Sabrina Karakache, PhD candidate Université de Sherbrooke, presented her advancement on the project at the biggest event for chemical engineering in Canada, CCEC 2022, CCEC 2022: October 23-26.
Abstract:
This work is a part of HORIZON 2020/GOLD Project which provides a potential solution based on phytoremediation and biofuels production, through the conversion of high-yield lignocellulosic crops on contaminated lands into clean low ILUC biofuels. The first part of the Canadian component of this project comprises the pyrolysis of contaminated biomass in a continuous bubbling fluid-bed autothermal pyrolysis (BFB-ATP), to capture and concentrate biomass-contaminating metals in the solid phase products, the char. The second part consists of using pyrolysis gases as a feedstock for biofuel production through a 3-? slurry reactor by Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis (FTS).
In this study, the catalyst performance of cobalt-iron supported on hydroxyapatite (Co-Fe/HAp) catalyst was compared with cobalt-iron supported on γ-Alumina (Co-Fe/γ-Al2O3). The catalysts were synthesized by the incipient wetness impregnation method and tested for Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis on a 3?-slurry reactor. Before the reaction, the catalysts were reduced in-situ at 450°C using a mixture of 70%H2-30%N2. The Fischer-Tropsch reaction was conducted at a temperature of 230°C, a pressure of 20 bars, a GHSV of 2400ml.g-1cat.h-1 and H2/CO ratio of 2.
The catalyst experimental use and characterization showed that Hydroxyapatite could be an efficient support for Fischer-Tropsch reaction. Iron and cobalt can be reduced much easily on HAp support than alumina. The HAp support presents weak and moderate acid sites which lead to a great interaction between the active metal and the support. The XRD analyses show that most of initial Co and Fe content is under the spinel Co3O4 form and magnetite (Fe2O3) for both fresh catalysts. For Co-Fe/HAp, the hydroxyapatite-related peaks show that the support is dominated by the hexagonal structure.
To find out more about the event click here: https://www.cheminst.ca/conference/canadian-chemical-engineering-conference-2022/
