Research Laboratories

Center for biomass refining facilities include 8 laboratories with over 3600 square feet of wet lab space, with fume hoods and needed utilities. The new pyrolysis plant is being constructed in a separately ventilated lab with viewing windows and appropriate safety systems.

Reactors

Our facilities include 6 continuous flow catalytic reactors covering the range of atmospheric to high pressure flow systems and three high pressure stirred Parr type reactors. We also have an FTIR with an insitu reaction chamber using DRIFTS. We also have several temperature programmed systems for reaction and oxidation (TPRx, TPO). These are coupled with GC and MS online or offline GC and GC/MS analysis. The bench scale pyrolysis system includes high pressure capability with initial product separation and will incorporate integrated down stream catalytic refining reactors in the future.

Continuous Gas Phase Flow Reactor	High-pressure Liquid phase Parr Reactor

 

Analytical Equipment

We analyze the products with GC and use 2 GC/MS systems for product identification, with one capable of GCxGC with MS and FID detectors. In addition we use proton and C13 NMR on campus as well as our FTIR system. To characterize the catalyst surface, systems for conducting temperature programmed techniques (as mentioned above and TPD) as well as chemisorption have been constructed and BET surface area is measured (Micromeritics). In addition XPS and UV/Vis and Raman may be used. Campus facilities include TEM/SEM and solid state and liquid phase NMRs. Studies have been conducted at National Laboratories for XAFS and XANES.

XPS for Surface and Elemental Analysis	FTIR Instrument for Surface Chemistry Analysis
XRD Instrument	BET Instrument for Measuring Material Surface Area
RAMAN Instrument	GCMS Instrument