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The rate of release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere has risen steadily since the industrial revolution, due in large part to anthropogenic emissions from increased energy demand, chemical production and some agricultural practices. Together, these activities have resulted in a 50 percent increase in atmospheric CO2 concentrations over the past few centuries. Specifically, the continued rise in greenhouse gas emissions has been linked to a variety of adverse impacts, including extreme weather patterns, disruption of the food supply, rising global average temperatures, and, if unaddressed, the potential for mass species extinction. The Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) outlines key sustainable development goals that focus on improving efforts to reduce the global threat of greenhouse gas emissions. One of the goals focuses on developing innovative and sustainable practices to decarbonize industrial processes; “decarbonization” in this context refers to reducing the concentration of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
The main point of this paper
The current status of CO2 emissions from the chemical industry:
emissions from the U.S. industrial sector account for 30% of total energy-related emissions in 2020.
The global chemical industry emits 5% of total global CO2 emissions.
Energy Consumption for Chemical Production:
The production of many commodity chemicals requires several energy-intensive reactions with high reaction temperatures (700-1000°C).
Future chemical production forecasts:
Global chemical production is expected to quadruple by 2060.
Emission reduction targets:
According to the IEA's Net Zero Emissions Scenario, CO2 emissions from the chemical industry need to be reduced by 18% by 2030, with the aim of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Decarbonization Strategy:
Development and utilization of low carbon fuels/feedstocks/energy sources.
Carbon capture/utilization/storage.
Industrial electrification.
Improve energy efficiency.
Technological Innovation Needs:
Technological innovations and breakthroughs are needed to realize low carbon emission production processes.
Chemical industry decarbonization challenges:
Need to integrate multiple strategies including CCS, use of bio-based and renewable feedstocks, waste reduction and recycling, reduction of chemical demand, reduction of energy consumption.
Joule heating (ohmic heating/resistance heating):
The process of generating heat energy directly in a material as an electric current passes through it.
Advantages of Joule heating:
Increased heating efficiency, direct heating of reactor walls or reaction elements.
Highly uniform heating process with low heat waste.
High reaction temperatures can be reached within seconds, a significant advantage over conventional combustion heating systems.
Increased efficiency allows the use of smaller reactors and enhanced chemical and material synthesis processes
Importance of Joule heating technology:
Joule heating, as an alternative heating method, improves process efficiency and reduces energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Key concepts of the Joule heating process:
Including material selection and reactor design, critical to process efficiency.
Recent advances in the synthesis of advanced materials by Joule heating:
Research advances in the literature on the synthesis of commodity chemicals and advanced materials (e.g., graphene, metal species, and metal carbides) using the Joule heating process
Future Research Directions for Joule Heating in Industrial Decarbonization:
Future research avenues to promote the widespread use of Joule heating in the decarbonization of industrial processes are envisioned
Application examples of Joule heating technology:
Including efficient preparation, doping and repair of graphene, as well as applications in the synthesis of high-entropy alloys, single-atom catalysts, and substable nanomaterials
Energy saving advantages of Joule heating technology:
Compared with the traditional electric furnace heating method, Joule heating method is more energy-efficient and greatly reduces energy consumption by achieving high temperature treatment in a short period of time
Rapid preparation capability of Joule heating technology:
The roll-to-roll process of Joule heating can rapidly prepare large-area graphene films, significantly improving production efficiency.
Environmental friendliness of Joule heating technology:
Joule heating technology is highly efficient, low-cost and environmentally friendly, and can prepare graphene from a wide range of carbon source materials.
Interdisciplinary potential of Joule heating technology:
Joule heat flashing technology shows great potential in interdisciplinary areas such as waste recycling and food processing.
In addition to the application of Joule heating to other industrial processes, considerable work is required to optimize and extend existing technologies to meet industrial needs. This can be achieved through further material design to maximize temperature output while reducing power requirements, in addition to a comprehensive study of the effects of different flow fields on reactant conversion, which can be extended to the production of custom reactor designs. In addition, with the increasing popularity of renewable energy sources, it is important to investigate their incorporation into the Joule heating process and its impact on techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment. In conclusion, Joule-heated synthesis is a very promising approach for improving the efficiency of existing industrial processes as well as for the large-scale production of novel materials, and there are many exciting research opportunities in this area.
