Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Ben Niu, Ruichun Liu, Juntao Zhang, Runkun Shi, Hanbin Zhong, Jiaofei Wang
Summary: This study investigated coal pyrolysis in O-2/CH4 atmosphere using an atmospheric fixed-bed reactor. It was found that the addition of O-2 to CH4 can enhance tar formation, with significant effects on tar yield, fraction distribution, and composition. The results show that the addition of O-2/CH4 as pyrolysis atmosphere can improve the content and distribution of various components in tar compared to CH4 and N-2 atmospheres.
JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL AND APPLIED PYROLYSIS
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Yonglin Li, Qiuhong Ai, Kuiyi You, Fei Zhao, Wenlong Xiao, He'an Luo
Summary: A green, efficient, and simple process for extracting phenols from coal tar using low-boiling-point amine aqueous solution was developed in this paper. The simulation results showed that the designed process was economical and environmentally-friendly, with high extraction yield and recovery rates.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Qinlin Yang, Qiuxiang Yao, Duo Ma, Yongqi Liu, Lei He, Ruishi Zhou, Ming Sun, Xiaoxun Ma
Summary: The catalytic co-pyrolysis of coal and hydrogen-rich substances can improve the yield and quality of coal tar. This study investigated the effects of hematite, chalcopyrite, nickel laterite, and molybdenite catalysts on the product distribution of coal-tar slurry. The addition of catalysts reduced the apparent activation energy of the pyrolysis process and promoted the generation of oxygen-containing compounds and aromatics. The presence of natural minerals enhanced the formation of light tar.
JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL AND APPLIED PYROLYSIS
(2022)
Article
Thermodynamics
Yanpeng Ban, Lijun Jin, Kechao Wang, Yang Li, He Yang, Haoquan Hu
Summary: The effect of carbide slag (CS) on the pyrolysis behavior and product distribution of low-rank coal was investigated. It was found that CS impregnation significantly affected the coal pyrolysis products, making the tar lighter and reducing the pitch content. In-situ Py-VUVPI-MS analysis revealed that the decrease in benzenes and phenols content was due to the secondary reaction of primary products catalyzed by calcium in CS, and the change of reaction path of oxygen-containing structure in coal caused by calcium catalysis.
Article
Engineering, Geological
Yang Ju, Yan Zhu, Yuwei Zhang, Stefan Iglauer, Bin Pan, Kai Wang
Summary: British Petroleum predicts that coal will continue to be the largest source of energy for power generation until 2040, and the U.S. Energy Information Administration forecasts that coal will remain an important component of the country's electricity portfolio until at least 2040. However, due to serious environmental and safety issues associated with traditional coal mining and utilization, there is an international call for the abandonment of coal use and the adoption of renewable resources. To address these concerns, a novel approach using in situ conversion and power generation from subsurface coal has been proposed and studied. This work contributes to cleaner energy production and energy security.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ROCK MECHANICS AND MINING SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Valentina Zubkova, Andrzej Strojwas
Summary: The softening points of CTPs do not affect the structure of the coal plastic layer and the semi-coke structure, as the CTP additives independently change these characteristics. There is no correlation between softening points and the composition of volatile products emitted from blends, as well as the structural and chemical parameters of extracted material.
Article
Thermodynamics
Tong Xu, Chunbo Wang, Dikun Hong
Summary: This study investigated the impact of the programmable heating and quenching (PHQ) method on coal pyrolysis tar yield using the ReaxFF molecular dynamics method. The results showed that reducing the heating and cooling time ratio, maximum and minimum temperatures helped to improve tar yield. Compared to the conventional continuous heating (CCH) method, the PHQ method achieved a 37.67% increase in tar yield. The mechanism of the PHQ method on tar yield was analyzed, revealing three pathways to increase tar yield.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Lei Li, Xiongchao Lin, Jin He, Yukun Zhang, Junxin Lv, Yonggang Wang
Summary: The study found that biomass tar pitch can increase the yield of mesocarbon microbeads, and soaking time has an impact on the morphology and yield of the microbeads. In addition, adding tar pitch can improve the electrochemical performance of MCMBs.
JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL AND APPLIED PYROLYSIS
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Dong Wang, Zeyu Peng, Jun Wang, Litong Liang, Chunyan Tu, Qian Zhang, Wei Huang
Summary: This paper separated sub-bituminous coal into maceral-rich fractions using float-sink method and evaluated the low temperature pyrolysis behavior of the fractions. The study found that the enriched fractions had different characteristics with varying proportions of vitrinite, inertinite, and minerals. The tar yields and compositions of the enriched fractions also showed distinct differences, indicating the potential for staged utilization of sub-bituminous coal.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Yiming Wang, Yang Li, Guijin Wang, Jialong Zhu, He Yang, Lijun Jin, Song Hu, Haoquan Hu
Summary: This study investigates the catalytic upgrading of coal pyrolysis volatiles using nickel catalysts supported on red mud. The results show that the loading of nickel improves the physical and chemical properties of red mud, resulting in improved tar quality and decreased content of heavy components.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Qian Wang, Meijun Wang, Huan Wang, Jiao Kong, Wei Xie, Jiancheng Wang, Liping Chang, Weiren Bao
Summary: Temperature and gasification gases have significant impacts on the reactions of volatiles generated from rapid pyrolysis of low rank coal. Higher temperature can reduce the ratio of aliphatic hydrocarbons and oxygen-containing compounds, increase polycyclic aromatic naphthalene, and introducing gasification gas from char can enhance tar yields. The results suggest that temperature affects the diffusion and condensation of tar, while free radicals from the gasification gas may alter the repolymerization of volatiles.
FUEL PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Jia-Hao Li, Xian-Yong Wei, Zheng Yang, Dao-Guang Teng, Li Li, Zhuang Li, Zi-Chun Fan, Qian-Qian Kong, Ji Zhao, Kun-Lang Lu, Fan Yin, Zhi-Min Zong
Summary: In this study, a dynamic combined strategy of extraction, column chromatography, and catalytic hydroconversion was used to prepare cyclohexanol from crude phenols derived from low temperature coal tar, as well as to enrich condensed arenes. The results showed that phenol can be completely converted to cyclohexanol under specific conditions, with a high selectivity of 99.9%. The nickel-supported nitrogen-doped carbon material played a crucial role in the hydrogenation of aromatic rings through its strong adsorption ability and effective activation of hydrogen.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Jialong Zhu, Shun Zhao, Baoyong Wei, Ji Xu, Haoquan Hu, Lijun Jin
Summary: This study investigated the synergies between coal and biomass volatiles through three different mixing modes, finding that sufficient void space is needed for optimal synergy. Layered loading modes enhanced co-pyrolysis synergies, with U-type mode showing better results.
JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL AND APPLIED PYROLYSIS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Kai Xu, Song Hu, Liangping Zhang, Hanjian Li, Yifeng Chen, Zhe Xiong, Jun Xu, Long Jiang, Yi Wang, Sheng Su, Jun Xiang
Summary: Revealing the pyrolysis reaction pathway related to coal structure evolution under different temperatures is crucial for industry. The study found that reactions between aromatic nucleus and methyl radicals, condensation reaction, and transformation of aliphatic hydrocarbons into light hydrocarbon gas compounds are key processes in coal structure evolution.
FUEL PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Yujie Hou, Zongqing Bai, Hao Lu, Zhihao Feng, Tingting Zhang, Yuxing Jia, Zhenxing Guo, Lingxue Kong, Jin Bai, Wen Li
Summary: Low-cost kaolin modified by calcination and leaching was used as a catalyst for in-situ upgrading of Hami coal pyrolysis volatiles. The results showed that the modification process enhanced the formation of micro-/mesopores and acid sites, resulting in an increase in the light tar fraction and aromatic content in the tar. Acid-modified kaolin has the potential to be an inexpensive and efficient catalyst for upgrading coal pyrolysis tar.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Runxia Cai, Jian Dou, Emily Krzystowczyk, Anthony Richard, Fanxing Li
Summary: Chemical looping air separation (CLAS) is an efficient method for producing oxygen, and optimization through experimental validation has shown promising results, indicating high competitiveness and efficiency compared to conventional methods.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Yuan Tian, Phillip R. Westmoreland, Fanxing Li
Summary: The reduction kinetics and stability of Na2MoO4-promoted CaMn0.9Ti0.1O3 were investigated for its application in CL-ODH of ethane, showing promising results with excellent selectivity towards hydrogen combustion. The addition of Na2MoO4 effectively suppressed C2H4 combustion relative to H2 oxidation, making it a potential alternative for ethylene production. The core-shell structure of CaMn0.9Ti0.1O3@Na2MoO4 was well-maintained with deep reduction, demonstrating excellent performance after 50 redox cycles.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Sherafghan Iftikhar, William Martin, Yunfei Gao, Xinbin Yu, Iwei Wang, Zili Wu, Fanxing Li
Summary: The study investigates LaFe1_xNixO3_delta redox catalysts for CO2 utilization and production of syngas. Different compositions of LaFe1_xNixO3_delta were prepared and tested, showing favorable reactive performance. The flexibility of the catalysts to produce syngas or hydrogen with tunable compositions depends on the iron/nickel ratio. The stability and performance of the redox catalysts were proven over multiple cycles.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Xinhe Wang, Liuqing Yang, Xiaolin Ji, Yunfei Gao, Fanxing Li, Junshe Zhang, Jinjia Wei
Summary: This study investigates the kinetics of methane reduction using SrFeO3-delta-CaO center dot MnO nanocomposite. The results show that combustion occurs before partial oxidation during methane reduction, and there is a transition region between them. The weight loss associated with partial oxidation is larger than that with combustion.
FRONTIERS OF CHEMICAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jian Dou, Joey Funderburg, Kunran Yang, Junchen Liu, Dennis Chacko, Kui Zhang, Adam P. Harvey, Vasudev P. Haribal, S. James. Zhou, Fanxing Li
Summary: CO2-assisted oxidative dehydrogenation of propane (CO2-ODH) is a promising method for propylene production and CO2 utilization. This study focuses on designing CexZr1-xO(2)-mixed oxide-supported CrOx catalysts for CO2-ODH with enhanced selectivity and stability. The addition of Ce to the ZrO2 support greatly improves catalyst stability by enhancing coke resistance.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Siyuan Zhu, Yufeng Chen, Vasishta Somayaji, Peter Novello, Dennis Chacko, Fanxing Li, Jie Liu
Summary: High entropy oxide (HEO) is a promising catalyst support for various chemical reactions due to its tunable composition-function properties. In this study, highly dispersed rhodium nanoparticles were successfully synthesized on HEO using a one-step glycine-nitrate-based combustion method. The resulting catalyst exhibited significantly higher selectivity and activity in CO2 hydrogenation compared to rhodium nanoparticle-based catalysts. The high CO selectivity was attributed to the presence of copper and zinc in the HEO support, which weakened the *CO binding strength and formed a strong metal-support interaction.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Runxia Cai, Hilal Bektas, Xijun Wang, Kyle McClintock, Lauren Teague, Kunran Yang, Fanxing Li
Summary: This paper reports a high-throughput combinatorial approach for accelerated development and optimization of perovskite oxides for thermochemical energy storage. Promising candidates are selected based on thermodynamic screening criteria and DFT simulation results. The experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the high-throughput approach in determining key properties of perovskite oxides.
ADVANCED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Vahid Rahmanian, Tahira Pirzada, Eduardo Barbieri, Sherafghan Iftikhar, Fanxing Li, Saad A. Khan
Summary: We have developed a robust method for creating polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-titania (TiO2) nanofibrous aerogels (NFA) with multifunctional and triggered performances. These 3D self-supported aerogels have low density and high porosity, and are fabricated through solid templating of sol-gel electrospun PVP-TiO2 hybrid nanofibers. The aerogels exhibit photocatalytic activity, antibacterial properties, ability to sorb volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and oils, as well as excellent thermal insulation and mechanical flexibility.
APPLIED MATERIALS TODAY
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Leo Brody, Mahe Rukh, Runxia Cai, Azin Saberi Bosari, Reinhard Schomaecker, Fanxing Li
Summary: Sorption-enhanced steam reforming (SESR) of toluene using A- and B-site doped Sr(1-x)A'(x)Fe1-yB'(y)O3-delta perovskites in a chemical looping scheme shows promise in converting aromatic tar byproducts into hydrogen-rich syngas. Impregnating Ni on the perovskite surface improves toluene conversion, and a dual bed configuration enhances cyclic CO2 capture and release for H2-rich product syngas.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS-ENERGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Runxia Cai, Leo Brody, Yuan Tian, Luke Neal, Arnab Bose, Fanxing Li
Summary: Chemical looping oxidative dehydrogenation (CL-ODH) has the potential to replace steam cracking for ethylene production. Accurate reactor modeling is crucial for scaling up and optimizing this new technology. A one-dimensional packed bed model was used to simulate the CL-ODH of ethane to ethylene, and the results were validated by experiments. Overall, this study provides insights for efficient and optimized operation of CL-ODH reactors.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Yuan Tian, Zoe Benedict, Fanxing Li, Yingchao Yang, Debtanu Maiti, Yixiao Wang, Rebecca Fushimi
Summary: In the context of energy and environment, finding energy efficient routes for chemical manufacturing and reducing greenhouse gas emissions is crucial. This study presents a pathway for continuous syngas production through chemical looping conversion of CH4 and CO2. The chemical looping approach mitigates catalyst deactivation and improves energy efficiency. The study explores the structure-function relationships of catalysts and demonstrates the activation of CH4 over Ni-promoted samples. The findings highlight the potential of chemical looping reactors for efficient syngas production from waste greenhouse gases.
TOPICS IN CATALYSIS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chongyan Ruan, Ryota Akutsu, Kunran Yang, Noha M. Zayan, Jian Dou, Junchen Liu, Arnab Bose, Leo Brody, H. Henry Lamb, Fanxing Li
Summary: A two-step solar thermochemical hydrogenation process for furfural upgrading is developed, which sources hydrogen directly from water and concentrated solar radiation. The catalytic performance achieved in this process is significantly higher than that of state-of-the-art catalytic hydrogenation method, with up to two-orders-of-magnitude-higher hydrogen utilization efficiency. The active sites for furfural adsorption and water dissociation are provided by a metal or reduced metal oxide, eliminating the barriers to hydrogen dissolution and the subsequent dissociation at the catalyst surface. The hydrogenation selectivity can be conveniently mediated by solvents with different polarity and metal/reduced metal oxide catalysts with varying oxophilicity. This work offers an efficient and versatile strategy for bio-oil upgrading and a promising pathway for renewable energy storage.
CELL REPORTS PHYSICAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiaojiao Yuan, Kunran Yang, Chloe Grazon, Cong Wang, Lorenzo Vallan, Jean-David Isasa, Pedro M. Resende, Fanxing Li, Cyril Brochon, Hynd Remita, Georges Hadziioannou, Eric Cloutet, Jian Li
Summary: The relationship between the aggregation of 4,7-bis(thiophen-2-yl) benzothiadiazole (TBT)-based conjugated trimers and their photocatalytic activity was systematically investigated by methyl side-chain engineering. TBT-3 with the smallest size of aggregates and highest crystallinity exhibit the highest photocatalytic H2 evolution activity, which is due to the shorter charge carrier transport distance and solid long-range order.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Vahid Rahmanian, Muhammed Ziauddin Ahmad Ebrahim, Seyedamin Razavi, Mai Abdelmigeed, Eduardo Barbieri, Stefano Menegatti, Gregory N. Parsons, Fanxing Li, Tahira Pirzada, Saad A. Khan
Summary: This study presents a novel method for synthesizing metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) on 3D-structured nanofibrous aerogels (NFAs). The resulting hybrid aerogels exhibit promising applications in CO2 adsorption, heavy metal removal, and antibacterial properties.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Lunjing Yan, Wenmin Wang, Yan Liu, Meijun Wang, Fan Li, Weiren Bao
Summary: The study found that low molecular compounds play an important role in the formation of light aromatics during coal pyrolysis, particularly through the cracking of short-chain benzenes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Although they have little effect on thermal weight loss behavior, LMCs can influence the carbon structure distribution of coal. Additionally, long chain and cyclic aliphatic compounds can provide hydrogen for aromatics and generate light aromatics during pyrolysis.
JOURNAL OF THE ENERGY INSTITUTE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Guanshuai Zhang, Shanjian Liu, Dongmei Bi, Zhisen He, Jia Liu, Yinjiao Liu
Summary: Hydrogen peroxide pretreatment was applied for fast pyrolysis of corn stalks, and it was found that the pretreatment effectively promoted lignin depolymerization and decreased the reaction activation energy. The pretreatment also increased the cellulose content and removed alkali and alkaline earth metals from the biomass. The pH of the hydrogen peroxide solution affected the removal of lignin and ash by the pretreatment, and the composition of bio-oil changed significantly, with a significant increase in the relative content of levoglucosan after pretreatment.
JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL AND APPLIED PYROLYSIS
(2024)