Catalyst breathes new life into acrylonitrile production

A team of engineers is rethinking one of the essential processes in modern manufacturing. What is their purpose? Transforming the way a chemical called acrylonitrile (ACN) is manufactured. Rather than building a world-class manufacturing facility, the company uses small, modular reactors that function by allowing the catalyst to “breathe” in a sense.

Their paper, titled “Propene ammoxidation over industrial bismuth molybdate-based catalysts using forced dynamic operation,” is published in Applied Catalogy A: General.

ACN is used everywhere from carbon fiber in sporting goods to acrylic in auto parts and textiles. Traditionally, their production has required continuous, energy-intensive processes. But now researchers at the University of Virginia and the University of Houston have shown that chemical catalysts can produce ACN more efficiently by pausing to “breathe” fresh oxygen. This discovery could open the door to smaller, more versatile production facilities that adapt to changing needs.

William Epling, professor and chair of UVA’s Department of Chemical Engineering, calls this technique “forced dynamic operation” (FDO). Imagine a machine going through periods of work and rest, using the short breaks to recharge and perform at its best.

This is what Epling’s team did with an industrial bismuth molybdate-based catalyst, which alternates between two phases: one containing a complete mixture of the ingredients needed to make ACN and one containing only oxygen. This rhythmic approach allows the catalyst to regenerate lattice oxygen, a key reactant source that drives the conversion to ACN.

“FDO is basically like giving the catalyst a breather and making it work harder and more effectively with each cycle,” says Zhuoran Gan, Ph.D. candidate in Epling’s lab. When the catalyst “rests” on oxygen alone, it regains strength to tackle the next production cycle. The results were amazing. ACN production was 30% higher than traditional continuous methods.

The impact can be transformative. Small-scale production facilities using this method can meet ACN’s growing demands without the need for global, capital-intensive plants. Such facilities can also operate closer to end users, such as manufacturers of high-performance carbon fibers, reducing transportation costs and increasing production flexibility.

Epling envisions a future where chemical manufacturing becomes more flexible and efficient, with small, scalable production units that can meet demand precisely when and where it occurs.

The UVA team’s research highlights that for catalysts to become powerful tools for innovation, they sometimes need a breath of fresh air.