Natural Gas Halogenation using Metal Halide Photocatalysts and Renewable Energy
Mentor 1
Jennifer Schuttlefield-Christus
Location
Union Wisconsin Room
Start Date
24-4-2015 2:30 PM
End Date
24-4-2015 3:45 PM
Description
Hydrocarbon fuels are the major source of energy on the market today. These fuels power everything, from the cars that people rely on to take them places to the warming of houses. In past years, there were many concerns about limited hydrocarbon resources. Now that abundant quantities of shale gas have been found in many places, the focus has shifted to natural gas. Natural gas is projected to be the major hydrocarbon source of the future. Transportation of natural gas is expensive especially in the remote places where natural gas is produced as a byproduct of oil extraction, such as off-shore drilling sites. One way to lower transportation cost is to convert natural gas from the gaseous state it is extracted in to a liquid state at the remote extraction sites. However, traditional liquefaction processes use extreme conditions, such as high temperature and pressure, which are cost intensive. A potential solution for this technique is to utilize solar energy and a solid metal halide as a photocatalyst. These catalysts will aid in the halogenation of the natural gas which can then be used for liquefaction. Proof-of-concept Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) experiments were performed on “dirty” natural gas. Samples were irritated for 3 hours under broadband light above a metal halogen salt solution, such as potassium chloride, in a sealed quartz chamber. A platinum catalyst was used as an initial test case to prove halogenation was possible. A bias of 1.5 V was applied to the working electrode during the 3 hours of irradiation. These experiments showed that the halogenation of various natural gas components can be accomplished, including methane, ethane and propane. This is a critical first step in creating a sustainable system for natural gas liquefaction and understanding the halogenation of the natural gas components using a metal salt solution.
Natural Gas Halogenation using Metal Halide Photocatalysts and Renewable Energy
Union Wisconsin Room
Hydrocarbon fuels are the major source of energy on the market today. These fuels power everything, from the cars that people rely on to take them places to the warming of houses. In past years, there were many concerns about limited hydrocarbon resources. Now that abundant quantities of shale gas have been found in many places, the focus has shifted to natural gas. Natural gas is projected to be the major hydrocarbon source of the future. Transportation of natural gas is expensive especially in the remote places where natural gas is produced as a byproduct of oil extraction, such as off-shore drilling sites. One way to lower transportation cost is to convert natural gas from the gaseous state it is extracted in to a liquid state at the remote extraction sites. However, traditional liquefaction processes use extreme conditions, such as high temperature and pressure, which are cost intensive. A potential solution for this technique is to utilize solar energy and a solid metal halide as a photocatalyst. These catalysts will aid in the halogenation of the natural gas which can then be used for liquefaction. Proof-of-concept Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) experiments were performed on “dirty” natural gas. Samples were irritated for 3 hours under broadband light above a metal halogen salt solution, such as potassium chloride, in a sealed quartz chamber. A platinum catalyst was used as an initial test case to prove halogenation was possible. A bias of 1.5 V was applied to the working electrode during the 3 hours of irradiation. These experiments showed that the halogenation of various natural gas components can be accomplished, including methane, ethane and propane. This is a critical first step in creating a sustainable system for natural gas liquefaction and understanding the halogenation of the natural gas components using a metal salt solution.
