Outreach Programs

Education Programs Technology Outreach Program International Programs Distinguished Lecturer Series International Center for Materials Research MRL Diversity Fellowship MRL Travel Fellowship

Intern: Justin Butler, Chemical Engineering, UC Santa Barbara Mentor: Brian Vicente Faculty Supervisor: Susannah Scott and Ram Seshadri Department: Chemical Engineering and Materials

TUNGSTEN CARBIDE CATALYSTS FOR THE HYDROGEN ECONOMY

Fuel cells, such as the polymer electrolyte (PEM) fuel cell, are promising alternatives to combustive sources for energy production. These fuel cells, however, require high purity hydrogen to operate efficiently. An effective hydrogen purification method is the water gas shift (WGS) reaction. This reaction converts carbon monoxide and water into carbon dioxide and hydrogen. It is currently catalyzed by expensive, unstable materials. A plug flow reaction system has been designed to test the catalytic properties of alternative catalysts for the WGS reaction. This reaction system has been used to test the WGS activity of tungsten carbide, which is an inexpensive and stable catalyst. The activity of tungsten carbide was compared was compared to that of a palladium catalyst supported on alumina to determine if it is a viable alternative catalyst.

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