Catalytic molten metals for the direct conversion of methane to hydrogen and separable carbon
Abstract
Metals that are active catalysts for methane (Ni, Pt, Pd), when dissolved in inactive low–melting temperature metals (In, Ga, Sn, Pb), produce stable molten metal alloy catalysts for pyrolysis of methane into hydrogen and carbon. All solid catalysts previously used for this reaction have been deactivated by carbon deposition. In the molten alloy system, the insoluble carbon floats to the surface where it can be skimmed off. A 27% Ni–73% Bi alloy achieved 95% methane conversion at 1065°C in a 1.1-meter bubble column and produced pure hydrogen without CO 2 or other by-products. Calculations show that the active metals in the molten alloys are atomically dispersed and negatively charged. There is a correlation between the amount of charge on the atoms and their catalytic activity.
- Authors:
-
[1];
[2];
[3];
[3];
[3];
[1];
[3]
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9510, USA.
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9510, USA., Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur 208016, Uttar Pradesh, India.
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5080, USA.
- Publication Date:
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1436909
- Grant/Contract Number:
- FG03-89ER14048
- Resource Type:
- Published Article
- Journal Name:
- Science
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Science Journal Volume: 358 Journal Issue: 6365; Journal ID: ISSN 0036-8075
- Publisher:
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Citation Formats
Upham, D. Chester, Agarwal, Vishal, Khechfe, Alexander, Snodgrass, Zachary R., Gordon, Michael J., Metiu, Horia, and McFarland, Eric W. Catalytic molten metals for the direct conversion of methane to hydrogen and separable carbon. United States: N. p., 2017.
Web. doi:10.1126/science.aao5023.
Upham, D. Chester, Agarwal, Vishal, Khechfe, Alexander, Snodgrass, Zachary R., Gordon, Michael J., Metiu, Horia, & McFarland, Eric W. Catalytic molten metals for the direct conversion of methane to hydrogen and separable carbon. United States. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aao5023
Upham, D. Chester, Agarwal, Vishal, Khechfe, Alexander, Snodgrass, Zachary R., Gordon, Michael J., Metiu, Horia, and McFarland, Eric W. Thu .
"Catalytic molten metals for the direct conversion of methane to hydrogen and separable carbon". United States. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aao5023.
@article{osti_1436909,
title = {Catalytic molten metals for the direct conversion of methane to hydrogen and separable carbon},
author = {Upham, D. Chester and Agarwal, Vishal and Khechfe, Alexander and Snodgrass, Zachary R. and Gordon, Michael J. and Metiu, Horia and McFarland, Eric W.},
abstractNote = {Metals that are active catalysts for methane (Ni, Pt, Pd), when dissolved in inactive low–melting temperature metals (In, Ga, Sn, Pb), produce stable molten metal alloy catalysts for pyrolysis of methane into hydrogen and carbon. All solid catalysts previously used for this reaction have been deactivated by carbon deposition. In the molten alloy system, the insoluble carbon floats to the surface where it can be skimmed off. A 27% Ni–73% Bi alloy achieved 95% methane conversion at 1065°C in a 1.1-meter bubble column and produced pure hydrogen without CO 2 or other by-products. Calculations show that the active metals in the molten alloys are atomically dispersed and negatively charged. There is a correlation between the amount of charge on the atoms and their catalytic activity.},
doi = {10.1126/science.aao5023},
journal = {Science},
number = 6365,
volume = 358,
place = {United States},
year = {2017},
month = {11}
}
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https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aao5023
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