The_Catalyst_Review_February_2024 - 20
Movers & Shakers
David Brown, PhD
Technical Director, Drochaid Research Services, St. Andrews, Scotland
Dr. Brown graduated with an honours degree in Chemistry from the University of Edinburgh in 1993
and received his PhD from the University of Cambridge in ruthenium carbonyl cluster chemistry in
1997. Post-doctoral positions and a Teaching Company Associate position with Pozzani Pure Water
followed. In 2002, David joined Sasol Technology UK as Principal Research Scientist when they
were setting up their research facility in St Andrews. In 2018, he joined the newly formed contract
research company Drochaid Research Services, where he is now Technical Director. Throughout
his career in industry, David has worked in several areas spanning the petrochemical industry and,
more recently, the transition to renewable feedstocks. He has extensive expertise in preparing and
characterizing heterogeneous catalysts, particularly how preparation procedures can affect catalyst
structure and performance. He can be reached at david.brown@drochaidresearch.com.
The Catalyst Review asked Dr. Brown to share his thoughts on the growing use of catalysts for
converting renewable feedstocks into commercial products.
New commercial applications for catalytic chemistry arise when there is a significant driver for change. This is currently evidenced by
the commitment of most chemical producers to shift from fossil fuel-derived carbon feedstocks to renewable or recycled carbon. It is
an ongoing process requiring new and improved catalysts and process technologies to achieve this raw material shift.
An example of this switch to renewable feedstocks is the production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), with several options
being developed over recent years. One route is the biotransformation of hydrogen and carbon dioxide into the building blocks
for jet fuels such as fatty acids, alcohols, and aldehydes, followed by chemical catalysis to transform these molecules into jet fuel.
The combination of biocatalysis and chemical catalysis offers both opportunities and challenges to tailor an effective and efficient
process that can transform renewable feedstocks to SAF.
Another route to SAFs is to use Fischer─Tropsch (FT) technology, where the syngas for the FT process can be generated either from
CO2
and green hydrogen or a number of non-fossil carbon sources, including municipal waste and biomass. This challenges the
successful commercialization of catalysts, as the feedstock sources are variable and widely distributed by their very nature. Catalysts
for this process must be flexible and robust to allow for the seasonal variations in feedstock and resultant catalyst poisons and
manage the shorter-term variability linked to renewable energy supplies. Fulcrum Bioenergy's commercial-scale waste-to-fuels facility
began production in Nevada in 2022 and is an early example of the successful application of Fischer-Tropsch technology to the
conversion of syngas derived from landfill waste.
Another research area that has stimulated much interest is the use of lignin as a source of renewable carbon for valorization to fuels
and chemicals. A significant issue for the commercialization of such processes is the structural variability of lignin depending on
the source of the lignocellulosic biomass. The transformation of lignocellulosic biomass via lignin to key chemical building blocks
involves both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis steps. The tailoring of these processes through innovative catalysis offers
excellent scope to realize commercially viable technologies for value-added products.
These two areas highlight some opportunities whereby catalysis can enable the transition from fossil fuel sources to renewables by
addressing many of the challenges inherent in this shift. Many of these processes will likely be deployed at a smaller scale and be
more widely distributed than the traditional integrated mega-plants. This implies developing a range of fit-for-purpose processes
that can be chosen to suit location/substrate/volume. Drochaid has developed extensive capabilities in these new catalytic
applications in response to changing customer needs, which can accelerate the transition to renewable carbon products. Success in
this area will rely on robust, multi-disciplinary collaboration and novel process and product development approaches.
Coming Soon - Topics Include:
* Bio-lubricants
* Sulfide Catalysis at the Crossroads
* Polyolefin Supports * Electricity-based Heating in Catalysis
20
The Catalyst Review
February 2024
The_Catalyst_Review_February_2024
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