New Manufacturing Processes for More Sustainable Commodity Chemicals

The production of some of the simplest but most important chemicals manufactured by the chemical industry are made in complicated, indirect ways. Many chemicals derived from natural gas are synthesised through an intermediate known as "synthesis gas", a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The production of chemicals from synthesis gas is extremely well established and many processes have been operating for several decades. However, the production of synthesis gas requires high pressures (30 atm) and very high temperatures (800 C and above). The aggressive conditions used for the production of synthesis gas require expensive manufacturing plants and waste 25% of the natural gas feedstock to generate the high temperatures required for the reaction.

An alternative route to produce chemicals from natural gas would be to employ catalysts that operate at lower temperature and are able to selectively oxidise the hydrocarbons present in natural gas. The direct conversion of natural gas would enable more sustainable and efficient utilisation of this valuable natural resource. However, despite progress in selective oxidation catalysis research, no industrially practised direct natural gas conversion process is in operation due to the overall poor performance compared to synthesis gas based routes. This is commonly due to the fact that the catalysts tend to over oxidise the hydrocarbons, resulting in the formation of large quantities of carbon dioxide.

The development of direct natural gas conversion to chemicals would also provide an alternative to the flaring of associated natural gas (gas co-produced with oil) - it is estimated that 143 billion cubic metres of natural gas are flared per year, a quantity greater than the natural gas production of Kuwait.

The goal of this research is to develop new, selective oxidation catalysts and new manufacturing processes for the partial oxidation of methane and ethane (the principle components of natural gas) for more sustainable production of essential, commodity chemicals. The catalysts utilised in this research will be based on zeolites, which are derived from sustainable, earth abundant materials and are already widely used in the chemical industry as green catalysts. The programme of this fellowship will modify zeolites to form new materials that can selectively oxidise hydrocarbons to valuable chemical products. A key aspect of the research is understanding how the structure of the catalysts affects the outcome of reaction, as this will enable the development of structure - function relationships, enabling the development of improved catalysts. Deactivation processes and catalyst lifetime, key aspects of industrial catalyst development, will be explored to ensure industrial relevance.

Chemical Industry: The proposed fellowship program will have a transformative impact on the chemical manufacturing industry by changing the way valuable liquid chemical products are produced and unlocking the potential of stranded and associated gas. In turn this will boost the economic outputs within the industrial sector, including natural gas producers, the chemical industry and catalyst manufacturers. Additionally, the research will help improve the sustainability of the chemical industry and also change the public perception for the better of our largest chemical manufacturers. The industrial project partner, Johnson Matthey, a global leader in catalyst manufacturing and process development, will benefit from the additional insight and knowledge gained into partial oxidation catalyst synthesis and scale-up though the project.

Society: Lower commodity chemical prices and more sustainable chemical processes are primary societal benefits of this research. Lower commodity chemical prices will lower the cost of certain goods and products helping to reduce the cost of living. Additionally, where the technology is commercialised, increases in regional employment will arise where new manufacturing plants are built.

Government and policy makers: A recent report commissioned by the EPSRC and Royal Society of Chemistry states that the chemical industry contributes 21% of UK GDP. As outlined above, this proposal has the potential to impact the chemical industry in a number of ways, each of which can increase the profitability of the chemical industry. However, there is a downstream effect of developing novel transformative manufacturing science in that it enhances the reputation of UK manufacturing and chemistry, causing the UK to be a more attractive location to develop SMEs and to make UK scientists more attractive to employers.

Academic community: As detailed in the academic beneficiaries section, the research of this fellowship cuts across materials synthesis and characterisation, heterogeneous catalysis development and understanding, and novel process development. The broad impact of which will be felt across chemistry, chemical engineering and materials science subjects as well as topic areas as diverse as medical devices and sensing.

People: A highly skilled and trained workforce is crucial to the national economy. Importantly this fellowship will benefit all those who work on the programme, gaining valuable knowledge and skills from a multidisciplinary, manufacturing project. Personnel will have the opportunity to disseminate results through publication at conference and through peer reviewed journals, enhancing personal academic profiles but also providing valuable networking opportunities and to practice public dissemination. The close industrial link to Johnson Matthey will also bolster industrial visibility for personnel on the project which may be particualrly beneficial for the PDRA.