The photo is sourced from catalysis.ru
The chief feature of the new catalysts is the possibility of creating structured cartridges characterized by high mass transfer efficiency and low hydraulic resistance. Unlike conventional catalysts, the cartridges are resistant to deactivation due to sulfur, mechanical damage or sudden temperature changes. “We specifically conducted extra-stringent deactivation tests that simulate emergency and abnormal operating conditions: we treated our catalyst with water, saline solution, boiling water and diesel fuel. The results were more than encouraging: the catalyst activity changed little and was easily restored during further operation,” Dmitry Baranov, junior researcher at the Department of Catalytic Process Technology, is quoted as saying by the Institute of Catalysis SB RAS.
Usually, catalyst synthesis entails a platinum-containing solution of the active component precursor being applied to glass fabric with a special impregnation treatment. For that purpose, the authors studied the method of spraying finely dispersed droplets, which makes it possible to increase the specific activity of platinum by more than one and a half times. The increase in activity was confirmed by tests during which the purification reaction took place on the surface of platinum particles about 10 nanometers in size, which were located on glass microfibers.
Aside from catalysts, flue gases from power plants are filtered with the use of membranes – porous polymer materials that retain nitrogen, which is safe for the atmosphere, and allow carbon dioxide to pass through efficiently and then to be removed by a purification system. As a rule, membranes are made of cellulose acetate, a polymer based on regular plant fiber, to which residues of acetic acid are attached. An alternative has been proposed by the scientists from the Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis RAS, who replaced the cellulose polymer chain with a polycycloolefin chain, in which carbon atoms are connected into complex three-dimensional ring structures. This solution made it possible to increase the thermal and chemical stability of the membrane and, as a result, increase the efficiency of separating nitrogen and CO2.