429
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
K. K. Pant et al. (eds.), Catalysis for Clean Energy and Environmental
Sustainability, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65021-6_14
Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis in Silicon
and 3D Printed Stainless Steel
Microchannel Microreactors
Nafeezuddin Mohammad, Omar M. Basha, Sujoy Bepari,
Richard Y. Abrokwah, Vishwanath Deshmane, Lijun Wang,
Shyam Aravamudhan, and Debasish Kuila
Abstract In recent years, environmental challenges have led to a focus on the production of clean synthetic fuels from different carbon sources using Fischer-Tropsch
(FT) synthesis. Catalyst development and reactor improvements are the major
points of interest to obtain high selectivity toward desired hydrocarbons in FT synthesis. The first part of this chapter summarizes the fundamentals of FT synthesis,
catalysts, and possible reaction mechanisms, the drawbacks of present synthesis
reactors, and how microchannel microreactor (specified as microreactor in this
chapter) technology addresses them with its unique characteristics. Two case studies are presented to describe catalyst screening for FT synthesis in two types of
microreactors: Silicon (Si) microreactors are fabricated using conventional microfabrication techniques with dimensions 1.6 cm × 50 μm × 100 μm. Stainless steel
(SS) 3D printed microreactors of dimensions 2.4 cm × 500 μm × 500 μm are fabricated by direct metal laser sintering method. The FT studies with Si and SS microreactors coated with different catalysts/supports and temperature-programmed
reduction (TPR) experiments with H 2 not only provide insight into metal-support
interactions but also catalyst performance in terms of kinetics, selectivity, CO conN. Mohammad · S. Aravamudhan
Department of Nanoengineering, Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, North
Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC, USA
O. M. Basha · L. Wang
Department of Chemical, Biological and Bioengineering, North Carolina A&T State
University, Greensboro, NC, USA
S. Bepari · R. Y. Abrokwah · V. Deshmane
Department of Chemistry, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC, USA
D. Kuila (*)
Department of Nanoengineering, Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, North
Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC, USA
Department of Chemistry, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC, USA
e-mail: dkuila@ncat.edu
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
K. K. Pant et al. (eds.), Catalysis for Clean Energy and Environmental
Sustainability, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65021-6_14
Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis in Silicon
and 3D Printed Stainless Steel
Microchannel Microreactors
Nafeezuddin Mohammad, Omar M. Basha, Sujoy Bepari,
Richard Y. Abrokwah, Vishwanath Deshmane, Lijun Wang,
Shyam Aravamudhan, and Debasish Kuila
Abstract In recent years, environmental challenges have led to a focus on the production of clean synthetic fuels from different carbon sources using Fischer-Tropsch
(FT) synthesis. Catalyst development and reactor improvements are the major
points of interest to obtain high selectivity toward desired hydrocarbons in FT synthesis. The first part of this chapter summarizes the fundamentals of FT synthesis,
catalysts, and possible reaction mechanisms, the drawbacks of present synthesis
reactors, and how microchannel microreactor (specified as microreactor in this
chapter) technology addresses them with its unique characteristics. Two case studies are presented to describe catalyst screening for FT synthesis in two types of
microreactors: Silicon (Si) microreactors are fabricated using conventional microfabrication techniques with dimensions 1.6 cm × 50 μm × 100 μm. Stainless steel
(SS) 3D printed microreactors of dimensions 2.4 cm × 500 μm × 500 μm are fabricated by direct metal laser sintering method. The FT studies with Si and SS microreactors coated with different catalysts/supports and temperature-programmed
reduction (TPR) experiments with H 2 not only provide insight into metal-support
interactions but also catalyst performance in terms of kinetics, selectivity, CO conN. Mohammad · S. Aravamudhan
Department of Nanoengineering, Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, North
Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC, USA
O. M. Basha · L. Wang
Department of Chemical, Biological and Bioengineering, North Carolina A&T State
University, Greensboro, NC, USA
S. Bepari · R. Y. Abrokwah · V. Deshmane
Department of Chemistry, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC, USA
D. Kuila (*)
Department of Nanoengineering, Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, North
Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC, USA
Department of Chemistry, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC, USA
e-mail: dkuila@ncat.edu