Low Cost Catalysts for Biofuels Production

Overview

As the world transitions from fossil fuels to biomass based fuels there is a corresponding drive to create new technologies to enable this situation to come to fruition.

Biofuels represent one option in terms of mitigating the impacts of global warming.

The conversion of biomass to biofuels typically requires a catalyst.  Many different materials have been investigated, with zeolites showing considerable promise.

However, zeolite catalysts can be expensive and thus there is a challenge to create new catalysts which are low cost.

This project concerns the design, synthesis, shaping and testing of novel catalysts sourced in Australia.

Research activities

This project involves:

• Activation/modification of zeolite materials
• Hydrothermal synthesis of zeolite catalysts
• Analysis of solids
• Analysis of solutions
• Creation of agglomerates, extrudates and beads
• Testing using different catalysts, temperature and time
• Process design of synthesis system
• Process design of catalyst use

Outcomes

Aims:

New, highly active, low cost catalyst for biofuel production

Formation of catalyst as an engineered shape suitable for industry use

Techneconomics of zeolite synthesis

Technoeconomics of zeolite application

Skills and experience

• Interest in solving environmental issues
• Some knowledge of chemistry
• Some knowledge of process engineering
• Some knowledge in techno-economics

Scholarships

You may be eligible to apply for a research scholarship.

Explore our research scholarships

Keywords

• environmental
• catalyst
• zeolite
• process engineering
• chemistry

Contact

Contact the supervisor for more information.