Fast Isothermal CO2 Trapping and Methanation – FICTRAM

CO2 capture and utilization (CCU) will play a prominent role in the restructuring of the energy sector and the fight against global warming. The conversion of carbon dioxide into methane is a practical way of recycling CO2 and storing energy at off-peak conditions when H2 can be produced cheaply. This project aims at determining the optimal properties of sorbent-catalysts used for the sequential trapping and methanation of carbon dioxide under isothermal conditions. The project will investigate promising metal-oxide combinations to allow both strong CO2 adsorption and CO2 hydrogenation with H2 on the same material. The consortium involves experts in catalyst synthesis, characterization and testing, as well as modelers, to be able to develop structure-activity relationships that will help develop better systems. The objectives are to understand the limiting factors of CO2 sorption and methane production. The structural evolution and ageing of the materials under continued cycling under CO2/H2O/O2 and H2 atmospheres will also be of strong importance. The project aims at proposing adequate and cheap formulations based mostly on cheap and widely available metals and oxides as well as the range of conditions of use for practical applications.