SBIR-STTR Award

Nexceris proposes to develop novel structured catalysts for mixed CO2-steam reforming (CSR) and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) to convert biogas to wax, diesel, jet fuel and gasoline. As a renewable energy, biogas is produced from wet waste in the absence of oxygen and contains mainly CH4 and CO2. With concerns about global warming and ways of disposing of CO2, upgrading of biogas to liquid fuels via CSR and FTS is a promising approach to utilize two greenhouse gases CO2 and CH4 without expensive MEA CO2-CH4 separation process. CSR can generate the syngas with a H2/CO ratio of 2:1, which is further transformed to liquid fuels through FTS process. Nexceris proposed structured catalysts can improve heat and mass transfer, reduce pressure drop and increase catalyst robustness. Also, through a unique material synthesis approach, Nexceris will produce catalysts with excellent characteristics to improve intrinsic activities and stabilities. By tailoring the substrate/catalyst interface with a coating technology, we will seek to increase catalyst loading and adhesion on the substrates. Together, we anticipate catalyst activities will be increased significantly on Nexceris’ advanced catalysts when they are applied to fixed-bed reactors as compared to conventional CSR and FTS catalysts, improving liquid fuels productivity and shrinking reactor size. Apparently this will reduce capital cost and energy inputs. In the Phase I effort, powder catalysts will be synthesized, characterized, washcoated on small substrates, and tested for the CSR and FTS reactions. Correlations between catalyst properties and activities will be established. In the Phase II project, the most promising catalysts will be scaled up and washcoated on large substrates for demonstration. Key Words: dry reforming, CO2 reforming, steam reforming, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, biogas, natural gas, methane, syngas, liquid fuels, diesel, gasoline and catalyst. Summary for Members of Congress: In this SBIR project, Nexceris, LLC will develop superior catalysts to convert renewable biogas (methane and CO2) to high quality transportation fuels through reforming and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.

Biogas generation from the anaerobic decomposition of biological waste from municipal waste, farm waste, and waste-water treatment presents a renewable source of hydrocarbon feedstocks for fuels and chemical manufacturing. This market is projected to reach $33B in 2022. However, the majority of biogas currently generated is combusted to produce relatively low value products, like heat or electricity. To increase the valorization of biogas, it is important to find ways to make it more easily inserted into common chemical/fuel synthesis routes. Phase I of this effort resulted in a novel family high-performance catalysts for biogas steam reforming to synthesis gas and Fisher-Tropsch synthesis to liquid fuel. These catalysts achieve excellent heat transfer in reactors, reducing the energy requirement for biogas reforming, and more effectively dissipating heat from the exothermic Fischer-Tropsch reaction. A new coating technology, developed in this project, protects the support from corrosion and enhances catalyst adhesion. Phase I modeling and experimental results demonstrated proof of concept for the approach. Computational modeling confirmed the importance of thermal conductivity to reducing energy consumption of the steam reforming processes, while experimental efforts have demonstrated that surface modification of high thermal conductivity supports can fundamentally improve their performance in steam-reforming and FT conditions. Catalyst testing confirmed the performance the candidate coatings at atmospheric and elevated pressures. To complete the study, the support materials, protective coatings and catalyst materials were combined into composite pellets for packed bed tests, in which the catalyst activity met the predictions of the models, and achieved equivalent or superior performance of commercially available products, with 3X higher thermal conductivity. Process model developed for industrial reformers demonstrates economic advantage the experimental catalyst over conventional options. Extending the model predictions to full-scale reactor conditions, we anticipate that technology developed in this program will provide a drop-in solution for customers’ existing reactors, while consuming significantly less fuel during operation and achieving the same level of performance. In the Phase II effort, experiments using bench-scale reactors to evaluate catalyst thermal properties and validate modeling approaches. Resulting validated computational models of the Fischer-Tropsch and steam reforming reactions will be extended to industrial scale reactors, to predict commercial viability of the approach. In parallel, manufacturing studies of protective coatings and catalyst materials will be completed to confirm manufacturing cost models derived in Phase I and confirm the business model. Beyond biogas-to-liquids applications, the catalyst support technology has direct applicability in a range of chemical reactions, where heat transfer is a rate-limiting process. These include important reforming and oxidation reactions central to the chemicals, refining, and petrochemical industries.