Nanoparticle Molybdenum Dioxide: A New Alternative Catalytic Material for Hydrogen Production via Partial Oxidation of Jet-A Fuels

作者：Marin Flores Oscar; Turba Timothy; Ellefson Caleb; Scudiero Louis; Breit Joe; Norton M Grant; Ha Su^*

来源：Journal of Nanoelectronics and Optoelectronics, 2010, 5(2): 110-114.

DOI：10.1166/jno.2010.1074

• Fuel Cell
• Auxiliary Power Unit
• Jet-A
• Nanoparticle
• Molybdenum Dioxide (MoO(2))
• Partial Oxidation

A battery-extender fuel cell auxiliary power unit (BE-APU) is the first step in a far-reaching and long-term vision that Boeing has for utilizing fuel cells as APUs on board commercial airplanes for greater energy efficiency and improved air quality at airports. A critical requirement for developing a commercially viable BE-APU is a catalyst that can reform and electrochemically oxidize fossil fuel-based aviation fuels. This paper reviews the catalytic performance of nanoparticle MoO(2), which can effectively reform Jet-A fuels to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide (synthesis gas) under partial oxidation conditions. Nanoparticle MoO(2) was synthesized by the reduction of molybdenum trioxide (MoO(3)) powder in a 1:3 volume ratio of ethylene glycol to distilled water at 180 degrees C for 12 h. The resulting nanoparticle MoO(2) was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and BET surface area measurements. For the partial oxidation of Jet-A fuel at 850 degrees C, oxygen-to-carbon (O(2)/C) ratio of 0.55 and weight-hourly-space-velocity (WHSV) of 1.5 h(-1), the synthesized nanoparticle MoO(2) displayed a fuel conversion of 99% and a hydrogen yield of similar to 60% after 9 h on-stream. Under similar operating conditions, a reference Ni catalyst was deactivated due to coking after less than 4 h of operation. Based on these findings, nanoparticle MoO(2) appears to display a coking resistance higher than that of the reference Ni catalyst during the partial oxidation of Jet-A fuels.

• 出版日期2010-8