Final Report Summary - GAS2ALCO (Novel Efficient Catalysts for Bio-syngas Conversion to C2-C4 Alcohols)
he major goal of the project GAS2ALCO for the development of novel C2-C4 alcohol selective catalysts for the production of gasoline blending components from biosyngas was to provide the Marie Curie fellow a starting point for achieving professional reintegration in her country of origin, Greece, after a mobilisation period of 24 months in Germany in the frame of a ToK Industry-Academia Partnership Scheme Marie-Curie fellowship. The GAS2ALCO project allowed the MC fellow to receive a 3-year work contract with the Centre of Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), which provided the necessary infrastructure and additional necessary funding to implement the proposed research work. This led to the establishment of a long-term relationship between the researcher and CERTH and the extension of the working contract after the end of the ERG Marie-Curie project. Overall, the Marie Curie actions acted beneficially to the future career development of the researcher. The experience and knowledge acquired during the 6 years in total of MC fellowships strengthened the scientific and managerial skills of the researcher and allowed her to successfully pursue a professorship in the academia. The researcher has been recently elected in the permanent position of lecturer at the International University of Thessaloniki (IHU) in Greece, where she is expected to be appointed in the beginning of 2013.
The scientific objective of the GAS2ALCO project was to design a catalyst for the hydrogenation of CO to C2-C4 alcohols, able to operate under moderate pressure conditions, using syngas from biomass gasification as feedstock. Progress in this field will eventually allow commercialisation of a thermochemical process for the production of gasoline additives from bio-syngas with significant environmental benefits. Such a process would maximise the biomass resource utilisation for biofuel production and would offer high GHG emission reductions at a competitive price, without interfering with the food chain. The technical goal of the project was proposed to be achieved by closely linking material synthesis with advanced surface characterisation to identify the nature of the active sites and kinetic and mechanistic characterisation of the reaction routes. Moreover, a further objective was to analyze the environmental impact of the envisaged developed catalytic process via Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and benchmark against emerging technologies for 2nd generation cellulosic ethanol production. It should be noted at this point that the research presented in this report was realised with additional funding from the European Union via the collaborative project "EuroBioRefEUROpean multilevel integrated BIOREFinery design for sustainable biomass processing (Project number: 241718, FP7-2009-BIOREFINERY_CP) " that started on 1/3/2010 and runs until 1/3/2014.
In general, research efforts were focused on CuZnAl based mixed oxides. The effect of chemical composition, addition of alkali promoters and secondary doping with other metal ions was examined. Addition of alkali and alkali earth cations was explored together with the additional dopants to tailor the basicity in the oxide. Basic physicochemical characterisation was conducted on most synthesized materials to determine surface area, crystal structure, reducibility, acidity and other basic material properties. The prepared catalysts were tested in the targeted reaction. A high-pressure experimental setup in CERTH was used to measure catalytic activity and selectivity. Testing initially included a critical evaluation of the potential operating conditions and definition of standard conditions for catalyst screening. The catalytic properties of the as-synthesized materials were assessed with respect to activity and selectivity.
Concerning the environmental analysis of the thermochemical alcohol production process, a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) study was conducted in order to determine the environmental impact of the catalytically produced C2-C4 alcohols, considering the full lifecycle of the higher alcohols production (from biomass cultivation to use in automotive applications) and demonstrate the sustainable profile of the process with minimal fossil energy use and GHG emissions compared to other emerging technologies for the production of cellulosic ethanol.
The main scientific results of the project were the following:
Modified CuZnAl catalysts have the potential to be used for the conversion of biosyngas to higher alcohols at moderate reaction conditions (temperature, pressure)
Optimum catalytic composition of maximum alcohols production is Cu0. 45Zn0. 45Al0. 10
Promotion with alkalis and in particular K is necessary for obtaining high selectivity to higher alcohols
The substitution of Zn with Mn in K-promoted CuXAl catalysts results in increasing the selectivity of the reaction to the desired C2-C5OH alcohols
The environmental footprint of the thermochemically produced C2-C4 alcohols via Life Cycle Analysis demonstrated the sustainable profile of the process with minimal fossil energy use and GHG emissions compared to 1st generation enzymatic ethanol production and 2nd generation emerging technologies for the production of cellulosic ethanol.
In terms of training and transfer of knowledge actions, the realisation of the Marie-Curie ERG GAS2ALCO project resulted in the training of two young engineers from the Department of Chemical Engineering of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in cutting edge research themes.
One post-graduate Ph. D. student who performed the largest volume of the experimental work for the catalyst development section of the project
One under-graduate student who performed the LCA analysis of the project in the frame of his diploma thesis
It is important to note that the skills for the environmental analysis were developed during the previous Marie-Curie fellowship in the project "Development of Alternative Heating Fuels", representing the contribution of the CERTH in the Marie Curie ToK Industry-Academia Partnership Scheme "CO2 reduction through automotive bio-component & sustainable step changes in fuels and lubricants performance: SUSTAINABLE FUELUBE" (Contract No: MTKI-CT-2004-509777) with Shell Global Solutions.
The results of the project were disseminated by presentation at national and international conferences and subsequent publication in the conference proceedings. A manuscript for submission in a peer-reviewed journal is also currently under preparation.
Contact Details: Dr. Eleni Heracleous
Laboratory of Environmental Fuels and Hydrocarbons
Chemical Process Engineering Research Institute
Centre for Research and Technology Hellas
6th klm Charilaou-Thermi Road, P. O. Box 361
57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
Tel + 30 2310 498 345; Fax + 30 2310 498 380
e-mail: eheracle@cperi. certh. gr
The scientific objective of the GAS2ALCO project was to design a catalyst for the hydrogenation of CO to C2-C4 alcohols, able to operate under moderate pressure conditions, using syngas from biomass gasification as feedstock. Progress in this field will eventually allow commercialisation of a thermochemical process for the production of gasoline additives from bio-syngas with significant environmental benefits. Such a process would maximise the biomass resource utilisation for biofuel production and would offer high GHG emission reductions at a competitive price, without interfering with the food chain. The technical goal of the project was proposed to be achieved by closely linking material synthesis with advanced surface characterisation to identify the nature of the active sites and kinetic and mechanistic characterisation of the reaction routes. Moreover, a further objective was to analyze the environmental impact of the envisaged developed catalytic process via Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and benchmark against emerging technologies for 2nd generation cellulosic ethanol production. It should be noted at this point that the research presented in this report was realised with additional funding from the European Union via the collaborative project "EuroBioRefEUROpean multilevel integrated BIOREFinery design for sustainable biomass processing (Project number: 241718, FP7-2009-BIOREFINERY_CP) " that started on 1/3/2010 and runs until 1/3/2014.
In general, research efforts were focused on CuZnAl based mixed oxides. The effect of chemical composition, addition of alkali promoters and secondary doping with other metal ions was examined. Addition of alkali and alkali earth cations was explored together with the additional dopants to tailor the basicity in the oxide. Basic physicochemical characterisation was conducted on most synthesized materials to determine surface area, crystal structure, reducibility, acidity and other basic material properties. The prepared catalysts were tested in the targeted reaction. A high-pressure experimental setup in CERTH was used to measure catalytic activity and selectivity. Testing initially included a critical evaluation of the potential operating conditions and definition of standard conditions for catalyst screening. The catalytic properties of the as-synthesized materials were assessed with respect to activity and selectivity.
Concerning the environmental analysis of the thermochemical alcohol production process, a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) study was conducted in order to determine the environmental impact of the catalytically produced C2-C4 alcohols, considering the full lifecycle of the higher alcohols production (from biomass cultivation to use in automotive applications) and demonstrate the sustainable profile of the process with minimal fossil energy use and GHG emissions compared to other emerging technologies for the production of cellulosic ethanol.
The main scientific results of the project were the following:
Modified CuZnAl catalysts have the potential to be used for the conversion of biosyngas to higher alcohols at moderate reaction conditions (temperature, pressure)
Optimum catalytic composition of maximum alcohols production is Cu0. 45Zn0. 45Al0. 10
Promotion with alkalis and in particular K is necessary for obtaining high selectivity to higher alcohols
The substitution of Zn with Mn in K-promoted CuXAl catalysts results in increasing the selectivity of the reaction to the desired C2-C5OH alcohols
The environmental footprint of the thermochemically produced C2-C4 alcohols via Life Cycle Analysis demonstrated the sustainable profile of the process with minimal fossil energy use and GHG emissions compared to 1st generation enzymatic ethanol production and 2nd generation emerging technologies for the production of cellulosic ethanol.
In terms of training and transfer of knowledge actions, the realisation of the Marie-Curie ERG GAS2ALCO project resulted in the training of two young engineers from the Department of Chemical Engineering of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in cutting edge research themes.
One post-graduate Ph. D. student who performed the largest volume of the experimental work for the catalyst development section of the project
One under-graduate student who performed the LCA analysis of the project in the frame of his diploma thesis
It is important to note that the skills for the environmental analysis were developed during the previous Marie-Curie fellowship in the project "Development of Alternative Heating Fuels", representing the contribution of the CERTH in the Marie Curie ToK Industry-Academia Partnership Scheme "CO2 reduction through automotive bio-component & sustainable step changes in fuels and lubricants performance: SUSTAINABLE FUELUBE" (Contract No: MTKI-CT-2004-509777) with Shell Global Solutions.
The results of the project were disseminated by presentation at national and international conferences and subsequent publication in the conference proceedings. A manuscript for submission in a peer-reviewed journal is also currently under preparation.
Contact Details: Dr. Eleni Heracleous
Laboratory of Environmental Fuels and Hydrocarbons
Chemical Process Engineering Research Institute
Centre for Research and Technology Hellas
6th klm Charilaou-Thermi Road, P. O. Box 361
57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
Tel + 30 2310 498 345; Fax + 30 2310 498 380
e-mail: eheracle@cperi. certh. gr