Services
Emerging Fuels Technology’s services are an integrated set of research tools available for use in the development of technologies primarily related to synthesis gas chemistry and related processes. These research tools can be used individually or in-concert to develop a fully integrated research and development program.
Clients may provide catalyst samples to EFT for “blind” testing. By blind we mean that the physical and chemical characteristics of the catalyst are not known to EFT. And EFT agrees to not analyze the catalyst (unless specifically agreed by the client and put in writing). EFT and the client agree to operating conditions that will provide the client with the desired data, we do the rest. Years of experience have gone into the laboratory’s reactor systems design and operating procedures. Our trained operating staff will develop an experimental plan to implement reactor experiments that produce timely, accurate and reliable data. Experimental plans can be developed to optimize operating conditions for a specific performance parameter, map kinetics, determine deactivation rates, project catalyst life, map catalyst response to contaminants and more depending on the client’s requirements.
EFT has the resources and experienced personnel trained to make small batches of catalyst for testing. We can start with a catalyst that needs improvement of start with a clean slate. Once a catalyst that meets the client’s target performance needs has been identified, its operating characteristics (kinetics, deactivation rate, response to contaminants, etc.) can be determined in the appropriate laboratory scale reactor system. EFT can provide a complete scale-up manufacturing plan with quality control parameters starting from initial manufacturing technology transfer to full scale commercial production.
Hydroprocessing/Hydrotreating and Sample Handling
EFT’s operating staff have developed techniques that have been successful in hydrotreating/hydroprocessing several different raw materials into finished on-specification fuel products. The laboratory has effectively demonstrated both batch and trickle bed reactor systems to process materials. The laboratory can either use client specified catalyst systems or screen/evaluate applicable catalysts available in the market. The laboratory has spinning-band vacuum distillation capability that can effectively distil process materials into the appropriate ranges for most fuels types. In coordination with the laboratory’s analytical capabilities, raw materials can be processed into treated materials, distilled into the appropriate fractions with the fractions blended into on-speciation products verified by in-house analytical procedures.
EFT has the equipment and the trained staff to provide analytical support for catalyst development, reactor testing and hydroprocessing/hydrotreating activities. EFT has the analytical tools to evaluate catalyst support for nitrogen porosimetry/BET analyses, hydrogen and carbon monoxide chemisorption and thermo gravimetric coupled GC/MS capability to develop temperature programmed reduction and oxidation profiles. EFT staff have developed a series of GC-FID based methods specifically calibrated to target product components generated by Fischer-Tropsch and mixed alcohol synthesis chemistry. Physical properties of hydrotreated/hydro processed hydrocarbons can be determined using a variety of ASTM referenced methods including high (D-6352) and low (D-2887) temperature simulated distillation, flash point (D-93), viscosity (D-445) and micro distillation (D-86).
EFT can provide process engineering support for front end studies and project evaluations. This may include process and reactor modeling, process optimization, cost estimates, process simulation and drafting. We use process simulation software that is compatible with most engineering companies. We specialize in new technology development that is built around a catalyst system and especially those associated with synthesis gas chemistries.