Title : The effect of co-feeding H2 and CO2 on ethylene oligomerization to produce fuel-range hydrocarbons
Abstract:
The climate change crisis has triggered various efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and reduce carbon footprints. One of the most promising approaches is to capture carbon dioxide and transform it into higher-value chemicals. Ethylene, a major building block in the chemical industry, is a key intermediate molecule in CO2 transformation reactions. However, ethylene production from CO2 is often accompanied by unreacted carbon dioxide and hydrogen streams. Inspired by our previous work,1 we have developed a cascade zeolite-based catalyst system for producing fuel-range hydrocarbons from ethylene in the presence of H2 and CO2. Our objective is the longer-chain hydrocarbons, which can be used as fuels or feedstocks to produce other chemicals. We also investigated the effects of co-feeding carbon dioxide and hydrogen at different partial pressures, mimicking feeds from CO2 transformation cells, on the overall performance of the catalyst system and product yields. The results of this study were promising. The catalyst system demonstrated 70-90% ethylene conversion, with selectivity toward C9+ products ranging from 13-36% based on the tested feed conditions. These findings represent a step forward in the collaborative efforts toward developing sustainable technologies for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and reducing carbon footprints.
