A new twist on a catalyst for making a key industrial chemical could prevent the release of millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
Ethylene oxide is used to make a range of adhesives and plastics, as well as hospital cleansers and antifreeze. Its market is valued at $40 billion per year. The chemical is produced by oxidizing ethylene using silver and α-alumina catalysts. Forcing ethylene and oxygen to combine to form ethylene oxide rather than combusting to form carbon dioxide and water — the more thermodynamically favorable reaction — is a challenge, according to Matthew Montemore, a professor of chemical engineering at Tulane Univ. The current process requires chlorine as a promoter, which is toxic. It also requires a feed that is half reactants and half inert gases to avoid a thermal runaway. The reactants must be passed over the catalysts multiple times to minimize the undesired combustion reaction and maximize the conversion of ethylene and oxygen to ethylene oxide. Because of this high-volume, multi-pass process, manufacturers must also conduct separation and recycling of the production streams, which is energy-intensive.
The global production of ethylene oxide “creates about as much CO2 as...
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