Developing a Reactor and Catalyst for Aqueous Phase Reforming Processes
School Name
Governor's School for Science and Mathematics
Grade Level
12th Grade
Presentation Topic
Chemistry
Presentation Type
Mentored
Written Paper Award
2nd Place
Abstract
Glycerol is a byproduct in the production of biofuel that can be converted into hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide by way of an aqueous phase reforming (APR) process. Our focus was to bridge the gap between computational simulations and the physical world. The reactor that was built to run the APR processes needed a few optimizations, including heating the glycerol solution to reaction temperature by the time it reached the catalyst. Heating tape, adjusting the reaction temperature, and increasing the oven temperature were all tried in order to reach the desired 200°C reaction temperature. A 4.3 weight % Pt supported SiO2 catalyst was also synthesized by dissolving tetraamineplatinum (II) nitrate in water and saturating the powder SiO2 support with the solution, heating it overnight at 120°C, and performing calcination by allowing the other elements to burn off in a furnace at 600°C with nitrogen gas running over the powder. Our catalyst and reactor are going to be used to create H2 from an otherwise unused byproduct, glycerol, which in turn will help create clean energy via hydrogen fuel cells etc. This advancement can help bring the planet one step closer to depending solely on clean and renewable energy.
Recommended Citation
Tharpe, Hayden, "Developing a Reactor and Catalyst for Aqueous Phase Reforming Processes" (2018). South Carolina Junior Academy of Science. 29.
https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/scjas/2018/all/29
Location
Neville 106
Start Date
4-14-2018 11:30 AM
Presentation Format
Oral and Written
Developing a Reactor and Catalyst for Aqueous Phase Reforming Processes
Neville 106
Glycerol is a byproduct in the production of biofuel that can be converted into hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide by way of an aqueous phase reforming (APR) process. Our focus was to bridge the gap between computational simulations and the physical world. The reactor that was built to run the APR processes needed a few optimizations, including heating the glycerol solution to reaction temperature by the time it reached the catalyst. Heating tape, adjusting the reaction temperature, and increasing the oven temperature were all tried in order to reach the desired 200°C reaction temperature. A 4.3 weight % Pt supported SiO2 catalyst was also synthesized by dissolving tetraamineplatinum (II) nitrate in water and saturating the powder SiO2 support with the solution, heating it overnight at 120°C, and performing calcination by allowing the other elements to burn off in a furnace at 600°C with nitrogen gas running over the powder. Our catalyst and reactor are going to be used to create H2 from an otherwise unused byproduct, glycerol, which in turn will help create clean energy via hydrogen fuel cells etc. This advancement can help bring the planet one step closer to depending solely on clean and renewable energy.
