A catalyst technology has been developed to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which can significantly reduce carbon emissions by utilizing carbon dioxide. This technology captures atmospheric carbon dioxide to produce isoparaffin, a high-value hydrocarbon, and is expected to contribute to carbon neutrality.

UNIST (President Jong-Rae Park) Department of Energy and Chemical Engineering Professor Kwang-Jin Ahn's team and LG Chem's Carbon Neutral Research TFT announced on the 12th that they have developed an isoparaffin-generating catalyst suitable for producing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) using carbon dioxide.

It was used in conjunction with an iron-based catalyst to replace the existing zeolite catalyst, and successfully increased the isoparaffin production rate significantly.

In particular, aviation fuel produced using a platinum-based tungsten-zirconia catalyst is expected to reduce carbon emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional fossil fuel-based aviation fuel. Furthermore, process efficiency is significantly improved by directly converting carbon dioxide into isoparaffins.

This catalyst has a high potential for commercialization as it produces little carbon deposition and allows stable reactions over long periods of time. It is expected to help dramatically reduce carbon emissions not only in the aviation industry but also in other transportation sectors.

Professor Ahn Gwang-jin explained, “We have presented a new catalytic method that can overcome the limitations of existing zeolite catalysts, which are vulnerable to coke during reaction, and maximize the production rate of isoparaffins.”

Kim Won-hee, a senior researcher at LG Chem, emphasized, “This technology has high industrial value as it can improve fuel economy and minimize costs incurred during additional refining processes.”

The aviation sector currently accounts for 24.5% of total carbon dioxide emissions, making the commercialization of SAF an urgent task for achieving carbon neutrality. The International Air Transport Association is strengthening regulations to increase the use of SAF.

The research was conducted with technical support from the Korea Basic Science Institute, and the results were published online on August 9th in the internationally renowned academic journal ACS Catalysis. The research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's Materials, Components and Equipment Support Program.