Recently, scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in the United States used 3D printing to manufacture polymer reactors that can continuously produce methanol from methane at normal temperature and pressure. The reactor can be used as a more efficient means of converting methane into a usable energy source.
New technologies for oil and gas extraction increase the availability of natural gas, which is the main component of natural gas. However, it is well known that gas is difficult to store and transport, and a large amount of methane is lost at various stages of the process, reducing its potential as an energy source and possibly causing global warming. Currently, converting methane to a more valuable product is a high-cost industry – such a technology requires high temperatures and pressures and can only be practiced on very large scales.
LLNL researchers are excited to discover that 3D printed polymers created with large-area projection micro-stereolithography (LAPμSL) 3D printers can be used to convert methane to methanol on a small scale, at a cost that is only a large-scale operation. Small part. Due to its affordability and compactness, the technology also appears to provide a viable solution to methane leakage or legacy problems by storing the gas in small spaces or not using pipes, which of course requires the conversion of gases into liquids.
To create a new 3D printing reactor, the scientists took the enzyme from the methane oxidizing bacteria, which was then combined with the polymer and printed in 3D into a reactor. "It's worth noting that the enzyme retains 100% viability in the polymer," said Sarah Baker, a chemist and project leader at LLNL. “Printed enzyme-containing polymers are highly flexible for future development and should be used in a wide range of applications, especially those involving gas-liquid reactions.â€
Methane monooxygenase (MMO) is currently the only catalyst known to convert methane to methanol under normal temperature and pressure conditions. However, the use of methane oxidizing bacteria for the reaction requires energy in order to maintain the reaction process as well as the metabolism of methane bacteria. To eliminate this need for energy, the researchers found a way to separate enzymes in living organisms so they can precisely control this reaction with higher conversion efficiency.
“So far, most industrial bioreactors use stirred tanks, which is inefficient for gas-liquid reactions,†says environmental team scientist Joshuah Stolaroff. “The concept of printing enzymes into a strong polymer structure opens the door to new varieties of reactors, enabling them to be produced at higher volumes and consume less energy.â€
Importantly, the researchers also found that 3D printed polymers can be used repeatedly and can be used at higher enzyme concentrations than traditional solutions. The findings of LLNL researchers were published in the June 15 issue of Nature Communications.
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