Iron ochre - a pre-catalyst for the cracking of methane

BACKGROUND Iron ochres are gelatinous sludges that can cause problems in terms of water management. In this work, the application of iron ochre obtained from a river has been applied to catalytically crack methane – another potential waste product – into two useful products, hydrogen and a magnetic...

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Published in:Journal of chemical technology and biotechnology (1986) 2014-09, Vol.89 (9), p.1317-1323
Main Authors: Alharthi, Abdulrahman, Blackley, Ross A., Flowers, T. Hugh, Hargreaves, Justin S. J., Pulford, Ian D., Wigzell, James, Zhou, Wuzong
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
biogenic iron oxide
Biotechnology
carbon
Chemical technology
Fracture mechanics
hydrogen
Iron
iron ochre
Iron oxides
Leptothrix
Methane
Morphology
Wastes
X-rays
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Summary:BACKGROUND Iron ochres are gelatinous sludges that can cause problems in terms of water management. In this work, the application of iron ochre obtained from a river has been applied to catalytically crack methane – another potential waste product – into two useful products, hydrogen and a magnetic carbon‐containing composite. RESULTS The powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of the iron ochre was found to be consistent with the expected 2‐line ferrihydrite, and energy dispersive X‐ray (EDX) analysis showed Fe to be a major component although some Si and Ca were present. The sample was observed to contain a fraction with a tubular morphology consistent with the presence of extra‐cellular biogenic iron oxide formed by leptothrix. Upon exposure to methane at elevated temperatures, the material was found to transform into an active catalyst for hydrogen production yielding a magnetic carbon‐containing composite material comprising filamentous carbon and encapsulating graphite. CONCLUSION The application of two waste products – iron ochre and methane – to generate two useful products – hydrogen and a magnetic carbon‐containing composite – has been demonstrated. Furthermore, the ochre has been shown to comprise tubular morphology extra‐cellular biogenic iron oxide which may be of interest in terms of other applications. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
ISSN:0268-2575
1097-4660
DOI:10.1002/jctb.4434