Publications
Synthesis and characterization of supported ferrites for thermochemical CO 2 splitting using concentrated solar energy
The Sunshine to Petrol effort at Sandia National Laboratories aims to convert CO 2 and water to liquid hydrocarbon fuel precursors using concentrated solar energy with redox-active metal oxide systems, such as ferrites: Fe 3O 4→3FeO+ 0.5O 2 (>1350°C) 3FeO + CO 2→Fe 3O 4 + CO (<1200°C). However, the ferrite materials are not repeatedly reactive on their own and require a support, such as yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ). The ferrite-support interaction is not well defined, as there has been little fundamental characterization of these oxides at the high temperatures and conditions present in these cycles. We have investigated the microstructure, structure-property relationships, and the role of the support on redox behavior of the ferrite composites. In-situ capabilities to elucidate chemical reactions under operating conditions have been developed. The synthesis, structural characterization (room and high- temperature x-ray diffraction, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy), and thermogravimetric analysis of YSZ-supported ferrites will be discussed.