Fuel for Thought
Latest Developments in Hydrogen Standards and the Pyrolysis of Biomass
Oct 16 2022
Hydrogen Standards
Furthermore, there are a few updates in standards for hydrogen fuel cells. It has been shown that even very low concentrations of gas impurities can cause non-negligible damages to fuel cell components. Thus, the publication of ISO 14687, in which multiple molecules have been identified as hazardous and highly restrictive concentration-thresholds determined. The standard establishes a few principles; in particular, when internal combustion engines can tolerate low-quality hydrogen, it is very important to inject high-quality hydrogen to prevent catalyst poisoning.
Pyrolysis of Biomass
New research suggests that bio-oils obtained from lignocellulosic biomass pyrolysis could be a suitable replacement for petroleum-based fuels. At the molecular level, these materials are highly complex mixtures comprising thousands of species, covering a large range of mass and polarity. They contain significant amounts of oxygenated compounds and water – which is responsible for corrosiveness and storage issues – as well as a low energetic density. Consequently, they cannot be directly used as biofuels, but must undergo upgrading processes in order to obtain a material whose physicochemical properties are close to conventional fuels.
To improve these processes, deep molecular characterization of upgraded bio-oils is an absolute necessity. Some studies of bio-oils involve direct-infusion, ultra-high-resolution mass spectrometry, which allows researchers to detect and assign thousands of molecular formulae, but only isobaric level is well-described by such an approach, and neither structural nor isomeric information is obtained. Since this latter dimension was shown to be relevant in the catalytic process of petroleum fractions, researchers are currently developing an analytical method which combines supercritical-fluid chromatography and ion-mobility mass spectrometry.
Digital Edition
PIN 25.2 Apr/May
May 2024
Safety - Carbon monoxide toxic and flammable gas detection Analytical Instrumentation - Density: A fundamental parameter at critical stages within the petroleum sector - Advancements and...
View all digital editions
Events
Jul 10 2024 Birmingham, UK
Thailand Oil & Gas Roadshow 2024
Jul 11 2024 Rayong, Thailand
Jul 20 2024 Denver, CO, USA
Jul 21 2024 Cape Town, South Africa
Jul 24 2024 Bogata, Colombia