(Yicai) Nov. 3 -- Chinese scientists have discovered a way to greatly cut carbon emissions during the production of liquid fuel hydrocarbons, such as gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel, opening up a new path for advancing green energy and moving closer to the country’s carbon neutrality goals.

The research team led by Wen Xiaodong from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Coal Chemistry and Ma Ding from Peking University has found a way to block carbon dioxide emissions during the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process, according to a study published in Science on Oct. 30. Although the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process has been around for over a century, this by-product has long hindered its large-scale commercial use.

The Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process converts synthesis gas, which is a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, into liquid hydrocarbons or other high-value olefins that can be used as fuels after passing over a catalyst. When iron-based catalysts are used, carbon monoxide tends to react with water to produce carbon dioxide as a by-product. This not only results in high carbon emissions but also reduces the yield of the target product.

To tackle this, the research team found that adding a trace amount of halogen compounds into the reaction gas could significantly alter how the iron catalyst reacts. This tweak to the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process nearly eliminates carbon dioxide generation and greatly boosts the efficiency of producing liquid fuel hydrocarbons.

Feeding 20 parts per million of bromomethane over an iron carbide catalyst reduced carbon dioxide selectivity to less than 1 percent and hiked olefin selectivity to around 85 percent of all carbon-based products, the report said.

The research team is now working with industry partners to run pilot tests and assess long-term stability, with the aim of industrializing this low-carbon method, the People’s Daily reported on Oct. 31.

“With wider adoption, this technology could significantly accelerate the green transformation of China’s coal chemical industry and offer a Chinese solution for optimizing the global energy structure,” Ma said.

Editor: Kim Taylor