Methanation of Synthesis Gas to Produce Methane: A Hands-On Catalysis Experiment

Abstract

Organizing undergraduates in chemistry, energy engineering, and chemical engineering specialties to participate in an energy transformation experiment can encourage them to think about the impact of human activities on nature and stimulate them to learn more about the topic. This laboratory experiment demonstrates a general approach to the methanation of syngas in a fixed bed reactor with online chromatographic monitoring. Undergraduates gain the opportunity to operate temperature controllers, mass flow meters, fixed bed reactors, gas chromatography, and cold traps as well as broaden their knowledge of renewable CO/CO 2 conversion. The experiment also offers a discussion about the chemical principles in catalytic conversion of syngas to methane, viable alternatives to green fuel sources, and the catalytic reaction process.

Hydrophilic and Conductive 3D-Printed Electrocatalysts in Hydrogen Evolution Reaction for Undergraduate Experiments

“…Students also analyze the correlation between the electrochemical performance and the physicochemical compositions of catalysts. Moreover, this laboratory experiment presents a typical example of the development of 3D-printing-assisted catalysts, which are suitable for a broad range of applications, including catalytic conversion, the manufacture of soft devices and machines, and the design of microreactors in chemical reaction engineering …”