Development of a Copper-Based Oxygen Carrier for Chemical Looping with Oxygen Uncoupling

honors thesisCollege of EngineeringChemical EngineeringKevin WhittyChemical looping with oxygen uncoupling (CLOU) is a CO2-capture technology that is a special form of chemical looping combustion (CLC). It requires an oxygen carrier that cycles between two reactors picking up oxygen from one and delivering it to another for the combustion of solid fuels. An oxygen carrier is composed of an active metal that is distributed on a supporting material. This research focused on the preparation of a copper-based oxygen carrier for CLOU at a small (~100 g) scale by wet impregnation. The primary support material used was silicon carbide. The process parameters studied included: calcination time, number of impregnation cycles, metal solution concentration, batch size, and carrier pretreatment. The quality and degree of copper deposition on the support material were characterized by testing carrier copper loading, oxidation and reduction rates, and other physical properties. The goals of this research were to: 1) develop a reactive and cyclable oxygen carrier, 2) understand what process parameters affect carrier production and resulting performance, and 3) draft an appropriate procedure for larger-scale production. These goals were met and the findings acted as a starting point for larger-scale production in a pilot plant. Ultimately, although silicon carbide is relatively inexpensive and can attain copper oxide loadings of up to 30% by mass, it does not appear to be a long-term solution for oxygen carrier support materials. Good alternatives to silicon carbide that have the same positive qualities (strength, inertness, price) but better reactor performance include ilmenite, garnet, and staurolite