Environmental Catalysis - Catalyst design

This diploma work focuses on catalyst design including preparation and characterization. This is a new concept developed by KTH in cooperation with Reformtech, a cleantech company with close relations with the vehicle industry.

A significant decrease in emissions from conventional heaters, which are available in today's trucks and cars, can be achieved by using environmentally friendly catalytic heaters. ReformTechs heater technology offers significantly lower emission limits (no NOx, particulate emissions or toxic carbon monoxide). A higher potential efficiency also reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The heater technology that is developed will also be operated on biodiesel that will entirely offer CO2 neutral emissions.

One important aspect for the commercialization of these catalytic heaters is the price for the catalyst in the system. Precious metals are very active catalysts, however also very expensive. In this project novel catalyst materials will be prepared, characterized and investigated.

Proposed project plan:

• Literature survey: Literature survey has to be done in order to get an overview of the state of the research
• Catalyst design: Involves the careful choice of the active catalytic phase, promoter, and carrier as well as the optimization of chemical, physical, mechanical and catalytic properties.
• Catalyst preparation: Involve several steps and unit operations, preparation of the support, formulation of the support monolith, deposition of the active component and catalyst activation.
• Catalyst characterization: by different analysis methods

The goal with the diploma work is that you as a student are involved in developing new catalysts for catalytic combustion and gain knowledge of about the concept. You will also learn how to work independently and gaining experience in an up-to-date research field with supervision both from KTH and Reformtech.