Faculty Profiles - MACHIDA, Hiroshi

Papers - MACHIDA, Hiroshi

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High-Throughput CO<sub>2</sub> Solubility Measurement in Miscible and Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation Types of Amine Solvent Using Headspace Gas Chromatography

Tran, KVB; Yanase, K; Rao, TU; Hirayama, M; Norinaga, K; Machida, H

INDUSTRIAL & ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY RESEARCH 2024.3

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research

CO2 solubility is one of the key factors in evaluating not only the efficiency of the absorbent but also the energy consumption of the CO2 capture process from flue gas. In this study, a system namely headspace gas chromatography (HS-GC), which is a combination of gas chromatography (GC-3200, GL Sciences) and a headspace autosampler (Turbomatrix HS16, PerkinElmer), was developed to measure the CO2 solubility of amine solutions. The equilibrium time and calibration curve of this system were checked and compared with those of the literature data. The developed system showed high reproducibility with reference CO2 solubility data of benchmark amine solutions. Distinct from conventional measurement methods of CO2 solubility, high-throughput CO2 solubility measurement by HS-GC shows its advantages such as a small amount sample requirement, rapid achievement of equilibration time, automation of sample exchange, and high reproducibility, which is superior in the amine solvent screening phase. Moreover, this system can evaluate new types of CO2 capture solvents, including the phase separation solvent. By acquiring continuous data, the inflection point in the solubility curve indicated by phase separation was observed. The absorption heat estimated from those CO2 solubility curves measured by this system also agrees well with the experimental data.

DOI： 10.1021/acs.iecr.3c03314

Design and optimization of the flexible poly- generation process for methanol and formic acid from CO<sub>2 </sub>hydrogenation under uncertain product prices Reviewed

Li, Q; Machida, H; Ren, XS; Feng, ZM; Norinaga, K

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY Vol. 54 page： 635 - 651 2024.2

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

During the design of the carbon capture and hydrogen storage process, a static CO2 hydrogenation poly-generation process for methanol and formic acid synthesis was developed, thereby reducing recycling flow and feedstock losses in the single methanol synthesis process and increasing product diversity. Additionally, a novel flexible poly-generation process was proposed as the product prices fluctuated with the market environment throughout the plant's life cycle. For the static poly-generation process, a mixed integer nonlinear programming model was established, followed by the Mesh Adaptive Direct Search algorithm to determine the optimal parameter design. For flexible processes, with the unscented transform tool, a two-stage optimization strategy is proposed for obtaining optimal design and operating parameters that are computationally tractable. With an input CO2 flow rate of 200 kmol/h, the results show (1) the static process with an optimal Return On Investment of 13.05%, a fixed investment cost of $ 34.14 × 106, and an annual net profit of 4.46 × 106 $/year; and (2) the flexible process, in which the flexibility indices of the methanol and formic acid production units are 1.088 and 1.194, respectively, resulting the fixed investment cost increase to $ 39.19 × 106, an increase of 14.79%. Accordingly, the annual net profit increased by 8.97% to 4.86 × 106 $/year, while the Return On Investment decreased by 4.67%–12.44%. For investment decision-makers, the flexible poly-generation process can achieve higher profits and reduce potential market risks when they have adequate financing.

DOI： 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2023.01.205

CFD simulation of CO2 methanation through the Sabatier reaction in a shell-and-tube reactor incorporating phase change on the shell side Reviewed

Fukumoto, K; Zhang, W; Mizoguchi, R; Lin, YX; Choi, C; Machida, H; Norinaga, K

FUEL Vol. 349 2023.10

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Fuel

This paper reports a computational fluid dynamics simulation of carbon dioxide (CO2) methanation via the Sabatier process in a shell-and-tube reactor, incorporating a water phase change simulation on the shell side using the volume of fluid (VOF) method. The essential heat removal factors and their mechanisms, such as the catalyst size, bed porosity, thermal conductivity, coolant flow rate, and coolant boiling, were primarily investigated. The computational code was a newly developed in-house version of ChtMultiRegionFOAM based on OpenFOAM v2006. This code can simulate catalyst-gas heat transfer, which is called the two-temperature model. The code was extended to new methanation and phase-change models based on the VOF method. The computational code was first validated using existing experimental data. After sufficient accuracy was confirmed, several parametric studies were conducted. Catalyst heat conductivity was the most influential factor among the catalyst-related parameters. The flow rate of the oil coolant significantly affected the cooling performance. Finally, the use of boiling water significantly reduced the coolant flow rate. Moreover, the cooling performance remained unchanged until the total heat release rate from the gas exceeded the total latent heat of the water.

DOI： 10.1016/j.fuel.2023.128126

Experimental Study on Quantitative Evaluation of Transferable Hydrogen in Possible Raw Materials for Metallurgical Cokes Including Bituminous, Sub-bituminous, Lignite Coals and Biomass Reviewed

Zhang, LJ; Uehara, Y; Nakamura, M; Choi, C; Liu, C; Machida, H; Hayashizaki, H; Kawai, Y; Hata, Y; Norinaga, K

ISIJ INTERNATIONAL Vol. 63 ( 9 ) page： 1441 - 1450 2023.9

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：ISIJ International

Researchers have thoroughly studied coal pyrolysis over a long period, while the analysis of volatile evolution and the chemical structural changes of solid char were carried out individually in most of the studies. In this work, we quantified the chemical reactions to explain the different physical phenomena, such as softening and caking properties, exhibited by different ranks of coals during pyrolysis. Four typical carbonaceous feedstocks (bituminous, sub-bituminous, lignite coals, and biomass) were selected as test samples. The authors analyzed the generated gas during pyrolysis by using a quadrupole mass spectrometer (Q-MS) and the chemical structure of the pyrolyzed char via spectroscopic methods (NMR, FT-IR, CHNS, and XPS) to gain new insights into the pyrolysis mechanism of the carbonaceous feedstocks. Transferable hydrogen was introduced to define the hydrogen used to stable the free radicals formed during pyrolysis, which can be obtained by quantifying the conversion routes of hydrogen. The hydrogen released for the growth of aromatic clusters has three pathways, namely, (1) consumption by the hydrodeoxygenation reaction to produce pyrolytic vapor, (2) release as gaseous H2, and (3) transferable hydrogen. The calculation shows that the amount of transferable hydrogen during pyrolysis decreases as the coal rank gets lower. For pyrolysis up to 500°C, the amount of transferable hydrogen is 3.96, 2.32, and 1.36 mol/kg-coal for bituminous, sub-bituminous, and lignite coals, respectively. On the other hand, the transferable hydrogen of biomass needs to be further considered in terms of the effect of cellulose and hemicellulose’s structure.

DOI： 10.2355/isijinternational.ISIJINT-2022-517

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and soot formations under different gasifying agents: Detailed chemical kinetic analysis of a two-stage entrained flow coal gasifier Reviewed

Li, TL; Choi, C; Fukomoto, K; Machida, H; Norinaga, K

FUEL Vol. 343 2023.7

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Fuel

The injection of CO2 with coal into coal gasifier is a promising approach to achieve CO2 recirculation. Predicting the formation and evolution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and soot during coal gasification is particularly important as their presence poses challenges to the gasifier operation and environment. However, the effect of CO2 injection on their formation must be elucidated in more detail to optimize the gasifier design. This work investigates PAHs and soot formations in gas-phase reactions under different gasifying agents (Air, O2/CO2, O2/H2O) in a two-stage entrained flow coal gasifier using a detailed chemical kinetic model (DCKM). Under the O2/CO2– and O2/H2O-blown conditions, aromatics reforming was progressed whereas the yields of tar and soot were effectively suppressed. The benzene was observed as the most abundant PAHs species, followed by naphthalene and acenaphthalene. Regarding the relative oxygen concentration, the conversion behavior of aromatics was significantly influenced in the O2/CO2-blown condition, while the somewhat effect was found in the O2/H2O-blown condition. Tar yield peaked at 50% relative oxygen concentration in the O2/CO2-blown condition. The present finding may have practical significance in the O2/CO2-blown gasifier to facilitate CO2 recirculation for the oxy-fuel IGCC system.

DOI： 10.1016/j.fuel.2023.127876

CFD simulation of CVD reactors in the CH3SiCl3(MTS)/H2 system using a two-step MTS decomposition and one-step SiC growth models Reviewed

Ogawa, T; Fukumoto, K; Machida, H; Norinaga, K

HELIYON Vol. 9 ( 4 ) 2023.4

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Heliyon

In this study, we report on a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of the chemical vapor deposition reactor of silicon carbide (SiC) in the methyltrichlorosilane (MTS, CH3SiCl3)/H2 system. The formation of SiC thin film is controlled by various process parameters, such as temperature and pressure. In this study, we propose a reaction mechanism of MTS decomposition to SiC growth on a substrate surface for CVD reactors in the CH3SiCl3(MTS)/H2 system. The reaction mechanism has two gas-phase pyrolysis reactions and one SiC film formation reaction. However, we individually build and validate MTS decomposition and SiC growth models to reduce uncertainty. An in-house version of reactingFoam, a reactive flow solver within OpenFOAM v2006, was used as the simulation tool. Our model accurately reproduced MTS decomposition for T = 1100–1350 K and [H2]/[MTS] = 2.65–14 at p = 101,325 Pa. Then, the MTS decomposition model was coupled with the SiC growth model, and the coupled model was applied to the SiC deposition data. The model could reproduce multiple datasets through validation studies.

DOI： 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15061

Lattice Boltzmann study on the effect of hierarchical pore structure on fluid flow and coke formation characteristics in open-cell foam for dry reforming of methane

Lin, YX; Yang, C; Zhang, W; Machida, H; Norinaga, K

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE Vol. 268 2023.3

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Chemical Engineering Science

Dry reforming of methane (DRM) is one of the feasible strategies for carbon capture and utilization. However, the DRM process has a high tendency toward carbon deposition, which is restricted to industrial applications. In order to further improve coke formation resistance, open-cell foam with hierarchical pore structure was investigated. An artificial algorithm was adopted to construct a hierarchical pore structure in open-cell foam. Based on a 3-D lattice Boltzmann model, this work explored the effect of two hierarchical pore structure parameters on the fluid flow and coke formation characteristics in open-cell foam, which are hierarchical pore volume ratio (V2/V1) and hierarchical pore size ratio (d2/d1). The results indicated that increasing V2/V1 and d2/d1 can significantly promote permeability. Under the restriction ofV2/V1 = 4, from d2/d1 = 1 to 4, the coke formation rate decreases by approximately 57.49 %. These findings provide a theoretical basis and technical guidance for designing and developing open-cell foam reactors.

DOI： 10.1016/j.ces.2022.118380

Estimation of effective thermal conductivity in open-cell foam with hierarchical pore structure using lattice Boltzmann method

Lin, YX; Yang, C; Zhang, W; Fukumoto, K; Saito, Y; Machida, H; Norinaga, K

APPLIED THERMAL ENGINEERING Vol. 218 2023.1

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Applied Thermal Engineering

Effective thermal conductivity in open-cell foam with hierarchical pore structure was estimated using lattice Boltzmann method. A new structure algorithm was proposed to reconstruct hierarchical pore structure in open-cell foam. In order to elucidate the heat transfer characteristics in hierarchical pore structure, the effect of structure parameters, namely the hierarchical pore size ratio (d2/d1), the hierarchical pore volume ratio (V2/V1), and temperature on the effective thermal conductivity was investigated. These results indicated that hierarchical pore structure is unfavorable to the effective thermal conductivity in open-cell foam for the heat conduction process. At high temperatures (Tave = 450–1650 K), however, the effective thermal conductivity in hierarchical pore structure is higher than that in uniform pore structure considering heat radiation. Furthermore, for the heat conduction process, a correlation of the effective thermal conductivity related to open-cell foam with hierarchical pore structure was proposed and validated by available experimental data.

DOI： 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2022.119314

Modeling and estimating kinetic parameters for CO<inf>2</inf> methanation from fixed bed reactor experiments Reviewed

Tsuboi T., Yasuda S., Choi C., Zhang W., Machida H., Norinaga K., Yajima T., Kawajiri Y.

Journal of Advanced Manufacturing and Processing Vol. 5 ( 1 ) 2023.1

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Journal of Advanced Manufacturing and Processing

CO2 methanation, which converts CO2 and hydrogen into methane as fuel, is one of the promising candidates for the development of CO2 utilization technologies. Recently, a highly active catalyst made of Ni/ZrO2 for methanation has been developed, and is currently investigated as a potential use in a high-performance reactor. However, design of reactor must be carried out carefully, since this reaction is highly exothermic, which may cause reactor runaway and deterioration of catalysts. For this problem, a mathematical model that can predict the behavior inside the reactor is necessary. In this work, we consider the methanation reaction of CO2 in a reactor model and estimate the kinetic parameters in the reaction rate model from experimental data. In the parameter estimation using literature values and Tikhonov regularization, eight kinetic parameters in the rate equations were identified from 64 data points with a wide range of conditions. We confirm that molar fractions at the reactor exit predicted by this reactor model are in good agreement with the experimental results. Furthermore, the developed model was validated to predict the compositions and temperature that were not used in the estimation. We expect the developed model will be a powerful tool for the reactor design.

DOI： 10.1002/amp2.10145

Pretreatment of lignin by electrochemical hydrogenation to enhance the olefins and aromatic products during rapid pyrolysis

Zhang, LJ; Sirisomboonchai, S; Choi, C; Machida, H; Norinaga, K

JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL AND APPLIED PYROLYSIS Vol. 166 2022.9

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis

Lignin is one of the most promising biopolymers for producing hydrocarbons and aromatic compounds in nature. Electrochemical conversion of lignin is regarded as an attractive technology for producing various aromatic chemicals which are generally derived from fossil fuels. The author reports an electrochemical approach for hydrogenating alkaline lignin (AL), which uses relatively low-cost Ni foam as a working electrode under alkali electrolyte. The primary factors (such as power input, reactor type, temperature, reaction time, catalysts, and electrode substrates) of electrochemical hydrogenation were used to control the products' yield and features. The redox characteristics of the reaction system were directly compared with the cyclic voltammetry measurement under different parameters. After electrochemical hydrogenation (ECH), rapid pyrolysis was conducted on HAL samples to investigate the influence of electrochemical reactions on lignin. The maximum olefins and aromatics yield from HAL was increased to more than three times AL, accounting for 2.22 wt% and 4.07 wt%, respectively. Then, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), elemental analysis (EA), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) NMR were employed to characterize hydrogenated lignin samples (HAL), as well as gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was conducted to investigate the oil-phase products. This work focused on this electrochemical hydrogenation coupled with rapid pyrolysis process to give a possibility that converting lignin into not only liquid oil products, but solid hydrogenated lignin can be used to produce more olefins and aromatics in rapid pyrolysis, and presented the advantages and disadvantages of this two-stage process finally.

DOI： 10.1016/j.jaap.2022.105625

Efficient CO<sub>2</sub> Electrochemical Reduction by a Robust Electrocatalyst Fabricated by Electrodeposition of Indium and Zinc over Copper Foam

Sirisomboonchai, S; Machida, H; Tran, KVB; Kawasumi, M; Norinaga, K

ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS Vol. 5 ( 8 ) page： 9846 - 9857 2022.8

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：ACS Applied Energy Materials

Electrochemical reduction of CO2comprising the CO2reduction reactuib (CO2RR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is one of the most promising technologies for electrification of the chemical process industry. Here, the performance of a electrocatalyst with a three-dimensional structure of InZnCu on Cu foam (CF) is presented. This electrocatalyst was fabricated by electrodeposition of In and Zn over Cu and exhibited a superior reduction of CO2to CO at a Faradaic efficiency of 93.7% at -0.7 V and an excellently long duration of 100 h. Due to the synergy of the thin In layer, the Zn nanosheets provided a high surface-active area and strong mechanical robustness during the reaction. Additionally, a two-electrode system was constructed based on the CF-modified surface, which provided valuable guidelines on the overall CO2RR-OER system for further evolution. Furthermore, due to the facile synthesis, the bimetal-layer double hydroxide (LDH) exhibited high conductivity and high OER performance. Hence, the two-electrode system assembled excellent electrocatalysts for the CO2RR-OER (InZnCu/CF||Cu(OH)2NWs@NiCo-LDH/CF) with high conversions of CO2to CO of 67% and 88% at 2 and 50 mA cm-2, respectively. Notably, the CO2RR-OER system exhibited excellent stability in a 40 h CO2conversion with a constant current density of 2 mA cm-2at an ultralow voltage of 1.59 V. Moreover, the calculation of the energy input converting CO per ton of CO2resulted in a low energy input range for further development in scalability. This overall CO2RR-OER proposes development in electrochemical CO2reduction for industrial applications.

DOI： 10.1021/acsaem.2c01564

Selective hydrogenation of furfural to tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol in 2-butanol over an equimolar Ni-Cu-Al catalyst prepared by the co-precipitation method

Rao, TU; Suchada, S; Choi, C; Machida, H; Huo, ZB; Norinaga, K

ENERGY CONVERSION AND MANAGEMENT Vol. 265 2022.8

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Energy Conversion and Management

In order to upgrade biomass-derived platform chemicals to high value-added chemicals and liquid fuels, it is highly advantageous and desirable to synthesize suitable non-precious bimetallic catalysts that are efficient and versatile in chemical reactions. Equal moles of Ni and Cu were dispersed on varying mole ratios of Al by the co-precipitation method to synthesize Ni-Cu alloy particles to obtain a maximum yield of tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol (THFA) by the liquid phase hydrogenation of furfural. The nickel species were active for both the furan ring (C=C) and carbonyl group (C=O) of furfural molecule, while Cu species were highly active for only the carbonyl group of furfural molecule. Systematic characterization of the prepared catalysts by XRD, TPR, STEM-EDS, and XPS analysis revealed the formation of highly active Ni-Cu alloys and near-equal Ni/Cu surface contents were achieved for the equimolar catalyst, which showcased a maximum of 98 mol% yield of THFA at 140 °C, 30 bar, 4 h. The reaction pressure and temperature showed a substantial effect on the product yield. The solvent selection also influenced the product selectivity, particularly with 2-butanol, which promoted the reaction with its hydrogen donor capacity and supported the ring hydrogenation of FAL to THFA. Moreover, the reduced Ni1Cu1-Al1 catalyst displayed good recyclability for three runs and an equal activity to that of a fresh catalyst after the regeneration.

DOI： 10.1016/j.enconman.2022.115736

Phase equilibrium modeling of mixtures containing conformationally flexible molecules with the COSMO-SAC model

Hung, YC; Hsieh, CM; Machida, H; Lin, ST; Shimoyama, Y

JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS Vol. 356 2022.6

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Journal of Molecular Liquids

The multi-conformational structures sampling of a molecule, considered as conformational information, is found to be crucial for applying COSMO-SAC to systems containing compounds with flexible molecular structures, such as alkylene glycol derivatives. In this study, a hybrid modeling approach that combines the COSMO-SAC model with classical molecular dynamics (MD) is proposed to investigate the phase behavior of systems containing alkylene glycol derivatives. The accuracy in predicting liquid–liquid equilibrium (LLE) was found to be strongly influenced by conformational populations obtaining from MD simulations under different solvation environments. The overall root mean square deviation (RMSD) in predicting LLE mutual solubility from COSMO-SAC for seven selected mixtures containing alkylene glycol derivatives reduces from 19.1% to 10.1% when conformation distribution is included. The new approach significantly improves the accuracy in predicting phase behaviors for alkylene glycol derivatives solutions and can be applied to systems containing compounds with flexible molecular structures.

DOI： 10.1016/j.molliq.2022.118896

Modeling of phase separation solvent for CO<sub>2</sub> capture using COSMO-SAC model

Hung, YC; Hsieh, CM; Machida, H; Lin, ST; Shimoyama, Y

JOURNAL OF THE TAIWAN INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERS Vol. 135 2022.6

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers

Background: Phase separation solvents are proposed to replace conventional solvents for CO2 capture due to a significant reduction of absorbent regeneration heat. A predictive approach based on COSMO-SAC is developed to model the CO2 capture process using the phase separation solvent of 2-(ethylamino)ethanol (EAE) + water + diethylene glycol diethyl ether (DEGDEE). Methods: In this approach, liquid phase compositions, including CO2 solubility, are determined from vapor-liquid-liquid equilibrium calculation with a chemisorption reaction in both liquid phases. The behavior of phase separation after CO2 capture and CO2 solubility in both CO2-lean and CO2-rich phases at 313 and 353 K can be well described by the proposed approach. Significant findings: The overall root-mean-square-deviation (RMSD) in predicting compositions (128 data points) of all components in both liquid phases is 0.064, which is slightly better than a previous study on the accuracy of COSMO-SAC in LLE prediction (RMSD = 0.105). The phase separation behavior of solvent can be realized with the hydrophilic product upon CO2 absorption from the σ-profile analysis. The proposed framework is expected to be a useful tool for the development of a new phase separation solvent.

DOI： 10.1016/j.jtice.2022.104362

CFD simulation of the Sabatier process in a shell-and-tube reactor under local thermal non-equilibrium conditions: Parameter sensitivity and reaction mechanism analysis

Lin, YX; Zhang, W; Machida, H; Norinaga, K

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY Vol. 47 ( 34 ) page： 15254 - 15269 2022.4

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

The Sabatier process is a competitive technology applied for carbon capture and utilization. This process increases the risk of carbon deposition and catalyst thermal degradation because of its exothermic property. In this study, a CFD model verified through existing experimental data was established to systematically investigate the Sabatier process in a shell-and-tube reactor. The effects arising from several operating parameters (e.g., gas flow rate, feed gas composition, the thermal conductivity of catalyst pellet, the inlet temperature of cooling phase, as well as phase change refrigeration) on temperature profile and reaction performance were studied. Moreover, a mechanism of three reactions was investigated, including CO2 methanation, CO methanation, as well as RWGS reaction. Furthermore, the competition between CO2 methanation and RWGS reaction was explored. According to the further sensitivity analysis, increasing the thermal conductivity of the catalyst particles would be effective to inhibit hot spots, while keeping the carbon conversion rate unchanged.

DOI： 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.03.029

Unveiling the mechanism of CO<inf>2</inf>-driven phase change in amine + water + glycol ether ternary mixture

Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers Vol. 131 2022.2

A review of thermal catalytic and electrochemical hydrogenation approaches for converting biomass-derived compounds to high-value chemicals and fuels

Zhang, LJ; Rao, TU; Wang, JY; Ren, DZ; Sirisommboonchai, S; Choi, C; Machida, H; Huo, ZB; Norinaga, K

FUEL PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY Vol. 226 2022.2

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Fuel Processing Technology

Major global issues such as greenhouse gas emissions and the excessive use of fossil fuels lead to looking for sustainable and clean energy resources. Lignocellulosic biomass is a prospective resource for sustainable carbon-based energy. The production of petroleum-based green fuels, chemicals, and solvents from biomass-derived products has garnered much attention in the recent past. The study of biomass derivatives hydrogenation improves the efficiency of generating high-value chemicals and provides much-needed insights into the primary reaction mechanism for the effective utilization of raw constituents or biomass. However, the existing thermochemical conversions of biomass and biomass-derived products such as thermal catalytic hydrogenation (TCH) involve energy-intensive and expensive processes. In this regard, sustainable energy generation attracts alternative conversion technologies, including electrochemical conversion (ECC), electrocatalytic hydrogenation (ECH), and photocatalytic conversions that can be directly integrated with renewable wind/solar technologies and operated at ambient or lower temperatures. The role of electrocatalyst and electrolyte is pivotal to achieve efficient and selective ECH of biomass organics. This review paper summarizes the utilization of TCH and ECH processes on cellulose/hemicellulose, lignin, and their derivatives/model compounds, including catalyst types, reaction conditions, hydrogenation efficiency, and technical limitations. The advantages and disadvantages of the two technologies for biomass utilization have also been compared, which provides a more favourable knowledge base and theoretical basis for the subsequent research work.

DOI： 10.1016/j.fuproc.2021.107097

Durability and fire-hazardous-risk evaluation of unique phase separation solvent using high-boiling-point amine and ether

Maeda, N; Kishimoto, A; Machida, H; Yamaguchi, T; Yanase, K; Norinaga, K

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GREENHOUSE GAS CONTROL Vol. 114 2022.2

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control

Durability and fire hazard risk evaluations were conducted to determine the process feasibility of a unique phase separation solvent with a low regeneration temperature (90 °C) consisting of an amine, ether, and a small amount of water. The results are as follows. I) The amine degradation rate of the phase separation solvent was determined to be less than 1/10 of that of monoethanolamine, which was attributed to the high oxidative resistance and low regeneration temperature of the former. II) The composition of the gas that formed in the absorber was completely out of the combustible range during the treatment of 6% oxygen-containing gas on a dry basis. Therefore, we believe that this phase separation solvent is applicable to the treatment of exhaust gas from coal-fired thermal power plants and can realize stable operation with a small amount of amine required for replenishment.

DOI： 10.1016/j.ijggc.2021.103532

Fluctuation in diethylene glycol diethyl ether/water mixtures near the lower critical solution temperature studied by small- and wide-angle x-ray scattering and thermodynamic calculation

Yanase, K; Tran, KVB; Yamaguchi, T; Machida, H; Norinaga, K

JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS Vol. 346 2022.1

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Journal of Molecular Liquids

We studied local structure of diethylene glycol diethyl ether (DEGDEE)-water mixtures near the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) by means of simultaneous small- and wide-angle x-ray scattering measurement and thermodynamic calculation based on the activity coefficient model. Long-wavelength limits of structure factors SNN(0), SCC(0), and SNC(0), which respectively represent mean square fluctuations in the particle number, the concentration, and their cross correlation, are determined from scattering intensity extrapolated to the zero scattering vector and thermodynamic quantities according to the Bhatia and Thornton formula. SNN(0) and SCC(0) exhibit maxima near critical concentration. We found that difference between partial molar volumes of water and DEGDEE essentially results in SNN(0) values being one order of magnitude larger than SCC(0) values. Further, we determined Kirkwood-Buff (KB) integrals to clarify a mixing state of the solution from a mesoscopic point of view. The KB integrals also exhibit extrema near critical concentration. These results demonstrate self-segregations of both DEGDEE and water in a nanometer length scale even at homogeneous solution states, which can be regarded as a precursor of the macroscopic phase separation. Concentration dependence of the wide-angle scattering curve suggests that the short-range structure, whose length scale is sub-nanometer, moderately changes between the intrinsic bulk structures of DEGDEE and water. Comparison of the KB integrals with those determined by the activity coefficient model using non-random two-liquid equation is presented and effects of the fluctuation on the phase behavior are discussed.

DOI： 10.1016/j.molliq.2021.117830

Determination of Kinetic Parameters for CO<sub>2</sub> Methanation (Sabatier Reaction) over Ni/ZrO<sub>2</sub> at a Stoichiometric Feed-Gas Composition under Elevated Pressure

Choi, C; Khuenpetch, A; Zhang, W; Yasuda, S; Lin, YX; Machida, H; Takano, H; Izumiya, K; Kawajiri, Y; Norinaga, K

ENERGY & FUELS Vol. 35 ( 24 ) page： 20216 - 20223 2021.12

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Energy and Fuels

Methanation of CO2 using H2 obtained by renewable energy sources has been gaining attention as one of the promising options for utilizing captured CO2 and surplus power obtained when intermittent power sources such as solar and wind energy are used. Herein, kinetics of CO2 methanation over Ni/ZrO2 was studied using a tubular quartz reactor at 0.9 MPa. The Sabatier reaction (CO2 + 4H2 = CH4 + 2H2O, ΔHr298K = – 165 kJ mol–1) was carried out under stoichiometric gas feeding (CO2/H2 = 1/4 v/v to CH4/H2O = 1/2 v/v), and its reaction rate was determined. The exothermic nature of CO2 methanation and extremely high catalytic activities increased the reaction temperature to 400–600 °C even when the feed-gas temperature was as low as 250–400 °C, and the gas hourly space velocity was as high as 3 × 106 h–1. Nonlinear regression analyses based on one- and multistep kinetic models were used to investigate the reaction rates to estimate the kinetic parameters. Both models with optimized parameters can reproduce the experimentally obtained CH4 formation rates for the entire range of the feed-gas conversion with a coefficient of determination (R2) of over 0.98.

DOI： 10.1021/acs.energyfuels.1c01534

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