Using a small robust catalytic converter, Robert Gordon University (RGU) created a process that uses CO2 directly from flue gas at coal and natural gas power stations, or oil sands upgrader plants, to create a variety of commercially important intermediary and feedstock chemicals. The technology could be deployable and scalable, making it useful for a variety of applications.
The reactor consists of porous sintered metallic tubes, which provide a structure for a catalytic coating able to promote chemical reactions. The highly dispersed catalyst converts the feed gases into highly useful chemical constituents such as Fischer-Tropsch fuels, hydrogen and ammonia/urea. It also offers an opportunity to produce nitrogen for the commercial merchant market.