olefins, paraffins, branched, non-branched), aldehydes, esters and ketones as well as CO2, H2O. Trace amounts of sulfur-containing compounds can also be found in the product effluent when sulfur-containing catalysts are used and/or sulfur-containing syngas is feed. In the presented GC system, most of them can be separated and analyzed within 60 min without the use of cryogenic cooling. Previously, product analysis in "higher alcohol synthesis" has in most cases been carried out partly on-line and partly off-line, where the light gases (gases at room temp) are analyzed on-line and liquid products (liquid at room temp) are collected in a trap for later analysis off-line. This method suffers from many drawbacks compared to a complete on-line GC system. In this paper an on-line system using an Agilent 7890 gas chromatograph equipped with two flame ionization detectors (FID) and a thermal conductivity detector (TCD), together with an Agilent 6890 with sulfur chemiluminescence dual plasma detector (SCD) is presented. A two-dimensional GC system with Deans switch (heart-cut) and two capillary columns (HP-FFAP and HP-Al2O3) was used for analysis of the organic products on the FIDs. Light inorganic gases (H-2, CO, CO2, N-2) and methane were separated on packed columns and quantified with the TCD. The "sulfur GC" was optimized for on-line trace level sulfur analysis in hydrocarbon matrices and used to understand to which degree sulfur is released from the catalyst and incorporated into the liquid product, and if so in which form. The method provides excellent quantitative measurements with a carbon material balance near 99.5% (carbon in/carbon out) for individual measurement points.

  • 9.
    Barrientos, Javier
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Deactivation of cobalt and nickel catalysts in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and methanation2016Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

                A potential route for converting different carbon sources (coal, natural gas and biomass) into synthetic fuels is the transformation of these raw materials into synthesis gas (CO and H2), followed by a catalytic step which converts this gas into the desired fuels. The present thesis has focused on two catalytic steps: Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) and methanation. The Fischer-Tropsch synthesis serves to convert synthesis gas into liquid hydrocarbon-based fuels. Methanation serves instead to produce synthetic natural gas (SNG). Cobalt catalysts have been used in FTS while nickel catalysts have been used in methanation.

                The catalyst lifetime is a parameter of critical importance both in FTS and methanation. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the deactivation causes of the cobalt and nickel catalysts in their respective reactions.

                The resistance to carbonyl-induced sintering of nickel catalysts supported on different carriers (γ-Al2O3, SiO2, TiO2 and α-Al2O3) was studied. TiO2-supported nickel catalysts exhibited lower sintering rates than the other catalysts. The effect of the catalyst pellet size was also evaluated on γ-Al2O3-supported nickel catalysts. The use of large catalyst pellets gave considerably lower sintering rates. The resistance to carbon formation on the above-mentioned supported nickel catalysts was also evaluated. Once again, TiO2-supported nickel catalysts exhibited the lowest carbon formation rates. Finally, the effect of operating conditions on carbon formation and deactivation was studied using Ni/TiO2 catalysts. The use of higher H2/CO ratios and higher pressures reduced the carbon formation rate. Increasing the temperature from 280 °C to 340 °C favored carbon deposition. The addition of steam also reduced the carbon formation rate but accelerated catalyst deactivation.

                The decline in activity of cobalt catalysts with increasing sulfur concentration was also assessed by ex situ poisoning of a cobalt catalyst. A deactivation model was proposed to predict the decline in activity as function of the sulfur coverage and the sulfur-to-cobalt active site ratio. The results also indicate that sulfur decreases the selectivity to long-chain hydrocarbons and olefins.

    Download full text (pdf)
    Javier Barrientos - Deactivation of cobalt and nickel catalysts in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and methanation
  • 10.
    Barrientos, Javier
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Garcilaso, Victoria
    Venezia, Baldassarre
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Aho, Atte
    Antonio Odriozola, Jose
    Boutonnet, Magali
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Järås, Sven
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis Over Zr-Promoted Co/gamma-Al2O3 Catalysts2017In: Topics in catalysis, ISSN 1022-5528, E-ISSN 1572-9028, Vol. 60, no 17-18, p. 1285-1298Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Two Zr-modified alumina supports were synthetized containing the same amount of Zr but a different distribution of this modifier over the alumina surface. These supports, together with the unmodified alumina carrier, were used to prepare three cobalt-based catalysts which were characterized and tested under relevant Fischer-Tropsch conditions. The three catalysts presented very similar porosity and cobalt dispersion. The addition of Zr nor its distribution enhanced the catalyst reducibility. The catalyst activity was superior when using a carrier consisting of large ZrO2 islands over the alumina surface. The use of a carrier with a homogeneous Zr distribution had however, a detrimental effect. Moreover, a faster initial deactivation rate was observed for the Zr-promoted catalysts, fact that may explain this contradictory effect of Zr on activity. Finally, the addition of Zr showed a clear enhancement of the selectivity to long chain hydrocarbons and ethylene, especially when Zr was well dispersed.

  • 11.
    Barrientos, Javier
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Gonzalez, Niklas
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Boutonnet, Magali
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Järås, Sven
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Deactivation of Ni/gamma-Al2O3 Catalysts in CO Methanation: Effect of Zr, Mg, Ba and Ca Oxide Promoters2017In: Topics in catalysis, ISSN 1022-5528, E-ISSN 1572-9028, Vol. 60, no 17-18, p. 1276-1284Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Catalyst deactivation is one of the major concerns in the production of substitute natural gas (SNG) via CO methanation. Catalysts in this application need to be active at low temperatures, resistant to polymeric carbon formation and stable at high temperatures and steam partial pressures. In the present work, a series of alumina-supported nickel catalysts promoted with Zr, Mg, Ba or Ca oxides were investigated. The catalysts were tested under low temperature CO methanation conditions in order to evaluate their resistance to carbon formation. The catalysts were also exposed to accelerated ageing conditions at high temperatures in order to study their thermal stability. The aged catalysts lost most of their activity mainly due to sintering of the support and the nickel crystallites. Apparently, none of these promoters had a satisfactory effect on the thermal resistance of the catalyst. Nevertheless, it was found that the presence of Zr can reduce the rate of polymeric carbon formation.

  • 12.
    Barrientos, Javier
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    González, N.
    Lualdi, Matteo
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Boutonnet, Magali
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Järås, Sven
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    The effect of catalyst pellet size on nickel carbonyl-induced particle sintering under low temperature CO methanation2016In: Applied Catalysis A: General, ISSN 0926-860X, E-ISSN 1873-3875, Vol. 514, p. 91-102Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Abstract The present work aims to evaluate the effect of catalyst pellet size on deactivation due to nickel carbonyl-induced particle sintering. For that purpose, a γ-Al2O3-supported nickel catalyst was prepared and tested under low temperature and high CO partial pressure. A total of four different pellet sizes were employed in the present study. It was found that the deactivation rate decreases with increasing pellet size. A very severe deactivation was observed when using small pellets. Large pellets exhibited instead a more stable performance. This difference in catalyst stability was explained by X-ray diffraction analyses which revealed that the growth of the nickel particles was very severe when using small pellets. An evaluation of heat and mass transfer phenomena in these four pellets was also conducted. It was found that, under the present low temperature reaction conditions, the temperature at the catalyst external surface can greatly differ from that in the bulk gas when using sufficiently large pellets. It was also shown that, for large pellets, the major part of the interior of the catalyst is exposed to negligible CO partial pressures and high temperatures, fact that can reduce the potential for nickel carbonyl formation.

  • 13.
    Barrientos, Javier
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Lualdi, Matteo
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Boutonnet, Magali
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Järås, Sven
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Deactivation of supported nickel catalysts during CO methanation2014In: Applied Catalysis A: General, ISSN 0926-860X, E-ISSN 1873-3875, Vol. 486, p. 143-149Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Deactivation of Ni-based catalysts was investigated during CO methanation over different supported catalysts. X-ray diffraction and temperature-programmed hydrogenation analyses were used to investigate nickel particle sintering and carbon formation during the first 24 h on stream. Titania-supported catalysts presented high resistance towards carbon deposition and nickel particle growth in comparison with the other tested catalysts. Particle size effects on these two deactivation causes were also evaluated. It was shown that carbon formation rates are higher on bigger crystal particles. However, it was found that titania-supported nickel catalysts reduced at high temperatures show the opposite effect. This difference is most probably due to a stronger interaction between nickel and TiOx (x < 2) species on smaller crystals which changes the CO dissociation properties and, in consequence, carbon formation rates.

  • 14.
    Barrientos, Javier
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Lualdi, Matteo
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Suarez Paris, Rodrigo
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Montes, V.
    Boutonnet, Magali
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Järås, Sven
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    CO methanation over TiO2-supported nickel catalysts: A carbon formation study2015In: Applied Catalysis A: General, ISSN 0926-860X, E-ISSN 1873-3875, Vol. 502, p. 276-286Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    A systematic study on titania-supported nickel catalysts was performed in order to evaluate the effect of different process conditions on catalyst stability. Reaction tests and temperature-programmed-hydrogenation analyses were used in order to evaluate the effect of temperature, feed composition, water and reduction conditions on catalyst deactivation and carbon deposition. It was shown that high H-2/CO ratios and syngas partial pressures decrease the rate of carbon formation. Moreover, increasing temperature enhanced the formation of more stable carbon species and thus catalyst deactivation. The temperature-programmed hydrogenation analyses also revealed that water reduces the rate of carbon deposition. However, water enhanced catalyst deactivation when the catalysts were reduced at high temperatures. This negative effect of water is probably due to a progressive destruction of the strong-metal-support interaction characteristic of titania-supported nickel catalysts reduced at high temperatures. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  • 15.
    Barrientos, Javier
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Montes, V.
    Boutonnet, Magali
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Järås, Sven
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Further insights into the effect of sulfur on the activity and selectivity of cobalt-based Fischer–Tropsch catalysts2016In: Catalysis Today, ISSN 0920-5861, E-ISSN 1873-4308, Vol. 275, p. 119-126Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

     A sulfur poisoning study was performed by ex situ poisoning of a platinum-promoted cobalt/alumina catalyst with different sulfur amounts. The poisoned catalyst samples were tested at relevant Fischer–Tropsch reaction conditions and at the same CO conversion in order to evaluate the effect of sulfur on catalyst activity and product selectivity. It was found that the activity and the selectivity to long-chain hydrocarbons decrease with increasing sulfur content. Moreover, it was found that sulfur has no significant effect on the CO2 selectivity. It was also shown that sulfur significantly enhances olefin hydrogenation. Finally, a deactivation model relating the catalyst activity and the sulfur to cobalt active site ratio was proposed and used to describe the experimental results.

  • 16. Bersani, Marco
    et al.
    Gupta, Kalyani
    Mishra, Abhishek Kumar
    Lanza, Roberto
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Taylor, S. F. Rebecca
    Islam, Husn-Ubayda
    Hollingsworth, Nathan
    Hardacre, Christopher
    de Leeuw, Nora H.
    Darr, Jawwad A.
    Combined EXAFS, XRD, DRIFTS, and DFT Study of Nano Copper Based Catalysts for CO2 Hydrogenation2016In: ACS Catalysis, ISSN 2155-5435, E-ISSN 2155-5435, Vol. 6, no 9, p. 5823-5833Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Highly monodispersed CuO nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized via continuous hydrothermal flow synthesis (CHFS) and then tested as catalysts for CO2 hydrogenation. The catalytic behavior of unsupported 11 nm sized nanoparticles from the same batch was characterized by diffuse reflectance infrared fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and catalytic testing, under CO2/H-2 in the temperature range 25-500 degrees C in consistent experimental conditions. This was done to highlight the relationship among structural evolution, surface products, and reaction yields; the experimental results were compared with modeling predictions based on density functional theory (DFT) simulations of the CuO system. In situ DRIFTS revealed the formation of surface formate species at temperatures as low as 70 degrees C. DFT calculations of CO2 hydrogenation on the CuO surface suggested that hydrogenation reduced the CuO surface to Cu2O, which facilitated the formation of formate. In situ EXAFS supported a strong correlation between the Cu2O phase fraction and the formate peak intensity, with the maxima corresponding to where Cu2O was the only detectable phase at 170 degrees C, before the onset of reduction to Cu at 190 degrees C. The concurrent phase and crystallite size evolution were monitored by in situ XRD, which suggested that the CuO NPs were stable in size before the onset of reduction, with smaller Cu2O crystallites being observed from 130 degrees C. Further reduction to Cu from 190 C was followed by a rapid decrease of surface formate and the detection of adsorbed CO from 250 degrees C; these results are in agreement with heterogeneous catalytic tests where surface CO was observed over the same temperature range. Furthermore, CH4 was detected in correspondence with the decomposition of formate and formation of the Cu phase, with a maximum conversion rate of 2.8% measured at 470 degrees C (on completely reduced copper), supporting the indication of independent reaction pathways for the conversion of CO2 to CH4 and CO that was suggested by catalytic tests. The resulting Cu NPs had a final crystallite size of ca. 44 nm at 500 degrees C and retained a significantly active surface.

  • 17.
    Birgersson, Henrik
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Birgersson, E
    Boutonnet, Magali
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Mathematical Analysis of Thermally Oxy-Chlorine Regenerated Three-Way CatalystsIn: Chemical Engineering Science, ISSN 0009-2509, E-ISSN 1873-4405Article in journal (Refereed)
  • 18.
    Birgersson, Henrik
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Boutonnet, Magali
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Klingstedt, F
    Yu Murzin, D
    Stefanov, P
    Naydenov, A
    An investigation of a new regeneration method of commercial aged three-way catalysts2006In: Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, ISSN 0926-3373, E-ISSN 1873-3883, Vol. 65, p. 93-100Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The ability to modify aged three-way catalysts (TWC) by regaining part of the fresh catalyst surface structure has been verified by both bulk and surface-sensitive characterisation techniques. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM/EDX) techniques were applied to fully evaluate the efficiency of a regeneration procedure of commercial three-way catalysts targeting the washcoat surface. The regeneration comprised combined thermal and liquid chlorine treatments. Structural changes of the washcoat were further investigated with nitrogen adsorption-desorption (BET) and Laser Ablation methods. The investigation showed that the regeneration treatments resulted in an enrichment of the washcoat surface with palladium, thereby increasing the number of catalytically active surface sites. Furthermore, the observed removal of phosphorous and sulphur contaminants resulted in an increase of the relative amount of small pores between 1 and 10 nm and washcoat surface area. An increased catalytic activity regarding CO, NOx, and HC emissions was observed after regeneration. providing proof of the proposed concept.

  • 19.
    Birgersson, Henrik
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Eriksson, L
    Boutonnet, Magali
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Järås, Sven
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Regeneration of spent commercial automotive three-way exhaust gas catalysts (TWC)Article in journal (Other academic)
  • 20.
    Boutonnet, Magali
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Lögdberg, Sara
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Elm Svensson, Erik
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Recent developments in the application of nanoparticles prepared from w/o microemulsions in heterogeneous catalysis2008In: Current Opinion in Colloid & Interface Science, ISSN 1359-0294, E-ISSN 1879-0399, Vol. 13, no 4, p. 270-286Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This paper reviews the use of microemulsions, especially the water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsions, for preparation of nanoparticles that are employed as catalyst components in heterogeneous catalytic reactions. The objective is to show the growing interest of using microemulsions in the preparation of different types of materials such as metals, single metal oxides or mixed metal oxides with a broad range of application in heterogeneous catalysis and also in electrocatalysis. In most cases, the catalytic material showed improved catalytic properties as a result of the special synthesis environment created by the microemulsions. Still, research is needed for a better understanding of such beneficial effects. In addition, this method needs improvements in order to produce, in an environmentally friendly way, a suitable amount of material for use in industrial-scale catalytic processes.

  • 21.
    Boutonnet, Magali
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Marinas, A.
    Montes, V.
    Suárez-Paris, Rodrigo
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Sánchez-Domínguez, M.
    Nanocatalysts: Synthesis in Nanostructured Liquid Media and Their Application in Energy and Production of Chemicals2016In: Nanocolloids: A Meeting Point for Scientists and Technologists, Elsevier, 2016, p. 211-246Chapter in book (Refereed)
  • 22.
    Boutonnet, Magali
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Sanchez-Dominguez, Margarita
    Microemulsion droplets to catalytically active nanoparticles: How the application of colloidal tools in catalysis aims to well designed and efficient catalysts2017In: Catalysis Today, ISSN 0920-5861, E-ISSN 1873-4308, Vol. 285, p. 89-103Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    In this review, we report the successful application of a colloidal tool, namely microemulsions (ME) in the design of catalysts for various applications. First, a brief introduction to MEs and the water-in-oil (w/o) ME reaction method is given. The first ME formulations used for catalyst synthesis are discussed. Catalytic activity of the materials obtained from those initial studies, both as particles deposited onto a support as well as directly as nanoparticles in ME suspension is described. Then various application examples which highlight several important properties of the catalysts obtained from w/o ME are given. For example, particle size control achieved with ME is very relevant to surface sensitive reactions, whose selectivity depends greatly on metal particle size. Another important aspect is related to the unique microenvironment of MEs which results in specific interactions within the formed materials; this is particularly important for certain catalysts such as mixed oxide particles, conferring them with special properties and enhanced performance. Comparison of activity and selectivity of impregnation-prepared versus ME-prepared materials is given for several catalytic reactions. Finally, the more recently developed oil-in-water (o/w) ME method is described, along with examples of materials obtained by this method as catalysts, including photocatalysis. The different aspects discussed in this review demonstrate the importance of the ME reaction method for the design of nanocatalysts with enhanced activity and selectivity.

  • 23.
    Brage, Claes
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Yu, Qizhuang
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Sjöström, Krister
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    An new method for the analysis of heavy tar in raw producer gases from biomass gasifiers2007In: Proceeding of the 15th European Biomass Conferense, Berlin, Germany, 7-11 May 2007, 2007Conference paper (Refereed)
  • 24.
    Brandin, Jan
    et al.
    Linnaeus University.
    Hulteberg, Christian
    LTH, Lund University.
    Kusar, Henrik
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    A review of thermo-chemical conversion of biomass into biofuels-focusing on gas cleaning and up-grading process steps2017Report (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    It is not easy to replace fossil-based fuels in the transport sector, however, an appealing solution is to use biomass and waste for the production of renewable alternatives. Thermochemical conversion of biomass for production of synthetic transport fuels by the use of gasification is a promising way to meet these goals.

    One of the key challenges in using gasification systems with biomass and waste as feedstock is the upgrading of the raw gas produced in the gasifier. These materials replacing oil and coal contain large amounts of demanding impurities, such as alkali, inorganic compounds, sulphur and chlorine compounds. Therefore, as for all multi-step processes, the heat management and hence the total efficiency depend on the different clean-up units. Unfortunately, the available conventional gas filtering units for removing particulates and impurities, and also subsequent catalytic conversion steps have lower optimum working temperatures than the operating temperature in the gasification units.

    This report focuses on on-going research and development to find new technology solutions and on the key critical technology challenges concerning the purification and upgrading of the raw gas to synthesis gas and the subsequent different fuel synthesis processes, such as hot gas filtration, clever heating solutions and a higher degree of process integration as well as catalysts more resistant towards deactivation. This means that the temperature should be as high as possible for any particular upgrading unit in the refining system. Nevertheless, the temperature and pressure of the cleaned synthesis gas must meet the requirements of the downstream application, i.e. Fischer-Tropsch diesel or methanol.

    Before using the gas produced in the gasifier a number of impurities needs to be removed. These include particles, tars, sulphur and ammonia. Particles are formed in gasification, irrespective of the type of gasifier design used. A first, coarse separation is performed in one or several cyclone filters at high temperature. Thereafter bag-house filters (e.g. ceramic or textile) maybe used to separate the finer particles. A problem is, however, tar condensation in the filters and there is much work performed on trying to achieve filtration at as high a temperature as possible.

    The far most stressed technical barriers regarding cleaning of the gases are tars. To remove the tar from the product gas there is a number of alternatives, but most important is that the gasifier is operated at optimal conditions for minimising initial tar formation. In fluid bed and entrained flow gasification a first step may be catalytic tar cracking after particle removal. In fluid bed gasification a catalyst, active in tar cracking, may be added to the fluidising bed to further remove any tar formed in the bed. In this kind of tar removal, natural minerals such as dolomite and olivine, are normally used, or catalysts normally used in hydrocarbon reforming or cracking. The tar can be reformed to CO and hydrogen by thermal reforming as well, when the temperature is increased to 1300ºC and the tar decomposes. Another method for removing tar from the gas is to scrub it by using hot oil (200-300ºC). The tar dissolves in the hot oil, which can be partly regenerated and the remaining tar-containing part is either burned or sent back to the gasifier for regasification.

    Other important aspects are that the sulphur content of the gas depends on the type of biomass used, the gasification agent used etc., but a level at or above 100 ppm is not unusual. Sulphur levels this high are not acceptable if there are catalytic processes down-stream, or if the emissions of e.g. SO2 are to be kept down. The sulphur may be separated by adsorbing it in ZnO, an irreversible process, or a commercially available reversible adsorbent can be used. There is also the possibility of scrubbing the gas with an amine solution. If a reversible alternative is chosen, elementary sulphur may be produced using the Claus process.

    Furthermore, the levels of ammonia formed in gasification (3,000 ppm is not uncommon) are normally not considered a problem. When combusting the gas, nitrogen or in the worst case NOx (so-called fuel NOx) is formed; there are, however, indications that there could be problems. Especially when the gasification is followed by down-stream catalytic processes, steam reforming in particular, where the catalyst might suffer from deactivation by long-term exposure to ammonia.

    The composition of the product gas depends very much on the gasification technology, the gasifying agent and the biomass feedstock. Of particular significance is the choice of gasifying agent, i.e. air, oxygen, water, since it has a huge impact on the composition and quality of the gas, The gasifying agent also affects the choice of cleaning and upgrading processes to syngas and its suitability for different end-use applications as fuels or green chemicals.

    The ideal upgraded syngas consists of H2 and CO at a correct ratio with very low water and CO2 content allowed. This means that the tars, particulates, alkali salts and inorganic compounds mentioned earlier have to be removed for most of the applications. By using oxygen as the gasifying agent, instead of air, the content of nitrogen may be minimised without expensive nitrogen separation.

    In summary, there are a number of uses with respect to produced synthesis gas. The major applications will be discussed, starting with the production of hydrogen and then followed by the synthesis of synthetic natural gas, methanol, dimethyl ether, Fischer-Tropsch diesel and higher alcohol synthesis, and describing alternatives combining these methods. The SNG and methanol synthesis are equilibrium constrained, while the synthesis of DME (one-step route), FT diesel and alcohols are not. All of the reactions are exothermal (with the exception of steam reforming of methane and tars) and therefore handling the temperature increase in the reactors is essential. In addition, the synthesis of methanol has to be performed at high pressure (50-100 bar) to be industrially viable.

    There will be a compromise between the capital cost of the whole cleaning unit and the system efficiency, since solid waste, e.g. ash, sorbents, bed material and waste water all involve handling costs. Consequently, installing very effective catalysts, results in unnecessary costs because of expensive gas cleaning; however the synthesis units further down-stream, especially for Fischer-Tropsch diesel, and DME/methanol will profit from an effective gas cleaning which extends the catalysts life-time. The catalyst materials in the upgrading processes essentially need to be more stable and resistant to different kinds of deactivation.

    Finally, process intensification is an important development throughout chemical industries, which includes simultaneous integration of both synthesis steps and separation, other examples are advanced heat exchangers with heat integration in order to increase the heat transfer rates. Another example is to combine exothermic and endothermic reactions to support reforming reactions by using the intrinsic energy content. For cost-effective solutions and efficient application, new solutions for cleaning and up-grading of the gases are necessary.

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  • 25. Brandin, Jan
    et al.
    Liliedahl, Truls
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Unit operations for production of clean hydrogen-rich synthesis gas from gasified biomass2011In: Biomass and Bioenergy, ISSN 0961-9534, E-ISSN 1873-2909, Vol. 35, p. S8-S15Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The rebuild of the Vaxjo Varnamo Biomass Gasification Center (VVBGC) integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) plant into a plant for production of a clean hydrogen rich synthesis gas requires an extensive adaptation of conventional techniques to the special chemical and physical needs found in a gasified biomass environment. The CHRISGAS project has, in a multitude of areas, been responsible for the research and development activities associated with the rebuild. In this paper the present status and some of the issues concerning the upgrading of the product gas from gasified biomass into synthesis gas are addressed. The purpose is to serve as an introduction to the scientific papers written by the partners in the consortium concerning the unit operations of the process.

  • 26.
    Burks, Terrance
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Akthar, F.
    Saleemi, M.
    Avila, M.
    Kiros, Yohannes
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    ZnO-PLLA Nanofiber Nanocomposite for Continuous Flow Mode Purification of Water from Cr(VI)2015In: Journal of Environmental and Public health, ISSN 1687-9805, E-ISSN 1687-9813, Vol. 2015, article id 687094Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Nanomaterials of ZnO-PLLA nanofibers have been used for the adsorption of Cr(VI) as a prime step for the purification of water.The fabrication and application of the flexible ZnO-PLLA nanofiber nanocomposite as functional materials in this well-developedarchitecture have been achieved by growing ZnO nanorod arrays by chemical bath deposition on synthesized electrospun poly-Llactidenanofibers. The nanocomposite material has been tested for the removal and regeneration of Cr(IV) in aqueous solutionunder a “continuous flow mode” by studying the effects of pH, contact time, and desorption steps.Theadsorption of Cr(VI) speciesin solution was greatly dependent upon pH. SEM micrographs confirmed the successful fabrication of the ZnO-PLLA nanofibernanocomposite.Theadsorption and desorption of Cr(VI) species were more likely due to the electrostatic interaction between ZnOand Cr(VI) ions as a function of pH.The adsorption and desorption experiments utilizing the ZnO-PLLAnanofiber nanocompositehave appeared to be an effective nanocomposite in the removal and regeneration of Cr(VI) species.

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    fulltext
  • 27.
    Bäbler, Matthäus Ulrich
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Energy Processes.
    Phounglamcheik, Aekjuthon
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology. Luleå University of Technology, Sweden.
    Amovic, Marko
    Ljunggren, Rolf
    Engvall, Klas
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Modeling and pilot plant runs of slow biomass pyrolysis in a rotary kiln2017In: Applied Energy, ISSN 0306-2619, E-ISSN 1872-9118, Vol. 207, p. 123-133Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Pyrolysis of biomass in a rotary kiln finds application both as an intermediate step in multistage gasification as well as a process on its own for the production of biochar. In this work, a numerical model for pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass in a rotary kiln is developed. The model is based on a set of conservation equations for mass and energy, combined with independent submodels for the pyrolysis reaction, heat transfer, and granular flow inside the kiln. The pyrolysis reaction is described by a two-step mechanism where biomass decays into gas, char, and tar that subsequently undergo further reactions; the heat transfer model accounts for conduction, convection and radiation inside the kiln; and the granular flow model is described by the well known Saeman model. The model is compared to experimental data obtained from a pilot scale rotary kiln pyrolyzer. In total 9 pilot plant trials at different feed flow rate and different heat supply were run. For moderate heat supplies we found good agreement between the model and the experiments while deviations were seen at high heat supply. Using the model to simulate various operation conditions reveals a strong interplay between heat transfer and granular flow which both are controlled by the kiln rotation speed. Also, the model indicates the importance of heat losses and lays the foundation for scale up calculations and process optimization.

  • 28. Christou, Stavroula Y.
    et al.
    Birgersson, Henrik
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Efstathiou, Angelos M.
    Reactivation of severely aged commercial three-way catalysts by washing with weak EDTA and oxalic acid solutions2007In: Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, ISSN 0926-3373, E-ISSN 1873-3883, Vol. 71, no 3-4, p. 185-198Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) which is a well-known reagent for its metal extraction efficiency was studied for the first time towards the improvement of the catalytic activity and oxygen storage and release properties (OSC) of severely aged commercial three-way catalysts (TWC) on a laboratory scale. Optimization of the experimental parameters of EDTA-washing procedure of TWC was carried out by varying the washing time, volumetric flow rate, and temperature of EDTA solution. The EDTA-washing procedure of TWC was compared with that of oxalic acid-washing regarding their efficiency in removing P, Pb, S, Ca, Zn, Fe, Cu, Cr, Ni, and Mn, all known TWC contaminants that many of them cause severe deterioration of TWC's activity and oxygen storage and release properties. EDTA appears to be significantly efficient in removing Pb, Zn, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu and Ni metal contaminants and sulfur but not of phosphorus (P). Phosphorus-containing species were found to be efficiently removed from the aged TWCs after oxalic acid washing. All regeneration procedures applied led to a significant partial recovery of catalytic activity of TWC (CO, CxHy and NOx conversions) under real exhaust gas conditions (dynamometer tests) due to the removal of large amounts of contaminants accumulated on the aged TWC. The washing procedures using oxalic acid alone or in combination with EDTA led to more significant improvements of both catalytic and OSC performance compared with those of EDTA washing alone. This was due to the ability of oxalic acid to remove P-containing compounds which appear to be one of the main causes of commercial three-way catalyst deactivation. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  • 29. Christou, S.Y
    et al.
    Birgersson, Henrik
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Fierro, J.L.G.
    Efstathiou, A.M.
    Reactivation of an Aged Commercial Three-Way Catalyst by Oxalic and Citric Acid Washing2006In: Environmental Science and Technology, ISSN 0013-936X, E-ISSN 1520-5851, Vol. 40, p. 2030-2036Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The efficiency of dilute oxalic and citric acid solutions on improving the oxygen storage capacity (OSC) and catalytic activity of a severely aged (83 000 km) commercial three-way catalyst (TWC) has been investigated. Washing procedures applied after optimization of experimental parameters, namely, temperature, flow-rate, and concentration of acid solution, led to significant improvements of OSC and catalytic activity (based on dynamometer test measurements) of the aged TWC. The latter was made possible due to the removal of significant amounts of various contaminants accumulated on the catalyst surface (e.g., P, S, Pb, Ca, Zn, Si, Fe, Cu, and Ni) during driving conditions, as revealed by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) analyses. For the first time, it is demonstrated that dilute oxalic acid solution significantly improves the catalytic activity of an aged commercial TWC toward CO, CxHy, and NOx conversions under real exhaust gas conditions (dynamometer tests) by two to eight times in the 250-450 degrees C range and the OSC quantity by up to 50%. Oxalic acid appears to be more efficient than citric acid in removing specifically P- and S-containing compounds from the catalyst surface, whereas citric acid in removing Pb- and Zn-containing compounds, thus uncovering surface active catalytic sites.

  • 30. Cieślik, M.
    et al.
    Zimowski, Sławomir
    Golda, M.
    Engvall, Klas
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Pan, Jinshan
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemistry, Surface and Corrosion Science.
    Rakowski, W.
    Kotarba, A.
    Engineering of bone fixation metal implants biointerface - Application of parylene C as versatile protective coating2012In: Materials science & engineering. C, biomimetic materials, sensors and systems, ISSN 0928-4931, E-ISSN 1873-0191, Vol. 32, no 8, p. 2431-2435Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The tribological and protective properties of parylene C coatings (2-20 ÎŒm) on stainless steel 316L implant materials were investigated by means of electrochemical measurements and wear tests. The thickness and morphology of the CVD prepared coatings were characterized by scanning electron and laser confocal microscopy. The stability of the coatings was examined in contact with Hanks' solution and H 2O 2 (simulating the inflammatory response). It was concluded that silane-parylene C coating with the optimum thickness of 8 ÎŒm exhibits excellent wear resistance properties and limits the wear formation. The engineered versatile coating demonstrates sufficient elastomer properties, essential to sustain the implantation surgery strains and micromotions during long-term usage in the body.

  • 31. Coronado, Christian Rodriguez
    et al.
    Tuna, Celso Eduardo
    Zanzi, Rolando
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Vane, Lucas F.
    Silveira, Jose Luz
    Development of a thermoeconomic methodology for optimizing biodiesel production. Part II: Manufacture exergetic cost and biodiesel production cost incorporating carbon credits, a Brazilian case study2014In: Renewable & sustainable energy reviews, ISSN 1364-0321, E-ISSN 1879-0690, Vol. 29, p. 565-572Article, review/survey (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The purpose of this study is to carry on a thermoeconomic analysis at a biodiesel production plant considering the irreversibilities in each step (part I: biodiesel plant under study and functional thermoeconomic diagram [1]), making it possible to calculate the thermoeconomic cost in US$/kWh and US$/1 of the biodiesel production, and the main byproduct generated, glycerin, incorporating the credits for the CO2 that is not emitted into the atmosphere (carbon credits). Assuming a sale price for both the biodiesel and the byproduct (glycerin), the annual revenue of the total investment in a plant with a capacity of 8000 t/year of biodiesel operating at 8000 h/year was calculated. The variables that directly or indirectly influence the final thermoeconomic cost include total annual biodiesel production, hours of operation, manufacturing exergy cost, molar ratio in the transesterification reaction, reaction temperature and pressure in the process. Depending on the increase or decrease in sale prices for both biodiesel and glycerin, the payback is going to significantly increase or decrease. It is evident that, in exergy terms, the sale of glycerin is of vital importance in order to reduce the biodiesel price, getting a shorter payback period for the plant under study.

  • 32. Coronado, Christian Rodriguez
    et al.
    Tuna, Celso Eduardo
    Zanzi, Rolando
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Vane, Lucas F.
    Silveira, Jose Luz
    Development of a thermoeconomic methodology for the optimization of biodiesel production-Part I: Biodiesel plant and thermoeconomic functional diagram2013In: Renewable & sustainable energy reviews, ISSN 1364-0321, E-ISSN 1879-0690, Vol. 23, p. 138-146Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This work developed a methodology that uses the thermoeconomic functional diagram applied for allocating the cost of products produced by a biodiesel plant. The first part of this work discusses some definitions of exergy and thermoeconomy, with a detailed description of the biodiesel plant studied, identification of the system functions through Physical Diagram, calculation of the irreversibilities of the plant, construction of the Thermoeconomic Functional Diagram and determination of the expressions for the plant's exergetic functions. In order to calculate the exergetic increments and the physical exergy of certain flows in each step, the Chemical Engineering Simulation Software "HYSYS 3.2" was used. The equipments that have the highest irreversibilities in the plant were identified after the exergy calculation. It was also found that the lowest irreversibility in the system refers to the process with a molar ratio of 6:1 and a reaction temperature of 60 degrees C in the transesterification process. In the second part of this. work (Part II), it was calculated the thermoeconomic cost of producing biodiesel and related products, including the costs of carbon credits for the CO2 that is not released into the atmosphere, when a percentage of biodiesel is added to the petroleum diesel used by Brazil's internal diesel fleet (case study).

  • 33.
    Dahlin, Sandra
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Nilsson, Marita
    Backstrom, Daniel
    Bergman, Susanna Liljegren
    Bengtsson, Emelie
    Bernasek, Steven L.
    Pettersson, Lars J.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology. Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS), Wallenberg Research Centre at Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
    Multivariate analysis of the effect of biodiesel-derived contaminants on V2O5-WO3/TiO2 SCR catalysts2016In: Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, ISSN 0926-3373, E-ISSN 1873-3883, Vol. 183, p. 377-385Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This study investigates the effect of biodiesel-derived contaminants on vanadia-based NH3-SCR catalysts in heavy-duty exhaust aftertreatment. The aim was to study, not only the effect of single contaminants on the catalyst performance, but also of possible interaction effects between poisons. The effect of six potential catalyst poisons (Na, K, Mg, P, S and Zn) was evaluated using an experimental design and multivariate data analysis. Monolithic V2O5-WO3/TiO2 catalysts were subjected to accelerated laboratory-scale aging, where the six contaminants were fed simultaneously using a wet impregnation method. In addition to NO conversion tests, the catalysts were characterized by means of ICP-OES, SEM-EDX, XPS, N-2 physisorption and NH3-TPD. The lab-aged samples were compared to fresh and vehicle-aged catalysts. The accelerated aging method showed good reproducibility and gave rise to surface compounds similar to those found in vehicle-aged catalysts. Despite plausible differences regarding penetration depth of the contaminants into the walls of the catalyst, the aging method appears to be an efficient way to point out significant chemical poisons. The model obtained from the experimental design was found to correlate well with the experimental data and can therefore be used to predict effects of the various poisons and poison interactions. Significant effects on the NOx conversion were found for P, S, Na, Mg and K as well as for the interactions P x Na, P x K and S x Na. A poisoning effect was found for Mg, Na, K, P x K, and P x Na, where Na and K exhibited the strongest poisoning effect. The deactivating effect of alkali was lowered in the presence of phosphorus and sulfur, which is explained by the formation of phosphates and sulfates, preventing the interaction of the alkali metals with the vanadia active sites.

  • 34. Di Carlo, Gabriella
    et al.
    Lualdi, Matteo
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Venezia, Anna M.
    Boutonnet, Magali
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Sanchez-Dominguez, Margarita
    Design of Cobalt Nanoparticles with Tailored Structural and Morphological Properties via O/W and W/O Microemulsions and Their Deposition onto Silica2015In: Catalysts, E-ISSN 2073-4344, Vol. 5, no 1, p. 442-459Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Cobalt nanostructures with different size and morphology, i.e., spherical nanoparticles, nanorods, and particles arranged into elongated structures, were prepared using micelles and microemulsions as confined reaction media. The syntheses were carried out using three types of systems: aqueous surfactant solutions, oil-in water (O/W), and water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsions. The influence of the surfactant and the precipitating agent used for synthesis was also investigated. For this purpose, cobalt nanostructures were prepared using different non-ionic surfactants, namely Synperonic((R)) 10/6, Pluronic((R)) P123 and a mixture of SPAN 20-TWEEN 80. Three different precipitating agents were used: sodium borohydride, sodium hydroxide, and oxalic acid. Our findings revealed that by changing the type of reaction media as well as the precipitating agent it is possible to modify the shape and size of the cobalt nanostructures. Moreover, the use of O/W microemulsion generates better results in terms of colloidal stability and uniformity of particle size with respect to W/O microemulsion. The different cobalt nanostructures were supported on commercial and mesoporous silica; transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed that after deposition the Co nanocrystals remain well dispersed on the silica supports. This behavior suggests their great potential in catalytic applications.

  • 35. Dong, Hanwu
    et al.
    Kiros, Yohannes
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Noreus, Dag
    An air-metal hydride battery using MmNi(3.6)Mn(0.4)Al(0.3)Co(0.7) in the anode and a perovskite in the cathode2010In: International journal of hydrogen energy, ISSN 0360-3199, E-ISSN 1879-3487, Vol. 35, no 9, p. 4336-4341Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Hydrogen storage alloy MmNi(3.6)Mn(0.4)Al(0.3)Co(0.7) (MH) was tested as anode material in a metal hydride-air cell. The cathode was a non-noble metal air electrode based on a mixture of perovskite and pyrolyzed macrocycles on carbon. Polarization and discharge capacities of the electrodes were measured and compared at 22 degrees C and 40 degrees C using air or oxygen at the cathode. Discharge capacity reaching 330 mAh/g MH with pure oxygen at 40 degrees C and 305 mAh/g MH with air at 22 degrees C were obtained. Power densities and/or energy densities were found to significantly depend on the increase of the electrode kinetics on both the ORR (oxygen reduction reaction) and HOR (hydrogen oxidation reaction). However, for air electrode, an increase of oxygen concentration by using pure oxygen gas plays a more important role than an 18 degrees C temperature increase. (C) 2010 Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  • 36. Edvardsson, J.
    et al.
    Westberg, H.
    Dawody, J.
    Andersson, L.
    Milh, M.
    Ingelsten, H. H.
    Kannisto, H.
    Gunnarsson, F.
    Palmqvist, A.
    Heijl, R.
    Ma, Y.
    Cederkrantz, D.
    Andersson, R.
    Högblom, O.
    Pettersson, Lars. J.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Karatzas, Xanthias
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology.
    Ziethén Granlund, Moa. Z.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Larsson, P. -O
    Holmgren, L.
    Andreasson, F.
    E4-Mistra, a research program for the development of an energy efficient low emission exhaust aftertreatment system for heavy duty vehicles2012In: World Renewable Energy Forum, WREF 2012, Including World Renewable Energy Congress XII and Colorado Renewable Energy Society (CRES) Annual Conference, American Solar Energy Society , 2012, p. 4530-4536Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This paper presents a unique system approach applied in a joint academic - industrial research program, E4 Mistra, to reach the goals of energy efficiency and low emissions exhaust aftertreatment system for heavy duty vehicles. The high energy efficiency is achieved by heat recuperation, on-board hydrogen production for use in both an auxiliary power unit and for NOx reduction and by finding new solutions for making the after-treatment system active at low exhaust temperatures. To reach low particulate emissions a mechanical filter using a sintered metal filter is developed. Low NOx emissions are achieved by an efficient NOx reduction catalyst. The system is based on four technological advances: Thermoelectric material s for heat recuperation, catalytic reduction of NOx over innovative catalyst substrates using hydrocarbons from the fuel and H2 from a high efficiency fuel reformer, and particulate filtration over a porous metal filter.

  • 37.
    Elm Svensson, Erik
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Boutonnet, Magali
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Järås, Sven
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    High-surface-area lanthanum hexaaluminates by carbon templatingArticle in journal (Other academic)
  • 38.
    Elm Svensson, Erik
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Boutonnet, Magali
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Järås, Sven
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Stability of hexaaluminate-based catalysts for high-temperature catalytic combustion of methane2008In: Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, ISSN 0926-3373, E-ISSN 1873-3883, Vol. 84, no 1-2, p. 241-250Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Lanthanum hexaaluminate with a nominal composition of LaAl11O18 Was used to support 20 wt.% of LaMnO3 and CeO2. LaAl11O18 was prepared through co-precipitation of metal nitrates within the water phase of an isooctane/CFAB/1-butanol microemulsion. The stabilities of the prepared catalysts were assessed by measuring the activities for combustion of methane before and after aging at 1000 degrees C for 100h in air with 10 vol.% H2O. The activities were compared with LaMnAl11O19, due to its well-documented stability. It was shown that by using hydrothermal treatment of the microemulsion, a significantly higher surface area was obtained for the LaAl11O18. For LaMnO3, the reference support (Al2O3) was shown to be superior to LaAl11O18 as support, both in terms of activity and stability. Reactions between LaMnO3 and support were observed for all supports included in the study. For CeO2, LaAl11O18 was superior to Al2O3 as support. Deactivations of the CeO2 catalysts were linked to crystal growth of CeO2. LMHA deactivated strongly during aging; LaMnO3 on Al2O3 and several of the catalysts with CeO2 supported on LaAl11O18 showed a much more stable behavior.

  • 39.
    Elm Svensson, Erik
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Boutonnet, Magali
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Järås, Sven
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Synthesis of barium hexaaluminate by co-precipitation in microemulsionIn: Materials Chemistry and Physics, ISSN 0254-0584, E-ISSN 1879-3312Article in journal (Other academic)
  • 40.
    Elm Svensson, Erik
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Lualdi, Matteo
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Boutonnet, Magali
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Järås, Sven
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Catalytic combustion of methane over perovskite supported on lanthanum hexaaluminate prepared through the microemulsion method2007In: Studies in Surface Science and Catalysis, ISSN 0167-2991, Vol. 172, p. 465-468Article in journal (Refereed)
  • 41.
    Elm Svensson, Erik
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Nassos, Stylianos
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Boutonnet, Magali
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Järås, Sven
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Microemulsion synthesis of MgO-supported LaMnO3 for catalytic combustion of methane2006In: Catalysis Today, ISSN 0920-5861, E-ISSN 1873-4308, Vol. 117, no 4, p. 484-490Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Catalysts with 20% LaMnO3 supported on MgO have been prepared via CTAB-1-butanol-iso-octane-nitrate salt microemulsion. The preparation method was successfully varied in order to obtain different degrees of interaction between LaMnO3 and MgO as shown by TPR and activity tests after calcination at 900 degrees C. Activity was tested on structured catalysts with 1.5% CH4 in air as test gas giving a GHSV of 100,000 h(-1). The activity was greatly enhanced by supporting LaMnO3 on MgO compared with the bulk LaMnO3. After calcination at 1100 degrees C both the surface area and TPR profiles were similar, indicating that the preparation method is of little importance at this high temperature due to interaction between the phases. Pure LaMmO(3) and MgO were prepared using the same microemulsion method for comparison purposes. Pure MgO showed an impressive thermal stability with a BET surface area exceeding 30 m(2)/g after calcination at 1300 degrees C. The method used to prepare pure LaMnO3 appeared not to be suitable since the surface area dropped to 1.1 m(2)/g already after calcination in 900 degrees C.

  • 42.
    Endalew, Abebe K.
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Kiros, Yohannes
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Zanzi, Rolando
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Heterogeneous catalysis for biodiesel production from Jatropha curcas oil (JCO)2011In: Energy, ISSN 0360-5442, E-ISSN 1873-6785, Vol. 36, no 5, p. 2693-2700Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This work focuses on the development of heterogeneous catalysts for biodiesel production from high free fatty acid (FFA) containing Jatropha curcas oil (KO). Solid base and acid catalysts were prepared and tested for transesterification in a batch reactor under mild reaction conditions. Mixtures of solid base and acid catalysts were also tested for single-step simultaneous esterification and transesterification. More soap formation was found to be the main problem for calcium oxide (CaO) and lithium doped calcium oxide (Li-CaO) catalysts during the reaction of jatropha oil and methanol than for the rapeseed oil (RSO). CaO with Li doping showed increased conversion to biodiesel than bare CaO as a catalyst. La(2)O(3)/ZnO, La(2)O(3)/Al(2)O(3) and La(0.1)Ca(0.9)MnO(3) catalysts were also tested and among them La(2)O(3)-ZnO showed higher activity. Mixture of solid base catalysts (CaO and Li-CaO)and solid acid catalyst (Fe(2)(SO(4))(3)) were found to give complete conversion to biodiesel in a single-step simultaneous esterification and transesterification process. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  • 43.
    Endalew, Abebe K.
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Kiros, Yohannes
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Zanzi, Rolando
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Inorganic heterogeneous catalysts for biodiesel production from vegetable oils2011In: Biomass and Bioenergy, ISSN 0961-9534, E-ISSN 1873-2909, Vol. 35, no 9, p. 3787-3809Article, review/survey (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Biofuels are renewable solutions to replace the ever dwindling energy reserves and environmentally pollutant fossil liquid fuels when they are produced from low cost sustainable feedstocks. Biodiesel is mainly produced from vegetable oils or animal fats by the method of transesterification reaction using catalysts. Homogeneous catalysts are conventionally used for biodiesel production. Unfortunately, homogeneous catalysts are associated with problems which might increase the cost of production due to separation steps and emission of waste water. Inorganic heterogeneous catalysts are potentially low cost and can solve many of the problems encountered in homogeneous catalysts. Many solid acid and base inorganic catalysts have been studied for the transesterification of various vegetables oils. The work of many researchers on the development of active, tolerant to water and free fatty acids (FFA), as well as stable inorganic catalysts for biodiesel production from vegetable oils are reviewed and discussed.

  • 44.
    Engvall, Klas
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Kusar, Henrik
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Sjöström, Krister
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Pettersson, Lars J.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Upgrading of raw gas from biomass and waste gasification: Challenges and opportunities2011In: Topics in catalysis, ISSN 1022-5528, E-ISSN 1572-9028, Vol. 54, no 13-15, p. 949-959Article, review/survey (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The depletion of fossil fuel-based resources and concerns for increasing emissions of CO2 call for newways of producing environmentally- friendly substitutes for motor fuels and chemicals. Thermo-chemical conversion of biomass andwaste using gasification is a strong candidate tomeet these challenges. For efficient and cost-effective application of this technique, novel solutions for hot gas cleaning are needed. This review highlights some important areas for improvement of upgrading technologies for pressurised fluidised bed gasification systems using biomass as a fuel.

  • 45.
    Engvall, Klas
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Liliedahl, Truls
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Dahlquist, E.
    Biomass and black liquor gasification2013In: Technologies for Converting Biomass to Useful Energy: Combustion, Gasification, Pyrolysis, Torrefaction and Fermentation, CRC Press , 2013, p. 175-216Chapter in book (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    Modern society is profoundly dependent on fossil feed stocks to produce multiple products, such as transportation fuels, fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, detergents, synthetic fibers, plastics, fertilizers, lubricants, solvents, waxes, etc., as well as heat and power (Demirbas, 2006). The fossil resources are not endless. Their price is increasing continuously due to increasing scarcity, and not regarded as sustainable from an environmental point of view (Kamm, 2006). A versatile resource, especially in terms of producing carbon-based products, to replace fossil feedstocks is biomass (Vlachos, 2010) or other sources originating form biomass, such as black liquor (BL). Conversion of biomass to other products can be performed either by biochemical or thermochemical processes. In the case of large-scale production of, for example, carbon-based products, thermo-chemical conversion is considered more efficient compared to biochemical processes (Zhang, 2010). Techniques for thermo-chemical conversion can be divided into pyrolysis, gasification, combustion and liquefaction. Among these techniques, gasification is a versatile platform for production of multiple products, as illustrated in Figure 6.1. 

  • 46.
    Eriksson, Tore
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology.
    Kiros, Yohannes
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Temperature swing adsorption device for oxygen-enriched air2014In: Journal of Cleaner Production, ISSN 0959-6526, E-ISSN 1879-1786, Vol. 76, p. 174-179Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    In connection with a project aimed at producing oxygen-enriched air from ambient air using temperature differences in the so-called temperature swing adsorption (TSA), a device was designed and constructed that took into consideration most of the conceivable parameters governing such a process. While designing the device, care was taken so that it was adaptable to different operating modes, fulfilling high versatility and extending to more processes than producing oxygen-enriched air. The device was small-scale, mounted on a movable table. It was equipped with a total of 54 individually controllable on/off valves. The valves could be controlled at a resolution of 1 s using a programmable logic controller, controlled by a personal computer, so the time program for the valves could be easily exchanged for a readymade program. The device had six cylinders, with removable lids filled with zeolite and easily maintained plastic tubing, which could therefore be changed or replaced without much difficulty. The results show that 15 L of oxygen could be produced at a concentration of 30% in the oxygen-enriched air per kg zeolite and hour. Equipping the device in the future with valves that close and open securely in both directions would vastly extend the possibility of using this technology to other applications, in addition to this method of TSA process for air separation.

  • 47.
    Eriksson, Tore
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Sylwan, Christopher
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Measurement method for finding gas adsorption equilibrium isotherms by employing a gas chromatograph and using its integrator in a new way2005In: Review of Scientific Instruments, ISSN 0034-6748, E-ISSN 1089-7623, Vol. 76, no 4, p. 044102-Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    A method for measuring the adsorption ability of zeolites has been developed. The adsorption can be accurately measured over a wide range of pressures and temperatures. The range usually covered is partial pressures ranging from 0.2 to 20 bar (a) and temperatures from 10 to 50 degrees C. However, it may be extended to 0.1-25 bar (a) and -40-80 degrees C. When a partial pressure below 2 bar (a) is to be used, the gas is diluted with helium. The method is built around a gas chromatograph (GC) equipped with a thermal conductivity detector (TCD) and having a programming and peak integrating unit. It also has an option using liquid nitrogen to allow work below ambient temperature. The GC has been modified with two special columns to be used alternately for purging with helium and as test chamber for the measurements. It is also equipped with a separate external flow and pressure-handling unit. The GC is used, not as a chromatograph, but instead to integrate suitably interrupted breakthrough curves. The primary measured data are evaluated using a program written in BASIC, which separates the part of the primary measured results that originates from the adsorption from the part that is induced by the measuring equipment. Using a calibration file that can easily be updated from within the program, this separation has achieved a high degree of accuracy. Using the adsorption data from these measurements, Langmuir-type isotherm equations are fitted, which accurately represent the adsorption of the tested gas both with respect to pressure and to temperature. It has been found that adsorption data measured in this way can achieve a standard deviation between measured and calculated data that typically varies around 1% over the whole measured range. In order to do this, however, in the case of nitrogen adsorption the sum of two Langmuir isotherms has to be used. This is not needed with oxygen or argon adsorption.

  • 48.
    Ersson, Anders
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology.
    Persson, Katarina
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology.
    Adu, Isaac Kweku
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology.
    Järås, Sven G.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    A comparison between hexaaluminates and perovskites for catalytic combustion applications2006In: Catalysis Today, ISSN 0920-5861, E-ISSN 1873-4308, Vol. 112, no 04-jan, p. 157-160Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Hexaaluminates and perovskites are two promising candidates for use in catalytic combustion applications. In the present study two hexaaluminates, LaMnAl11O19 and LaCoAl11O19, were compared with two perovskites, LaMnO3 and LaCoO3, with respect to their thermal stability and catalytic activity for combustion of methane and gasified biomass. The results showed that the hexaaluminates retained a much higher surface area even after calcination at 1200 degrees C compared to the perovskites. LaMnAl11O19 showed the highest catalytic activity of all catalysts. LaCoAl11O19 generally showed low activity. Of the two perovskites, LaCoO3 was the most active, and the initial test run the activity for biomass combustion were close to that one of LaMnAl11O19 even though its surface area was only one tenth of the hexaaluminate's. However, it was severely deactivated in the second test run. Similar deactivation but less severe was also found for the other catalyst.

  • 49.
    Garcia-Rojas, L. M.
    et al.
    Universidad de Pinar del Río, Cuba.
    Marquez-Montesino, Francisco
    Universidad de Pinar del Río, Cuba.
    Aguiar-Trujillo, Leonardo
    Universidad de Pinar del Río, Cuba.
    Arauso-Perez, Jesus
    Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain.
    Carballo-Abreu, Leila R.
    Universidad de Pinar del Río, Cuba.
    Orea Igarza, U.
    Zanzi, Rolando
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Reaction Engineering. KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Rendimiento de los productos de la descomposición térmica De la madera de eucalyptus saligna smith a diferentes alturas del fuste comercial2009In: Revista Chapingo, Serie Ciencias Forestales y del Ambiente, ISSN 0186-3231, Vol. 15, no 2, p. 147-154Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    In this work the qualitative and quantitative results of the thermal pyrolysis of Eucalyptus Saligna Smith is presented, to different heights of the commercial wooden log. The wood was collected from Pinar del Rio, Cuba. The need to use this wood like energy source in the region led to the research at laboratory scale. The used trees were 20 and 22 years old, from which 20 cm disks were cut at 25; 55 and 85 % height of the log, milled to chips and air dried. The chemical composition was determined and was carried out the previous analysis of the samples, as well as the thermal decomposition in micro scale. The study of products from the pyrolysis (coal and tar), it was made in a reactor of fixed channel. The caloric value of the biomass and its charcoal was determined. The influence of the height of the log in the product yields from the pyrolysis was studied.

    As significant differences was observed as for the chemical composition of the studied wood: cellulose, hemicelulose and lignine, being observed an apparent increase of the lignine percentage with the height of the tree. The previous analysis belongs together with the chemical composition of the studied biomass. A small decrease was observed in the yield of the coal and of the percentage of tars with the height of the tree, this belongs together with the variation of the chemical composition according to the height of the tree. The biggest yield of coal and caloric value was achieved at the lowest height of the tree. The contribution to gas goes increasing with the height.

  • 50.
    Givehchi, Mohammad
    et al.
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Production Engineering.
    Haghighi, Azadeh
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemical Engineering and Technology, Chemical Technology.
    Wang, Lihui
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Production Engineering.
    Generic machining process sequencing through a revised enriched machining feature concept2015In: Journal of manufacturing systems, ISSN 0278-6125, E-ISSN 1878-6642, Vol. 37, p. 564-575Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Nowadays, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) require a highly competitive process planning approach in order to survive. This mainly is due to the abrupt and continuous changes that occur every day in the production plant. This paper proposes a generic process sequencing approach that due to its independency to available resources can increase adaptability and flexibility of the system. The proposed method can be used by the Cloud-DPP (distributed process planning) in an integrated cyber-physical system. This rule-based approach requires the definition of a new revised enriched machining feature concept. The proposed concept not only possesses information of the machining feature itself (geometrical information, tolerances and coordinates system), but also contains additional information that are discussed in detail throughout the paper. A data format has been defined for the introduced additional data and the machinability rule has been defined as the key rule for sequencing. The sequencing approach in this work applies four sets of rules but can be extended if new rules are needed. The proposed method is then validated through a case study.

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