Examining the Process of Methane Conversion
In a bid to reduce methane losses and combat climate change, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh's Swanson School of Engineering are exploring a novel approach to convert methane into valuable chemicals using light.
The hydrofracturing (fracking) industry in the U.S. has seen a surge in methane production, a significant greenhouse gas that is often flared, resulting in an estimated annual value loss of approximately $16 billion. The high cost of storing and transporting methane, due to its production in remote and isolated areas, further exacerbates the issue.
However, methane is a valuable building block for chemicals in the petrochemical industry. Despite this, it is currently burned off to prevent atmospheric pollution at fracking sites.
The research, led by Giannis Mpourmpakis, Bicentennial Alumni Faculty Fellow and associate professor of chemical and petroleum engineering, aims to change this. Mpourmpakis, who heads the Computer-Aided Nano and Energy Lab (CANELa) at Pitt, has received a $110,000 New Directions Grant to delve into this possibility.
The potential method, which mimics how a plant transforms the sun's energy into fuel, utilises metal-oxide photocatalysts that can convert methane under mild conditions using visible or near-ultraviolet illumination. This could pave the way for on-site conversion of methane into valuable chemicals, making the process economically viable.
Mpourmpakis and the CANELa group have already made strides in this area, using computational modeling to simulate catalytic processes and test potential catalysts. The grant will allow Mpourmpakis' lab to develop a more robust understanding of photocatalysis and the mechanisms necessary to convert methane.
The integration of photocatalysis with traditional thermal catalysis has the potential to advance shale gas utilization and turn a waste by-product and greenhouse gas into a valuable resource. By capturing and immediately converting methane into a fuel or value-added chemical, the environmental impact of methane can be reduced, and its industrial use enhanced.
The goal is not just to advance shale gas utilization but also to turn a waste by-product and greenhouse gas into a valuable resource. If successful, this innovative approach could revolutionise the way methane is handled in the fracking industry, contributing to a more sustainable and economically viable future.
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