This low-cost catalyst helps turn seawater into fuel at scale
For the first time, Rochester chemical engineers have demonstrated a ‘potassium-promoted’ catalyst’s potential for use on an industrial scale.
Now, the Navy’s quest to power its ships by converting seawater into fuel is nearer fruition.
Reactor at OxEon Energy. This reactor at OxEon Energy was used to validate the effectiveness of the potassium-promoted molybdenum carbide catalyst on an industrial scale. (OxEon Energy photo) University of Rochester chemical engineers—in collaboration with researchers at the Naval Research Laboratory, the University of Pittsburgh, and OxEon Energy—have demonstrated that a potassium-promoted molybdenum carbide catalyst efficiently and reliably converts carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide, a critical step in turning seawater into fuel.
