STTR Phase I: Microwave-Enhanced Modular Ammonia Synthesis

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project lies in its exploration of Microwave Enhanced Ammonia Synthesis. Microwave research holds the promise of disruptive innovation and enables opportunities for substantial carbon emission reductions through reduced energy requirements, minimal direct emissions, and increased process selectivity. Applying microwave energy to chemical processes may transform how chemical reactions occur. This project targets the production of ammonia, which is the second most-produced chemical in the world. Ammonia is used as a fertilizer but also as a carbon-neutral liquid fuel; it allows power generation without carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, making it crucial for sustainable energy. As a hydrogen carrier, ammonia’s role in hydrogen-powered systems is expected to increase with decarbonization efforts. Microwave-enhanced ammonia synthesis can transform the commercial landscape by meeting the increasing demand for ammonia, opening new market opportunities, and potentially increasing profitability. This STTR Phase I project will address the Haber-Bosch process, which has been the standard method to produce ammonia in bulk for over a century. However, this process functions at high pressures and temperatures and requires a constant supply of energy, which equates to higher operational costs and increased emissions of CO2. Microwaves offer instantaneous, selective, and volumetric heating via interaction with electromagnetic radiation that targets the active sites, inducing electron transfer on the surface of a heterogeneous catalyst. This results in a fundamentally different reaction mechanism than conventional thermal heating, conductive, or convective heating. The goal of the Phase-1 project will be to directly test the feasibility of a specific microwave frequency, design, model, and test the optimization of an ammonia-specific microwave-enhanced applicator cavity that implements high flow rates, electric-field uniformity, catalyst temperature uniformity with high electrical efficiency. The research will involve electromagnetic numerical analysis, laboratory catalytic activity experiments, determining frequency effects, and the continued development of microwave-sensitive catalyst and catalyst support material. The anticipated technical results include the development of a more efficient, renewably powered, cost-effective method for ammonia synthesis, contributing to the decarbonization efforts of the energy sector. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.