| EPSRC Reference: |
EP/N009525/1 |
| Title: |
Polymer-promoted Cu-catalysed conversion of CO2 to CH4 |
| Principal Investigator: |
Andreoli, Dr E |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Researcher Co-Investigators: |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
College of Engineering |
| Organisation: |
Swansea University |
| Scheme: |
First Grant - Revised 2009 |
| Starts: |
21 January 2016 |
Ends: |
30 April 2018 |
Value (£): |
99,422
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Carbon Capture & Storage |
Catalysis & Applied Catalysis |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
The steady growth in global population and the ever-widening access to consumer goods and services, particularly in China and India, can only be met through a sustainable use of resources. Major concerns for long term sustainability are climate change and energy production. At present, energy production and climate change are tightly interrelated since the generation of energy from the burning of fossil fuels emits most of the carbon dioxide (CO2) responsible for the alarming warming of the planet. Decoupling energy production from CO2 emission - in other words, producing energy without emitting CO2 - is a necessary step toward a sustainable society.
A never resting depletion of oil and gas resources threatens the long term sustainability of our society. Today's society relies very heavily on oil and gas exploitation and the large majority of present infrastructures are built for the production, storage, transportation, and consumption of oil and gas carbon-based products. A logical approach to the current climate and energy challenge is to leverage on these infrastructures and use them as assets for the sustainable energy system of the future.
Within this effort, converting CO2 to carbon-based fuels to be used directly in the existing energy infrastructure represents an ideal option to tackle the current global climate and energy challenge. Carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) approaches underpin the future success of this effort combining technical, economical, societal, and political aspects of the same issue. The present work addresses one of the technical aspects of CCU. In particular, new CCU technologies have to be deployed in large scale in order to produce a real impact on the society, and for this to happen better catalytic materials are needed to convert CO2 to fuel more efficiently.
The present research work is focused on preparing new catalytic materials for the conversion of CO2 to methane (CH4). These materials are designed and prepared from the synergistic combination of the catalytic properties of copper (Cu) - known for its unique ability to facilitate the conversion of CO2 to CH4 - and polymers purposely selected to promote the formation of CH4 using less energy and producing less by-products. The aim of the present research is then to provide new Cu-polymer composite catalysts for the improved conversion of CO2 to CH4. Furthermore, when perennial wind, solar, wave, or tidal energy is used to drive the conversion of CO2, carbon-neutral CH4 is produced. Such a carbon-neutral CH4 can be fed immediately in the current natural gas infrastructure offering a realistic option to the creation of a low-carbon sustainable society.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.swan.ac.uk |