SBIR Phase II: Light-Driven Conversion of CO2 and Methane to Syngas and Methanol

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is that this technology represents a commercially feasible pathway to reduce and utilize greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 and methane) in the sector of chemicals manufacturing. This new chemical reactor technology will enable utilization of waste CO2 from industrial processes, renewable natural gas, and renewable electricity as feedstocks to produce a carbon-negative commodity chemical such as methanol.

The proposed reactor runs on electricity, not fuel, creating novel business model opportunities. One example is building and selling small-scale, distributed methanol production plants that can utilize intermittent renewable electricity sources for their energy source. Large industrial plants, such as refineries, that have a source of waste CO2 can utilize the proposed technology to make and sell methanol.

Moreover, this reactor uses methane, which is a plentiful domestic natural resource. One pressing environmental problem that this technology could address is natural gas flaring in the oil and gas industry.

This SBIR Phase II project proposes to demonstrate a scaled up photocatalytic dry methane-reforming (P-DMR) reactor system that consumes carbon dioxide and methane to produce green methanol. In the NSF Phase I project, a proof-of-concept bench-scale photo-chemical reactor was developed. This photo-chemical reactor uses electricity, not fuel, as energy input to operate.

The P-DMR photocatalyst is energized with high-efficiency LEDs. The Phase II project will demonstrate a scaled-up photo-chemical reactor for P-DMR that consumes 17 kg/day of CO2 and 6 kg/day of CH4, integrate this photo-reactor to a water gas shift reactor and a methanol synthesis reactor to produce 5 kg/day of green methanol. A steady-state process model and a techno-economic model for a 1 barrel/day methanol production plant will be built as a demonstration prior to a commercialization plant.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.