Many industrial processes produce large volumes of carbon as a waste product. New reactor technology from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has the potential to turn that waste into a valuable feedstock for useful chemicals and fuels. The result could bolster domestic manufacturing, diversify supply chains and ensure lasting energy security in the U.S.
These "plug-and-play" reactors utilize waste carbon and transform it into valuable chemicals like methanol, which can be used as a fuel or precursor for plastics and other commodities. Because of the modular nature of these reactors, the technology could be deployed to existing plants and refineries, eliminating the time and cost associated with new infrastructure. But further development and scale-up is required to bring such devices from the laboratory to real-world use.
To do so, LLNL was awarded $2 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy's Industrial Technologies Office through the Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF). Managed by the Office of Technology Commercialization, TCF seeks to bridge the gap between research and commercial application. LLNL will work together with industry partner Oxylus Energy through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA).
Scientists at LLNL bring a novel electrochemical reactor to the table. Their device converts carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide while leaving out alkali cations - a common cause of failure. These positively charged ions, often sodium or potassium, bounce around in the device and form salt deposits that block reaction pathways. Until now, they've been a necessary evil.
"Normally, these cations facilitate the reaction," said LLNL scientist Maxwell Goldman. "They're basically a catalyst for the catalyst. But we created a device that runs in the absence of any alkali cations."
Oxylus Energy contributes a system that provides the next step: converting carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide to methanol.
"This project is an exciting opportunity to combine Oxylus Energy's advanced methanol electrosynthesis technology with LLNL's cation-free reactor architecture for a more efficient pathway for converting carbon waste into valuable fuels and chemicals," said Conor Rooney, cofounder and CTO of Oxylus Energy. "Collaborating with LLNL allows us to pair world-class national-lab innovation with catalyst and scale-up expertise, which is exactly what is needed to accelerate commercialization."
"Our hope is that we can take our reactor design and system, integrate the Oxylus Energy catalyst into it, and go from carbon dioxide to methanol in one step inside the reactor without alkali cations," said Goldman.
This project builds upon 10 years of LLNL investment in the science and engineering of electrochemical reactors.
"That investment has allowed a growing team of researchers to make valuable contributions toward transitioning these new, disruptive manufacturing technologies toward industrial deployment," said LLNL scientist Sarah Baker, the associate program leader for carbon management.
The team hopes to show a clear path for turning waste carbon streams into a valuable product. They aim to make the device architecture modular enough to work with other partners, other catalysts and other end products.
"This project highlights the impact that LLNL's scientific breakthroughs can have on real energy challenges," said Matthew Garrett, director of the Laboratory's Innovation and Partnerships Office (IPO). "By facilitating collaborations where Laboratory expertise meets industry need, we have a unique opportunity to create innovations that make a difference for energy security."
But challenges do await.
"We have to find new ways to think about these systems because what used to be important when there were cations and salt isn't important anymore, and what is important now is very different," said Goldman. "We have to come in with a different approach to solving the problem. We're learning what makes the new system tick as we go."
This partnership was made possible through a CRADA facilitated by IPO, the Laboratory's focal point for industry engagement. IPO facilitates partnerships to deliver mission-driven solutions that support national security and grow the U.S. economy. LLNL Business Development Executive Jared Lynch is responsible for the Laboratory's materials and energy portfolios of intellectual property.
