SBIR Phase II: Increasing Production of Palladium Supported on Hierarchically Porous Monolithic Carbon Catalysts

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project is that the palladium on hierarchically porous monolithic carbon catalyst being developed promises longer lifetimes and higher performance to industrial chemical companies. This more active, more selective catalyst can lower the operating temperature in chemical reactions thereby decreasing energy usage and giving products with fewer impurities, requiring a smaller number of purification steps and producing less waste. Success will therefore impact both ecological and commercial sustainability in the chemical industry. The objectives of this Phase II research project are 1) demonstrate that the carbon support is scalable while maintaining the mechanical properties needed for industrial use, 2) scale loading the palladium catalyst onto the support, 3) exhibit the same high catalytic performance as the laboratory prepared catalyst, and 4) enter full scale production while setting up a quality system. The catalyst to be produced at large quantities represents the first of a new class of hierarchically porous catalyst supports and so further validation of this new product will provide the foundation for introduction of a broad class of catalysts with these superior properties. If successful, full scale manufacturing of this new class of catalysts will be pursued.