The staff of METSS has significant expertise in fuels and catalysis, including the use of catalysts in a variety of defense, commercial, and industrial applications. Work conducted by METSS staff has been recognized by the National Research Council as a “benchmark discovery in catalysis”.
Typical programs and representative research interests include:
- R&D initiatives focused on using catalytic methods to produce alternative fuels from biomass materials.
- Development and demonstration of support processes and catalytic methods to facilitate the conversion of syngas to methanol using a small-scale, distributed manufacturing model.
- Application of homogeneous and heterogeneous high-activity catalysts for the production of fuels, hydrocarbons, methanol, methylformate, and hydrogen.
- Development of catalysts and initiators to support low temperature decomposition of low toxicity monopropellants.
- Catalytic processes for hydrocarbon cracking.
- Application of heterogeneous oxidation catalysts for gas stream modification and air purification.