Catalysts and Reaction Processes
Vesicles of concentric porous silica shells formed by evaporation-induced self-assembly in an aerosol. Sandia National Laboratories offers both extensive catalysis expertise as well as reactor and chemical processing know-how. In catalysis, Sandia has over 20 years of experience in synthesis, characterization, testing, and modeling of catalyst materials. We have unique, industrial-size reactor test beds, in-situ diagnostics for hydrodynamic studies, and extensive experience in applying transport codes to chemical reactors. The broad experience represented in catalysis, materials, and reactor hydrodynamics makes Sandia well-equipped to address practical catalytic problems in industry as well as fundamental scientific questions in catalysis and reaction engineering. For our many governmental and industrial customers, our catalysis researchers have addressed a variety of key issues, including:
- Improving catalyst performance by investigating structure-property relationships,
- Identifying causes of catalyst deactivation,
- Developing better synthesis methods for existing catalysts,
- Improving reactor scale-up through better reactor hydrodynamics understanding, and
- Modeling reaction systems for new reactor configurations.
Capabilities
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Vesicles of concentric porous silica shells formed by evaporation-induced self-assembly in an aerosol.
Design, synthesize, and scale-up unique catalytic materials. - Improve catalyst performance through analysis of catalyst structure.
- Hydrodynamics experimentation and simulation to advance bubble-column and riser-reactor performance.
- Model and optimize chemical processes combining kinetic and transport modeling.
- Discover causes of catalyst deactivation and catalyst support failure.
- Perform state-of-the-art catalyst characterization.
Major Resources
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Instrumentation for catalysis characterization.
- Ultra-high vacuum surface analysis coupled to an atmospheric pressure reactor.
- State-of-the-art microscopy.
- State-of-the-art chemical analysis instrumentation.
- Reactors for catalyst testing (i.e., fixed bed, high pressure, automotive, membrane, autoclave, and batch).
- Chemical-synthesis laboratories for preparing catalysts.
- Large hydrodynamic test beds for bubble-column and riser-reactor hydrodynamic studies.
- Kinetic and transport codes (i.e., Chemkin, SALSA, and GOMA).
- Massively parallel computing facilities.
Select Accomplishments
- Patented highly active catalysts for NOx reduction in lean-burn engines developed in collaboration with U.S. automotive companies.
- Developed unique methods for depositing thin-film, mixed-metal oxide model catalysts.
- Assisted scale-up decisions for a Fortune 500 chemical firm by modeling an autothermal catalytic reactor system.
Vesicles of concentric porous silica shells formed by evaporation-induced self-assembly in an aerosol.- Collaborated with two chemical companies to identify the effect of catalyst structure on activity for an oxidative-dehydrogenation catalyst.
- Developed Chemkin and Surface Chemkin, a suite of codes for dealing with gas-phase reaction kinetics, heterogeneous reaction kinetics, and species transport properties.
- Modeled complex hydrocarbon reaction systems using new network-generation methods with improved computational efficiency.
- Identified and documented the cause of catalyst attrition for iron Fischer-Tropsch catalysts.
- Utilized a catalytic membrane reactor to produce H2 from heptane dehydrocyclization.
- Measured mixing and gas holdup for a variety of bubble-column, gas-sparger designs for an industrial customer.
- Identified structure-property relationships in mixed metal oxide catalysts used for oxidative dehydrogenation.
- Developed hydrous titanium oxide supported NiMo catalysts that show exceptional desulfurization activity.
- Crafted and studied novel solid acid catalysts.
- Built large test-bed facility for riser reactor hydrodynamics studies.
Contacts: James Miller, (505) 272-7626, jemille@sandia.gov
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