Designed Materials for Solar Thermochemical Redox Cycles
Alan (Al) W. Weimer (Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering University of Colorado (Boulder, CO) USA)
ENGINEERING SEMINARDATE: 2012-09-10
TIME: 11:30:00 - 12:30:00
LOCATION: Ian Ross Seminar Room
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ABSTRACT:
In this presentation, we examine a novel chemistry for a two-step, non-volatile metal oxide CO2 splitting cycle that shuttles iron oxidation states (Fe2+/3+) between CoFe2O4 and FeAl2O4 spinel compounds within a nano-engineered material. This chemistry is dramatically different from current metal oxide cycles that exploit oxygen non-stoichiometry in ceria or solid solution behavior in ferrites. The engineered material is prepared using atomic layer deposition (ALD) and maintains structural integrity over 25 heating cycles under conditions that mimic a concentrated solar power application, namely an oxidation temperature of 1000AC, reduction at 1460AC, and a heating rate of 16AC/s from low to high temperature. Oxygen uptake and release behavior is similar to that of ceria. Raman spectroscopy is used to verify cycle chemistry. This unpublished work is online as a Communication in the journal Energy and Environmental Science, DOI: 10.1039/c2ee22090c. This presentation will review atomic and molecular layer deposition on particles (Particle ALD/MLD) and solarthermal chemistry processing, the active materials and their application development research is at the interface of these two technologies. A path forward for both Particle ALD/MLD and solarthermal chemistry processing research opportunities will be presented as well.
BIO:
Al Weimer is H.T. Sears Memorial Professor in chemical and biological engineering at the University of Colorado. Prior to his academic appointment, he spent 16 years as a research scientist with the Dow Chemical Company. He has published or has in-press 150 research papers and is named inventor on 28 U.S. Patents. His students/postdoctoral fellows have spun two successful start-ups out of his university laboratory (ALD NanoSolutions, Inc. and Copernican Energy a" acquired by Sundrop Fuels). Prof.Weimer has worked in the areas of particle synthesis and functionalization; and high temperature chemistry throughout his career.
