High Sulphur Loaded Activated Carbon Regeneration

This project is partnered with Promethean Particles Ltd and is concerned with the continuous hydrothermal synthesis of metal organic frameworks (MOFs) with a particular emphasis on the activation and functionalisation of pores to increase Co2 capture potential. The work focuses on the continuous synthesis of metal-organic frameworks in particular HKUST-1 and UTSA-16 using a nozzle reactor and swirl reactor.

Climate change, one of the most significant global challenges of the 21st century is caused largely by greenhouse gas emissions. Many types of industries are associated with greenhouse gas emissions and carbon capture and storage can be used to mitigate CO2 emissions, leading to a reduction in climate change. The project analyses materials which are deemed to be suitable for carbon capture and storage applications, including MOFs, along with the types of adsorption and potential of the materials along with their benefits and drawbacks.

For the synthesis of MOFs several factors are critical such as solvents, the use of chemical modulators and reaction temperatures. The project explores reaction methods such as hydrothermal batch and continuous synthesis, mechanochemical methods and ultrasound. The critical post-processing technique, known as activation will be explored and implemented to enhance the porosity of metal-organic frameworks for enhanced carbon capture and storage.
Furthermore, there will be a characterising of metal-organic frameworks, such as crystallinity, surface area analysis, thermal stability, and CO2 uptake capacities and inparticular HKUST-1 and UTSA-16 and their successful scale-up of the synthesis at 1kg scale.

A new continuous flow reactor, the Swirl reactor, will be used for the synthesis of HKUST-1 and UTSA-16 and the MOFs performances compared to the materials produced in the Pilot+ reactor to investigate relevant methods of MOF synthesis.

The strategic vision is to develop a world-leading Centre for Industrial Doctoral Training focussed on delivering research leaders and next generation innovators with broad economic, societal and contextual awareness, having strong technical skills and the capability of operating in multi-disciplinary teams covering a range of knowledge transfer, deployment and policy roles.
The immediate beneficiaries of our activities will be the students we train and their sponsoring companies. These students are expected to progress to research/development careers in industry or academia and be future leaders. They will be able to contribute to stimulating UK-based industry into developing the next generation of technologies to reduce CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels and ultimately improve the UK's position in the global economy through increased jobs and exports.

Other beneficiaries include the industrial and academic partners of the CDT, the broader scientific and industrial carbon capture and storage and cleaner fossil energy communities, skills base and society in general. The key application areas addressed by the CDT will impact on the major technical challenges in the sector over the next 10-20 years as identified by our industrial partners:
(i) Implementing new, more flexible and efficient fossil fuel power plant to meet peak demand as recognised by electricity market reform incentives in the Energy Bill.
(ii) Deployment of CCS at commercial scale for near zero emission power plant and development of cost reduction technologies
(iii) Maximising the potential of unconventional gas, including shale gas and underground coal gasification.
(iv) Development of technologies for vastly reduced CO2 emissions in other industrial sectors: iron and steel making, cement, refineries, domestic fuels and small scale diesel power generators.
These areas also cover biomass firing in conventional plant defined in the Bioenergy Priority Area where specific issues concern erosion, corrosion, slagging, fouling and the overall supply chain economics.

Technically, the students we train will graduate with specialised knowledge in CCS and cleaner fossil energy. This will be underpinned by a broad technical knowledge of the sector and a wider appreciation of the role carbon capture and storage and cleaner fossil energy can play in the UK and internationally. We will also support development of their professional skills including developing their creative thinking skills providing them with a solid foundation to rapidly progress to become the future leaders of innovation and growth in UK industry and academia.

In the short-term, the trained reseachers will apply their knowledge and skills to underpin applications-led activities at the partnering industrial organisations and participate in further academic-industry collaborations. In the longer term, they will progress to lead in the integration of dramatically enhanced carbon capture and storage and cleaner fossil energy technologies that will be of direct benefit across the UK fossil fuel industry and supply chain, leading directly to wealth creation with job protection and growth.
A company sponsoring a student will help define the research they undertake and will be of direct interest to the company. Further, the company will have had long term access to a potential employee. Timely application of the technologies developed will enable and accelerate the development and adoption of CCS and cleaner fossil energy knowledge bringing environmental benefits to the UK and internationally.

The publicity generated by the project will raise public awareness of the role of CCS and cleaner fossil energy igenerally in society. Ultimately the broader benefits to society will include improvements to the quality of life derived from the improved efficiency, flexibility and reliability of the technologies.