Dr Raghu Vamsy Maligal Ganesh, Assistant Professor, Chemistry, SIAS, recently co-authored a research paper titled, Industrial-scale nanocrystalline Ni-Mo-MgO catalysts for hybrid reforming of waste to fuels in the journal Science.
Abstract
Strategies for lowering carbon emissions from hydrocarbons and waste must overcome the challenges related to catalyst durability and the presorting of waste. Reforming low-value carbon sources with carbon dioxide (CO2) offers an industrial-scale pathway for recycling waste streams into fuels and chemicals. We developed a nickel-molybdenum alloy nanocatalyst on single-crystalline magnesium oxide (NiMoCat) in pellet form on a kilogram scale suitable for high-pressure industrial reactors.
Aliphatic hydrocarbons (methane, n-butane) and aromatics (benzene, toluene) under pressurized CO2 yielded quantitative syngas without methanation or undesired oxidative by-products, such as butadiene or polyaromatics. Scaled-up NiMoCat maintains activity during long-term operation and enables a two-step process involving gasification of unsorted waste followed by hybrid reforming under realistic flue gas or CO2 flow. A detailed life-cycle analysis of biogas-to-dimethyl ether conversion showcases a scalable, sustainable CO2 utilization compatible with current fuel and chemical infrastructures.
