Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

The share of natural gas (methane) in Canadian energy portfolio is rapidly increasing which hinders energy decarbonization. Novel processes are needed to use methane recourses with minimal environmental impact. Plasma decomposition is an emerging technology for breaking C-H bonds without direct CO2 emissions to produce hydrogen and carbonaceous nanoparticles. This technology stores electricity in hydrogen and produces valuable carbonaceous nanoparticles used in batteries with minimal, if not zero environmental footprint. With plasma decarbonization, most of the consumed electricity can be recycled from hydrogen and the elemental carbon can be converted to valuable nanoparticles without combustion emissions. This technique has not been widely used because: 1. There is a fundamental lack of understanding regarding the interaction of methane pyrolysis with plasma chemistry. Combustion kinetic models are developed for methane oxidation where only a handful of reactions dominate. However, plasma synthesis operates without oxygen for which other important reaction pathways are active. Such non-oxidative routes have major implications for process design and open possibilities for novel technologies. 2. Knowledge of gas phase synthesis of carbonaceous nanoparticles is limited to a narrow range of flame temperatures. With plasma, this range is extended beyond thermodynamic limitations of combustion and an array of new valuable functional nanoparticles can be made. The non-oxidizing nature of plasma synthesis results in particles with completely different compositions, surface functionalities and optical properties. It is not currently possible to predict how these parameters change with high temperature particle residence time due to gaps in understanding and lack of a predictive framework. This research addresses many of these issues through a multiscale experimental and modeling approach with a focus on the interaction of plasma chemistry with: a) methane pyrolysis kinetics, b) high temperature aerosol dynamics and c) functional properties of carbonaceous nanoparticles. Specifically, we will couple methane and plasma kinetic models with particle simulations to predict species and aerosol measurements in pyrolysis conditions. Then we benchmark predicted particle optical properties needed for laser diagnostics in process control. Finally, with experiments in a modular reactor, we understand how the functional properties of carbonaceous nanoparticles are controlled. The main goal is to reveal how process conditions such as high temperature particle residence time affect particle functional properties and hydrogen production. This research enables Canada to harness the energy of its vast hydrocarbon resources by converting them to hydrogen and functional nanoparticles, i.e. two essential commodities for carbon free energy conversion and storage. It also contributes to developing novel hydrocarbon reforming technologies to reduce emissions.