Induction heated catalysts systems for intermittent power to hydrocarbons and hydrogen.

Abstract

Converting intermittent renewable energy, like wind or solar, into hydrocarbons faces challenges where the classic chemical processes involved often demand expensive energy storage solutions, high conversion costs, and scalability issues. Induction heated catalyst systems offer promising efficiency in using intermittent power for chemical processes, as they can rapidly respond to fluctuating energy inputs. Their fast activation and deactivation reduce energy waste, making them ideal for integrating with renewable sources. This flexibility enhances their potential in sustainable hydrocarbon and hydrogen production from variable power. Here, we report a Magnetic Induction heated Catalytic (MagIC) system that couples rapid, high-temperature induction heating with a maghemite-functionalised SBA-15 catalyst (MagSBA) to valorise polypropylene waste into methane, hydrogen and solid carbon without tar byproducts or detectable CO_x. MagSBA was selected for its magnetic heating responsiveness, thermal stability at elevated temperatures and proven catalytic activity. With rapid induction heating to 750 °C, the MagIC configuration showed different product distribution relative to non-catalytic thermal treatment. In the absence of catalyst, the process yielded 82.9 wt% gas and 17.7 wt% solid, dominated by CH₄ (50.5 at%) and containing 29.2 at% H₂. Introduction of MagSBA increased solid production to 66.7 wt% and reduced gaseous output to 33.0 wt%, while driving the gas composition toward hydrogen. The catalytic run produced 54 mmol H₂ g_PP^-1, representing a 45% enhancement in H₂ formation relative to the blank test and approaching the theoretical hydrogen yield for polypropylene; gaseous CH₄ and C2-C4 hydrocarbons fell to ≤25 at% of the gas stream. These results demonstrate that MagIC with MagSBA enables efficient dehydrogenation/cracking pathways for organic feedstock concurrent with carbon capture in solid form, providing a promising, low-emission route for chemical storage of intermittent energy.