A combined catalyst and sorbent for enhancing hydrogen production from coal or biomass

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2007-01-01
Authors
Shanks, Brent
Wheelock, Thomas
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Shanks, Brent
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Chemical and Biological Engineering

The function of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering has been to prepare students for the study and application of chemistry in industry. This focus has included preparation for employment in various industries as well as the development, design, and operation of equipment and processes within industry.Through the CBE Department, Iowa State University is nationally recognized for its initiatives in bioinformatics, biomaterials, bioproducts, metabolic/tissue engineering, multiphase computational fluid dynamics, advanced polymeric materials and nanostructured materials.

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The Department of Chemical Engineering was founded in 1913 under the Department of Physics and Illuminating Engineering. From 1915 to 1931 it was jointly administered by the Divisions of Industrial Science and Engineering, and from 1931 onward it has been under the Division/College of Engineering. In 1928 it merged with Mining Engineering, and from 1973–1979 it merged with Nuclear Engineering. It became Chemical and Biological Engineering in 2005.

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1913 - present

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  • Department of Chemical Engineering (1913–1928)
  • Department of Chemical and Mining Engineering (1928–1957)
  • Department of Chemical Engineering (1957–1973, 1979–2005)
    • Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (2005–present)

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Abstract

Future large-scale production of H2 for use as a clean fuel will likely depend upon gasifying coal or biomass followed by steam reforming the resulting gas mixture and separating the CO2 byproduct. The process of steam reforming and CO2 separation can be greatly simplified by utilizing a new material that combines a reforming catalyst with a sorbent for CO2. Such a material was prepared in the form of small pellets with cores made of calcium and magnesium oxides and shells made largely of alumina impregnated with a nickel catalyst. Subsequent laboratory performance tests of the material showed that CO, CH4, and toluene, which are representative products of gasification, were largely converted to H2 by reacting the material with steam in the presence of the catalyst/sorbent, so that CO2 was absorbed as it was produced. The sorbent was easily regenerated by raising its temperature, which made it possible to reuse the catalyst/sorbent repeatedly.

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Reprinted (adapted) with permission from Energy and Fuels 21 (2007): 322, doi: 10.1021/ef060132z.Copyright 2007 American Chemical Society.

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Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 UTC 2007
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