Decarbonisation Technology August 2026 Issue

Advancing hydrogen carrier technologies Results from testing a 16-reactor system using MCH as a LOHC for reliable screening and optimisation of catalysts for hydrogen release applications

L iquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHCs) have emerged as a promising solution for safe and efficient hydrogen storage and transport, addressing key challenges in the hydrogen economy such as volatility, low energy density, and infrastructure compatibility. Among various LOHC candidates, methylcyclohexane (MCH) stands out due to its favourable thermodynamic properties, high hydrogen content, and compatibility with existing fuel logistics. The reversible dehydrogenation of MCH to toluene enables hydrogen release on demand, making it a strategic component in the development of scalable hydrogen supply chains. The reaction scheme is shown in Figure 1 . Chemical Factory Acceptance Testing (CFAT) The CFAT is a critical phase in the commissioning of high-throughput reactor systems. It ensures that the equipment meets predefined specifications for mechanical construction, safety, automation, and analytical performance. CFAT typically includes mechanical integrity checks, software validation, safety interlock testing, and chemical validation using a representative reaction. This article shows the CFAT results of a Flowrence XR system. MCH dehydrogenation was selected as the model reaction due to its well-characterised kinetics and relevance to hydrogen carrier technologies. The unit itself was designed for a broader range of applications though. Experimental The Flowrence XR system is designed for catalytic process development under gas, liquid, or trickle flow conditions. It offers high-throughput, isothermal testing with precise control over Tiago Vilela, Graham Ormsby, and Lei Zhang Avantium

+ 3 H

Figure 1 Reaction scheme for methylcyclohexane dehydrogenation

reaction parameters and combines a high level of precision and automation. More information can be found in the five patents listed in the references. The key features of the unit are shown in Table 1 and Figure 2 . The Flowrence XR system provided excellent control over temperature (±0.5°C), pressure (±0.1 bar), and flow rates (±1% of setpoint). Downstream effluent control 4×16 parallel sample vials for liquid product collection (up to 85°C) and trace heating at up to 180°C for online analysis of gas phase Analytics Online GC, with TCD and FID to quantify C1- C12 and permanent gases with other options of offline analytics available upon request (such as PONA analysis, alpha determination) Table 1 Summary of standard Flowrence XR setup Reactor setup 16 parallel reactors, arranged in 4*4 blocks, each block independent temperature control (50-600°C) Reactor details 3mm OD, 2mm ID or 2.6mm ID, reactor length 300/560mm, SS316 Gas feed Passive distribution of reactant gas mixture using microfluidic distribution (±0.5% RSD reactor-to- reactor relative standard deviation) Pressure control All reactors controlled with active pressure control (±0.1 barg) up to 190 barg