Dr. Martin A. Abraham

 

Professor, Chemical & Environmental Engineering

Dean of the Graduate School

Phone: (419) 530-8092,  Alt. Phone: (419) 530-4968, Fax: (419) 530-8086;  E-mail: martin.abraham@utoledo.edu

Education

1982   B.S.Ch.E., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

1987   Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, University of Delaware

Research Activities

Our recent work has centered on alternative energy and alternative fuels, in particular, the production of hydrogen for use with fuel cells.  A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that converts hydrogen and oxygen into water, and in the process it produces electricity.  However, hydrogen must be produced from available resources if the fuel cell is going to be effective. The choice of fuel, the conditions at which the fuel is available, and other process limitations, determine the design of the reactor and the reaction conditions that will be most effective for the economic conversion of the fuel into hydrogen.  Through a continuing relationship with Catacel, Corp., an entrepreneurial catalyst company, we are evaluating a series of opportunities for the production of hydrogen from diesel or jet fuels, natural gas, and biomass-derived resources.

Given the current infrastructure, the most likely source of hydrogen for the near term will be currently available liquid fuels, such as diesel, gasoline, or jet fuel.  The conversion of these fuels into hydrogen can be achieved through steam or autothermal reforming, a high temperature catalytic reaction that produces hydrogen and carbon dioxide.  Unfortunately, the carbon in the fuel leads to coke formation that causes deactivation of the catalyst, while sulfur in the fuel leads to catalyst poisoning.  With funding from NSF and the US Army, we are developing new sulfur-tolerant catalysts that can be used for the conversion of these fuels into hydrogen, and evaluating their performance over extended operating times. 

For the longer term, we will need to develop techniques for producing hydrogen from renewable resources.  If we seek liquid fuels for transportation purposes, then the most viable renewable resource is biomass, and biomass-derived materials.  These biomass-derived fuels can be obtained from the waste streams of food processes, or through conversion of waste biomass that is not currently available for use.  Unfortunately, the conversion of bio-based resources is not simple, in part because these materials decompose upon heating.  Through support from the Wright Fuel Cell Group and the Department of Energy, we are evaluating an integrated process that includes biological conversion of raw biomass into an aqueous organic broth, followed by aqueous phase reforming of the broth to produce hydrogen.

For many years, my professional interest has centered around minimizing the environmental impact of chemical processes, and the development of techniques to minimize these impacts.  Generally, these concepts are grouped under the terms green chemistry, green engineering, or sustainability.  While these concepts are related, we stress the different applications, as follows.  Green Chemistry is the design of chemical reactions such that they minimize the environmental harm caused by the reaction.  Green Engineering goes beyond the chemical reaction to take advantage of engineering design practices that minimize the environmental effects of a chemical process. Sustainable Design further evaluates the chemical process by looking at the greater social implications in an evaluation of alternative methods of providing a similar function.  I continue to promote these concepts within my research program, and through a column that appears in each issue of Environmental Progress.

I also serve as a Councilor for the American Chemical Society's Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Division, and as chair of AIChE's Sustainable Engineering Forum.

Recent Publications

1.         “Hydroformylation of 1-Hexene in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Using a Heterogeneous Rhodium Catalyst. 1. Effect of Process Parameters”, J. Supercritical Fluids, 2003, 25(2): 183-196.

2.         Marteel, A., Davies, J. A., Mason, M. R., Abraham, M.A. Tack, T., Bektesevic, S., “Supported platinum/tin complexes as catalysts for hydroformylation of 1-hexene in supercritical carbon dioxide” Catalysis Communications, 2003, 4 (7), 309-314.

3.         Marteel, A., Davies, J.A., Olson, W.W., Abraham, M.A. “Green Chemistry and Engineering: Drivers, Metrics, and Reduction to Practice” Annu. Rev. Environ. Resour. 2003, 28:401–28.

4.         Tack, T., Marteel, A., Bektesevic, S., Davies, J. A., Mason, M. R., Abraham, M.A. “Hydroformylation of 1-Hexene in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide: Characterization, Activity and Regioselectivity Studies”, Environ. Sci. Technol., 2003, 37 (23): 5424-5431.

5.         Abraham, M.A., Nguyen, N. “Results from the Sandestin Conference: Green Engineering: Defining the Principles” Environ. Prog., 2003, 22(4): 233 - 236.

6.         Schutt, B.D., Abraham, M.A. “Evaluation of a monolith reactor for the catalytic wet oxidation of cellulose” Chem. Eng. J., 2004, 103(1-3): 77-88.

7.         Abraham, M.A. “Sustainable Engineering: An initiative for chemical engineers”, Env. Prog. 2004, 23(4): 261-263.

8.         Bektesevic, S., Tack, T., Mason, M.R., Abraham, M.A. “Analysis of the Hydroformylation Reaction over an Immobilized Catalyst in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide” Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2005, 44, 4973-4981.

9.         Kleman, A.M., Abraham, M.A., “Asymmetric Hydroformylation of Styrene in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide”, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2006, 45, 1324-1330.

10.     Bektesevic, S., Kleman, A.M., Marteel-Parrish, A. E., Abraham, M.A. “Hydroformylation in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide: Catalysis and Benign Solvents”, J. Supercrit. Fluids, 2006, 38, 232 - 241.

11.     Swami, S., Abraham, M.A., An Integrated Catalytic Process for Conversion of Biomass to Hydrogen”, Energy & Fuels, 2006, accepted.

12.     Goud, S., Whittenberger, W.A., Abraham, M.A., “An evaluation of catalyst deactivation for steam reforming of diesel fuel”, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2006, accepted.

Books edited

ChEE Home | UT Home | College of Engineering Home