Post on 31-Dec-2019
CHEM-E1130 Catalysis
Catalysis applications: future research directions
Prof. Riikka Puurunen
27.2.2019
Learning outcomes (modified)After the course the students are able to:
1. give the definition of catalysis and describe concepts related to
heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysts
2. explain steps and methods in catalyst preparation
3. describe and apply selected catalyst characterization methods
4. explain why and how catalysts deactivate and how catalyst
deactivation can be postponed or prevented
5. give examples of where catalysts are applied
6. recognize challenges potentially solvable by catalytic reactions
Note, Prof. Puurunen, 7.1.2019: These learning outcomes have not yet been
accepted for the course. Students are welcome to comment on these proposed
learning outcomes. We will in practice follow these in the course in 2018-2019
”It isn’t that they can’t see thesolution. It is that they can’tsee the problem.”
G.K. Chesterton
Via Scott Fogler:
Elements of Chemical Reaction Engineering
https://twitter.com/rlpuu/status/684034545637801984
“Words that influenced me strongly in a
chem. kinetics course at HUT, now
@AaltoUniversity #VPHA #ALDep Scott
Fogler” - @rlpuu
What is the problem?
???
Let’s think and discuss
???
Prepared contents - some words
• Introduction
• Climate change
• Green chemistry
• Topic cases
• Carbon dioxide
• Hydrogen
• Use of renewable resources biofuels, …
• Misc materials
• Conclusion Take-home message
Climate change
Anthropocene era
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https://climate.nasa.gov/climate_resources/24/graphic-the-relentless-rise-of-carbon-
dioxide/, accessed 25.2.2019
“Ancient air bubbles trapped in ice enable us to step back in time and see what Earth's
atmosphere, and climate, were like in the distant past. They tell us that levels of carbon
dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere are higher than they have been at any time in the past
400,000 years. During ice ages, CO2 levels were around 200 parts per million (ppm), and
during the warmer interglacial periods, they hovered around 280 ppm (see fluctuations in the
graph). In 2013, CO2 levels surpassed 400 ppm for the first time in recorded history. This
recent relentless rise in CO2 shows a remarkably constant relationship with fossil-fuel
burning, and can be well accounted for based on the simple premise that about 60 percent
of fossil-fuel emissions stay in the air.
Today, we stand on the threshold of a new geologic era, which some term the
"Anthropocene", one where the climate is very different to the one our ancestors
knew.
If fossil-fuel burning continues at a business-as-usual rate, such that humanity
exhausts the reserves over the next few centuries, CO2 will continue to rise to levels of
order of 1500 ppm. The atmosphere would then not return to pre-industrial levels even tens
of thousands of years into the future. This graph not only conveys the scientific
measurements, but it also underscores the fact that humans have a great capacity to change
the climate and planet.”
https://climate.nasa.gov/climate_resources/24/graphic-the-relentless-rise-of-
carbon-dioxide/, accessed 25.2.2019
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/world-of-change/DecadalTemp, accessed 27.2.2019
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gas, accessed 27.2.2019
Greenhouse effect schematic
showing energy flows between space,
the atmosphere, and
Earth's surface. Energy influx and
emittance are expressed
in watts per square meter(W/m2).
Atmospheric absorption and
scattering at
different wavelengths of electroma
gnetic waves. The largest
absorption band of carbon
dioxide is not far from the
maximum in the thermal
emission from ground, and it partly
closes the window of transparency
of water; hence its major effect.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G
reenhouse_gas, accessed
27.2.2019
When ranked by their direct contribution to the greenhouse effect, the most important are:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gas, accessed 27.2.2019
In addition to the main greenhouse gases listed above, other greenhouse gases include sulfur
hexafluoride, hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons (see IPCC list of greenhouse gases). Some
greenhouse gases are not often listed. For example, nitrogen trifluoride has a high global warming
potential (GWP) but is only present in very small quantities.
Global warming potential (GWP)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gas, accessed 27.2.2019
Paris agreement December 2015
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https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/lowcarbon_en, accessed 25.2.2019
https://youtu.be/VFkQSGyeCWg
#SchoolStrike4Climate
HS Mielipide Saska Saarikoski:
https://www.hs.fi/mielipide/art-
2000006012286.html
Flaring (soihdutus)
A gas flare, alternatively
known as a flare stack, is a
gas combustion device used
in industrial plants such as
petroleum refineries, chemical
plants, natural gas processing
plants as well as at oil or gas
production sites having oil
wells, gas wells, offshore oil
and gas rigs and landfills.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_flare, accessed 27.2.2019
Reetta Kaila lecture, 28.1.2019
Green chemistry
Catalysis: tool of Green Chemistry
Anastas et al.
Applied Catalysis A:
General 221 (2001)
3–13,
https://doi.org/10.101
6/S0926-
860X(01)00793-1
Carbon dioxide CO2
The term anthropogenic designates an effect
or object resulting from human activity.
Anthropogenic CO2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_impact_on_the_environment, accessed 25.2.2019
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_footprint, accessed 26.2.2019
https://www.uu.nl/en/news/carbon-to-carbon-chemistry-and-legislation-need-to-work-
together-for-a-true-circular-economy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9grdQk5sBE&feature=youtu.be
Prof Puurunen recommends watching this
CO2: from H2 production (for NH3)
Carbon capture and utilization (CCU)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_capture_and_utilization, accessed 26.2.2019
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_photosynthesis, accessed 25.2.2019
Book source: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1002/9783527699827
(One license at a time at Aalto Univ: http://libproxy.aalto.fi/login?url=https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/aalto-
ebooks/detail.action?docID=4901704)
Academy of Finland, call to come:
http://aka.fi/en/research-and-science-policy/academy-
programmes/current-programmes/carbon-capture-and-utilisation-
of-c1-compounds/
…
“C1 compounds (CO2, CO,
CH4, CH3OH) are potential
sources of raw material for the
production of fuels, materials
and chemicals. ”
http://aka.fi/en/res
earch-and-
science-
policy/academy-
programmes/curre
nt-
programmes/carbo
n-capture-and-
utilisation-of-c1-
compounds/
Largest use of CO2 – urea CO(NH2)2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urea, accessed 25.2.2019
Ordomsky et al.:
“As in many
industrial
processes,
sustainable
production of
hydrogen is the
main challenge of
urea synthesis.”
HS mielipide 4.2.2019
https://twitter.com/NatureChemistry/status/875306746163736578
https://www.nature.com/articles/nchem.2792
Hydrogen H2
Hydrogen …
… from water?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_splitting, accessed 25.2.2019
https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2019/02/24/belgische-wetenschappers-kraken-de-code-voor-
betaalbare-groene-w/
https://www.forbes.co
m/sites/mitsubishihea
vyindustries/2019/01/2
3/how-hydrogen-fuel-
cells-can-power-the-
world/amp/
Liquid organichydrogencarriers
(LOHCs)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2018.04.011
MSc thesis 2018 Aalto CHEM:
https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/bitstream/handle/1234
56789/34676/master_Braunschweiler_Aki_20
18.pdf
H2 generation
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2018.11.099
Use of renewable resources, biofuels, …
CHEM-E1140
27.2.2019
58
Julian Ross: Heterogeneous Catalysis - Fundamentals and Applications, © Elsevier 2012.
Link to electronic book here.
<an example of
the many schemes
that can be made,
not a complete
representation>
https://www.iea.org/tcep/transport/biofuels/, accessed 25.2019
https://www.iea.org/tcep/transport/biofuels/, accessed 25.2019
” Research efforts on biomass upgrading to transportation
fuels and chemicals have been reported since the late 1980s–early
1990s [10–14], while in the past 15 years there has been an exponential
increase in studies on process development and optimization [2,3,15–
23].
Depending on the operating conditions, the pyrolysis processes can be
classified
into three types: slow pyrolysis (carbonization), fast pyrolysis, and flash
pyrolysis.”
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6488710116680953856/
Kinkkutemppu – ham trick
https://www.neste.com/
ham-trick-campaign-
exceeds-expectations-
over-145000-
households-finland-
recycle-ham-fat-
renewable, accessed
27.2.2019
https://nestemy.fi/, accessed 27.2.2019
https://www.upmbiofuels.com/products/, accessed 27.2.2019
Terminology: Biodiesel vs renewable diesel?
27.2.2019
68
Volkswagen Sharan manual 2016
• Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of
long-chain alkyl (methyl, ethyl, or propyl) esters. Biodiesel is typically made by
chemically reacting lipids (e.g., vegetable oil, soybean oil,[1] animal fat (tallow[2][3]))
with an alcohol producing fatty acid esters. use is tightly regulated.
• Renewable diesel made in Finland at least by Neste and UPM
https://en.wi
kipedia.org/
wiki/Biodies
el, accessed
27.6.2019
Misc materials
Earth-abundantmetalspreferred as catalysts
https://twitter.com/euchems/status/1078217925121605632?s=11
Hot in catalysis:
”one-potprocesses”
http://dx.doi.org/10.103
9/C8CY01857J
Global trend: Rise of China
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6491901028571639808/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/plus-que-jamais-il-faut-
r%C3%AAver-pierre-etienne-franc/
https://www.poyry.com/im-proud-be-working-poyry-who-contributing-more-sustainable-society, accessed 27.2.2019
Aalto CHEM (HUT) graduate
… related to the previousALD lecture…
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1885076/
https://youtu.be/fG5lNC2mdOA
Conclusion /Take-home message
Take-home message
• Future is present every day
• Catalysis in central role to
sustain our planet
• Chemical engineering
education gives a basis to
influence progress: scientific
research, businesses,
legislations
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”What can I / we do?”
https://twitte
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ert/status/10
93126905828
646912?s=11