Manipulating Support Materials Can Enhance Performance of Shale Gas Catalysts

Outcome/Accomplishment

Shale gas can be more efficiently refined by manipulating materials that support catalysts in the process, according to research conducted by the Center for Innovative and Strategic Transformation of Alkane Resources (CISTAR), an NSF-funded Engineering Research Center (ERC) based at Purdue University.

Impact/Benefits

CISTAR researchers have shown that at high temperature, support oxides migrate to partially cover the catalytically active phase. The interactions of the support oxides with the catalysts are shown to enhance their catalytic performance.

Explanation/Background

The metal-support modifications significantly improve selectivity to desired products. The metal-support modifications stabilize smaller nanoparticles under the extreme reaction conditions necessary for the shale gas process under development at the Center.

New processes will help meet the need for increasingly flexible refining of shale gas as the industry experiences a shift from transportation fuels, which are expected to see reduced demand, in favor of petrochemicals for industry.

Students from Purdue University and University of New Mexico obtained high-resolution transmission electron micrographs of catalytically active, metal nanoparticles partially covered by a thin layer o

Location

West Lafayette, Indiana

e-mail

cistar@purdue.edu

website

https://cistar.us/

Start Year

Energy and Sustainability

Energy and Sustainability Icon
Energy and Sustainability Icon

Energy and Sustainability

Lead Institution

Purdue University

Core Partners

University of New Mexico, Northwestern University, University of Notre Dame, University of Texas at Austin

Fact Sheet

CISTAR Fact Sheet.pdf
Students from Purdue University and University of New Mexico obtained high-resolution transmission electron micrographs of catalytically active, metal nanoparticles partially covered by a thin layer o

Outcome/Accomplishment

Shale gas can be more efficiently refined by manipulating materials that support catalysts in the process, according to research conducted by the Center for Innovative and Strategic Transformation of Alkane Resources (CISTAR), an NSF-funded Engineering Research Center (ERC) based at Purdue University.

Location

West Lafayette, Indiana

e-mail

cistar@purdue.edu

website

https://cistar.us/

Start Year

Energy and Sustainability

Energy and Sustainability Icon
Energy and Sustainability Icon

Energy and Sustainability

Lead Institution

Purdue University

Core Partners

University of New Mexico, Northwestern University, University of Notre Dame, University of Texas at Austin

Fact Sheet

CISTAR Fact Sheet.pdf

Impact/benefits

CISTAR researchers have shown that at high temperature, support oxides migrate to partially cover the catalytically active phase. The interactions of the support oxides with the catalysts are shown to enhance their catalytic performance.

Explanation/Background

The metal-support modifications significantly improve selectivity to desired products. The metal-support modifications stabilize smaller nanoparticles under the extreme reaction conditions necessary for the shale gas process under development at the Center.

New processes will help meet the need for increasingly flexible refining of shale gas as the industry experiences a shift from transportation fuels, which are expected to see reduced demand, in favor of petrochemicals for industry.