Award Abstract # 1803758
Collaborative Research: Electrochemical Production of NH3 Using Proton-Conducting Ceramic Electrolytes

NSF Org: CBET
Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems
Recipient: LEHIGH UNIVERSITY
Initial Amendment Date: April 13, 2018
Latest Amendment Date: April 13, 2018
Award Number: 1803758
Award Instrument: Standard Grant
Program Manager: Catherine Walker
cawalker@nsf.gov
 (703)292-7125
CBET
 Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems
ENG
 Directorate for Engineering
Start Date: September 1, 2018
End Date: August 31, 2022 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $247,208.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $247,208.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2018 = $247,208.00
History of Investigator:
  • Steven McIntosh (Principal Investigator)
    stm310@lehigh.edu
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: Lehigh University
526 BRODHEAD AVE
BETHLEHEM
PA  US  18015-3008
(610)758-3021
Sponsor Congressional District: 07
Primary Place of Performance: Lehigh University
111 Research Drive
Bethlehem
PA  US  18015-4791
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
07
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): E13MDBKHLDB5
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s): Catalysis
Primary Program Source: 01001819DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
Program Reference Code(s): 6884
Program Element Code(s): 140100
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.041

ABSTRACT

Ammonia synthesis is essential for production of fertilizers used in food production, along with many other applications. The present method for producing ammonia, the 100-year-old Haber-Bosch process, is based on natural gas and consumes 1-2% of total global energy. It is a high-pressure, high-temperature process that is only economical if used for large-scale production. There would be significant advantages to producing ammonia directly from renewable forms of electricity at the location where it is needed. The goal of this project is to demonstrate that this can be accomplished with high efficiency.

This project will seek to develop an electrochemical method for production of ammonia from hydrogen and nitrogen using a proton-conducting, ceramic, solid-oxide electrochemical cell. The central hypothesis is that atmospheric-pressure, ammonia synthesis can be realized by electrochemically driving hydrogen onto catalytic surfaces that are normally limited by high nitride coverage. The project will seek to develop electrode catalysts that are able to dissociate molecular nitrogen, the rate-limiting step in conventional Haber-Bosch synthesis, while simultaneously showing low activity for hydrogen recombination so as to achieve a high hydrogen fugacity at the electrode surface. The project will take advantage of the infiltration methods previously developed for electrode synthesis in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells which allows a wide range of materials to be used for the electrodes. The project will explore mixed electronic-protonic conductors that can be added to the electrode to enhance the three-phase boundary where the electrochemical reaction can occur. The choice of electrocatalysts will be guided by complementary theoretical studies. Small-scale demonstration cells will be produced. If successful, the project will have a dramatic impact on the energy demand and carbon dioxide emissions from ammonia synthesis. The project will support both graduate and undergraduate students in conducting the research, and the PIs will develop faculty-led peer mentorship programs that aim to increase retention of underrepresented undergraduate students in STEM.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

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Chang, Jian and Lehman, Colin and Vohs, John M. and Gorte, Raymond J. and Vojvodic, Aleksandra and Yang, Kunli and McIntosh, Steven "Insights into Proton Recombination in Ceramic Proton Conducting Electrodes" Journal of The Electrochemical Society , v.168 , 2021 https://doi.org/10.1149/1945-7111/abf79e Citation Details
Paige, Julian M. and Vu, Duytam and Cao, Tianyu and McIntosh, Steven and Gorte, Raymond J. and Vohs, John M. "Investigating the Catalytic Requirements of Perovskite Fuel Electrodes Using Ultra-Low Metal Loadings" Journal of The Electrochemical Society , v.168 , 2021 https://doi.org/10.1149/1945-7111/ac1703 Citation Details

PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT

Disclaimer

This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.

The project goal was to develop an electrochemical route to the production of ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen. Ammonia is a key feedstock used to produce numerous products including the fertilizers we utilize to grow sufficient crops to feed the global population. The current industrial process to produce ammonia is highly energy intensive and utilizes hydrocarbon fuels and feedstocks. The proposed new electrochemical process would utilize renewable energy, air, and water. The key outcome of the work was to demonstrate that it is not sufficient to understand the electrocatalyst alone when considering the design of an electrode to produce ammonia. The other components of the cell, including the electrolyte, can have significant activity towards competing reactions including the recombination of protons to produce hydrogen instead of ammonia.

Beyond this core work, we investigated new routes for the incorporation of electrocatalysts into the active region of the electrodes. By utilizing atomic layer deposition, we demonstrated that small amounts of well-dispersed catalytic materials can have a substantial positive impact on the performance of solid oxide electrochemical cells. Furthermore, we investigated the synthesis and performance of molybdenum-based materials to link their crystal structure and morphology to their electrochemical performance.

The project also supported the development of an electrochemical engineering course for graduate and undergraduate students at Lehigh University. The collaborative nature of the work supported the training of two PhD students and their education and training in leveraging team science to overcome research challenges.

 


Last Modified: 02/21/2023
Modified by: Steven Mcintosh

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