Materials Characterization and Spectroscopy for a Methane Abatement Catalyst
Name
Wilkinson-m2w-MEng-1-2023-thesis.pdf
Description
Thesis PDF
Size
7.62 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
20f06dcf27b2c1ebc9221c3557f9929f
Author(s)
Wilkinson, Mollie
Advisor(s)
Plata, Desiree
Date Issued
June 2023
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
Methane is the second-most emitted greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide, and it is significantly more powerful as a short-term warmer, making it a valuable target for climate change mitigation efforts. Zeolites are earth-abundant minerals common in catalysis for their low price combined with high conversion and throughput potential. This study evaluates a specific copper-zeolite (mordenite) methane oxidation catalyst for long-term durability and potential performance at 400 and 950 C. Using materials characterization and spectroscopy techniques including scanning-electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis (BET), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), chemical and structural changes are tracked, identified, and assessed over the course of three months. Samples treated at 400 °C show no major structural or chemical changes in the catalyst, while samples treated at 950 °C show gradual transformation into a nonporous quartz-mullite-cristobalite mixture. This suggests indefinite catalyst stability at the former temperature and progressive catalyst degradation at the latter temperature, providing plausible long-term operation conditions and peak temporary conditions for this method of methane abatement.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
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