Fraunhofer Institute for Large Structures in Production Engineering IGPNovel coating technology for catalytic decomposition of methane emissions for mitigating global warming and climate changes
According to the scientific studies and information collected by the International Energy Agency (IEA), approximately 120 million tonnes (Mt) of methane emissions are produced from fossil fuel usage, and about 10 million tonnes (Mt) are generated from the Bioenergy sector. Agriculture, biochar production, and livestock account for around 52% of worldwide methane emissions. With a lifespan of around 12 years, methane serves as a significant contributor of greenhouse gases. It has a significant impact on the health of living beings, vegetation, and crop yield in addition to raising global temperatures and causing climate change. Methane emissions in 2023 were the highest ever measured, with a 13% increase expected by 2030. Hence, a 35-40% reduction in emission levels is a necessity.
The reduced usage of fossil fuels has impacted positively towards overall carbon emissions (carbon dioxide, as well as methane). However, the methane emissions from the biogas sectors cannot be eliminated. Various catalytic systems have been deployed in automobile as well as agricultural sectors for decomposition of methane before releasing it to the atmosphere, for example – selective catalytic reduction systems, and oxidation catalytic converters. However, these provide additional challenges such as the use of expensive catalytic materials, requirement of special atmospheric conditions and higher temperature, reduced vehicle performance and efficiency in automobile sector, which needs to be addressed. The methane emissions necessitate continuous monitoring and assessment, requiring complex and specialised technologies to ensure accurate results.
Novel coatings developed using thermal spraying technology are aimed to function as a catalytic surface for the decomposition of methane in absence of extremely high temperature, extraordinary materials, and special atmospheric conditions. The heterogenous thermal sprayed catalytic coatings are intended to provide cost-effective solutions for industries dealing with methane emission problems, such as biogas production sector, as well as automotive sector. Furthermore, specialised gas emission detection and monitoring device is employed to ensure precise data analysis and comparison. Finally, the project is expected to contribute to standardization processes, e.g. in the biogas and / or biochar production sector.
