Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

Gas-to-liquids (GtL) processes are a feasible platform to convert greenhouse gases into liquid fuels. GtL processes comprise two steps i) convert methane (CH4) or carbon dioxide (CO2) to syngas (a mixture of hydrogen + carbon monoxide = H2 + CO) and ii) react the syngas to fuels by the Fischer-Tropsch process (FTP) that produces long chain hydrocarbons. ***The oil industry deals with nuisance gases including wasted natural gas (CH4) and flared gas (CO2). This represents a lucrative carbon-based potential. We developed a micro-GtL concept that converts natural gas first to syngas (by catalytic partial oxidation cPOX) and then to diesel by FTP. This creates a revenue stream that is of great interest to oil companies and clean up oil field services. The same micro-GtL concept is applicable to convert CO2 from industrial or other types of emissions to syngas first (by reversed water gas shift RWGS) and then FTP by targeting the jet fuel cut (C8-C16). All the processes mentioned (cPOX, FTP, WGS) rely on a heterogeneous catalyst. Designing GtL active catalysts requires understanding the basic principles of reactions, including the thermodynamic and kinetis behaviour of catalytic surfaces. For instance, a huge challenge is to reduce coke, which requires a basic understanding of thermodynamics.***We request a TPX (X = desorption (D), oxidation (O), reduction (R), reaction (Rx)) to collect quantitative information on the number of a catalyst's active sites available to a specific reagent (TPD), the number of metallic sites (valence 0) on a catalyst surface and in the bulk, as well their redox properties and their strength (TPO/TPR), and identify with a single test the temperature at which the activity of the catalyst is the highest (TPRx). ***In a TPX, a gas flows through the catalyst, and a detector (e.g. thermal conductivity detector) analyzes the composition while a furnace subjects it to a temperature program. The average analysis time is 60-120 min. It is reliable, with low maintenance and operation costs (~ 2000 CA$/y).***The quality of research of many students will be greatly enhanced with a TPX to develop and characterize catalysts. Considering the only teams of the applicants, over 20 HQP will be trained by 2021. UdeM, McGill, USherbrooke and NRC are all possible users. The acquisition of this instrument will train HQP in the critical and relevant field of heterogeneous catalysis. With over 80% of the chemical processes relying on heterogeneous catalysis, the associated economic and societal benefits are staggering catalysis accounts for 30% of the world's gross product. The HQP trained to use the TPX, not only will be able to work in fields such as materials synthesis, catalyst design and characterization, and GtL processes, but their skills will be also marketable in fields such as environmental sciences, food engineering, and in the pharmaceutical industry. **