FURI | Spring 2018

Converting Industrial Combustion Byproducts to Liquid Transportation Fuels and Environmentally Friendly Nitrogen-containing Compounds

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The implementation of carbon capture and storage systems (CCS) has played a crucial role in the pursuit of sustainable sources of energy, but the risks of leakages have become a major push for utilizing CO2 as soon as it is produced. This project aims to contribute to CCS by exploring the possibility of simultaneously converting a mixture of CO2 and NOx (typical effluents from combustion systems) to large hydrocarbons for transportation fuels and environmentally friendly nitrogen-containing compounds. Future work involves analyzing product yields and creating catalysts that are active under typical industrial combustion conditions.

Student researcher

Portrait of Shongwe-Thembelihle

Thembelihle Shongwe

Chemical engineering

Hometown: Manzini, Swaziland

Graduation date: Spring 2018