ADVANCED MATERIALS FOR CATALYTIC COMBUSTION

CATALYTICALLY STABILIZED THERMAL COMBUSTION (CST COMBUSTION) OFFERS SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGES FOR HIGH EFFICIENCY, ULTRA-LOW EMISSIONS COMBUSTION APPLICATIONS IN GAS TURBINE ENGINES, BURNERS, INCINERATORS, AND EVEN IC RECIPROCATING ENGINES. WITH CST COMBUSTION, NOX EMISSIONS CAN BE EFFECTIVELY ELIMINATED WITHOUT AFTERTREATMENT BY ENABLING COMBUSTION AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW THE NOX FORMATION LEVEL. COMBUSTION EFFICIENCY IS MAINTAINED AT A HIGH LEVEL, AND CO/UNBURNED HYDROCARBON EMISSIONS ARE KEPT LOW. YET LIMITS ON THE ABILITY OF THE CATALYST AND ITS SUBSTRATE TO SURVIVE HIGH TEMPERATURES (E.G., 1200C - 1600C) IN REACTIVE ATMOSPHERES HAVE SEVERELY RESTRICTED PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS. DOPED ALUMINUM BASED OXIDES SUCH AS HEXAALUMINATES AND PEROVSKITES OFFER THE PROMISE OF A THERMALLY STABLE, CATALYTICALLY ACTIVE MONOLITHIC CATALYST MATERIAL THROUGH THE PROPER CHOICE OF DOPANT ATOMS; HOWEVER, THE NATURE OF THE DOPANT RESIDENCE AND THE EFFECT OF THE DOPANTS ON THE MORPHOLOGY OF THE HEXAALUMINATE MACROSTRUCTURE IS UNCERTAIN. RESEARCHERS ARE INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTS OF DOPING AND ANCHORING CATALYTICALLY ACTIVE ATOMS INTO ALUMINUM-BASED OXIDES FOR USE IN CST COMBUSTION. IN PARTICULAR, THEY ARE INVESTIGATING THE MORPHOLOGY, SINTERING RESISTANCE, DOPANT SITE RESIDENCE, AND CATALYTIC ACTIVITY AS A FUNCTION OF DOPANT CONCENTRATION AND PROCESSING.