by A researcher from the University of Alberta has made significant advancements in converting carbon dioxide (CO2), a harmful greenhouse gas, and glycerol, a byproduct of biodiesel production, into high-value materials with diverse applications, including liquid hydrogen storage. These procedures, which are set to be tested on a larger scale for potential industry implementation, represent a significant step forward in sustainability, according to Yanet Rodriguez Herrero, who pursued a Ph.D. in bioresource technology and food engineering from the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences.
The conversion of CO2 into methanol, a highly valuable chemical used in various industries such as automotive, electronics, clothing, adhesives, paints and coatings, packaging, solvents, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural chemicals, has immense potential and could help mitigate climate change. However, a major hurdle in this conversion process is the formation of water as a byproduct during hydrogenation, which deactivates the catalyst required for the transformation.
By utilizing nanotechnology, Herrero successfully developed a stable catalyst in the lab that can repel water, making it effective at low pressure and temperature. This advancement reduces the energy intensity and enhances the economic efficiency of the conversion process. Once scaled up for commercial use, this development could facilitate the direct utilization of large quantities of captured and stored CO2, along with its potential for liquid hydrogen storage, as stated by Aman Ullah, a professor from the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences who supervised Herrero’s research.
In addition to CO2 conversion, the newly developed process also holds promise for enhancing other catalytic chemical conversion processes that are hindered by water, such as ammonia synthesis. The ability to find thermally stable and water-repellent catalytic supports is challenging but vital in advancing these processes, Herrero explains. The patented process developed by Herrero can also address the purification challenges associated with glycerol, a viscous, colorless, and odorless liquid, which has potential applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries.
Glycerol is a major byproduct generated during biodiesel production and the production of oleochemicals derived from vegetable and animal oil and fat. However, the high cost of purification has limited its large-scale industrial usage. To overcome this challenge, Herrero developed a patented process to convert crude glycerol into monomers, essential chemicals for creating polymers. These synthetic substances have a wide range of uses, including the consolidation of fluid fine tailings (FFT) in the oilsands industry, which has been identified as a major sustainability challenge.
Research conducted by Herrero confirmed that the biopolymers produced through her process were more effective in consolidating tailings and improving water recovery compared to the currently tested polymer, polyacrylamide (PAM). Furthermore, the conversion process can assist the biodiesel industry in finding sustainable solutions for managing the increasing production of glycerol while meeting the growing demand for biofuels without harming the environment.
The researcher and supervisor also investigated sustainability as an additional aspect of the conversion process. By comparing the use of microwave heating with conventional heating sources, such as hotplates, they found that microwave technology was over 16 times less energy-intensive. Currently, an Edmonton-based biorefining company is utilizing this process to produce chemicals more efficiently using lipids and waste glycerol.
The culmination of these research findings offers promising benefits to the energy, hydrogen, biofuel, food, and chemical industries. By providing sustainable alternatives for generating value-added products, these processes contribute to both the economy and the environment, according to Ullah.
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1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
