Call:
Email: christiandistasi@unizar.es
Address: Escuela Politécnica Superior, Crta de Cuarte, s/n. E-22071 Huesca – Spain
ABOUT ME
Research interests
I got my Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering at University of Salerno (Italy) with a final thesis titled “Study of adsorption of H2S and H2O on hydrotalcites for SEWG application”. I am currently working on my PhD thesis into the framework of the GreenCarbon project under the supervision of the Prof. J.J. Manyà at the University of Zaragoza in Huesca. My doctoral thesis, titled “Development of novel metallic catalysts on biomorphic BC-based supports for hydrogen production”, is being carried out under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie programme framework.
My research is mainly aimed at the production of advanced materials from biomass-derived carbons for heterogeneous catalysis applications. I started my career studying the suitability of a biomass-derived activated carbon to be employed in the ex situ upgrading of the pyrolysis gas. Then I moved to the investigation of the influence of the operating temperature and pressure on the textural properties of the resulting activated carbons. Currently, I am focusing my work on the production of biochar-based metal catalysts to be employed in steam reforming of pyrolysis vapours and in methane production from CO2 and H2.
Projects:
- GreenCarbon —Advanced carbon materials from biowaste: sustainable pathways to drive innovative green technologies (H2020-MSCA-ITN-2016-721991)
PUBLICATIONS
2021
Stasi, Christian Di; Cortese, Marta; Greco, Gianluca; Renda, Simona; González, Belén; Palma, Vincenzo; Manyà, Joan Josep
Optimization of the operating conditions for steam reforming of slow pyrolysis oil over an activated biochar-supported Ni–Co catalyst Journal Article
In: International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2021, ISSN: 03603199.
@article{DiStasi2021,
title = {Optimization of the operating conditions for steam reforming of slow pyrolysis oil over an activated biochar-supported Ni–Co catalyst},
author = {Christian Di Stasi and Marta Cortese and Gianluca Greco and Simona Renda and Belén González and Vincenzo Palma and Joan Josep Manyà},
url = {https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0360319921020450},
doi = {10.1016/j.ijhydene.2021.05.193},
issn = {03603199},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-06-01},
journal = {International Journal of Hydrogen Energy},
publisher = {Pergamon},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
2020
Greco, Gianluca; Stasi, Christian Di; Rego, Filipe; González, Belén; Manyà, Joan Josep
Effects of slow-pyrolysis conditions on the products yields and properties and on exergy efficiency: A comprehensive assessment for wheat straw Journal Article
In: Applied Energy, vol. 279, pp. 115842, 2020, ISSN: 03062619.
@article{Greco2020,
title = {Effects of slow-pyrolysis conditions on the products yields and properties and on exergy efficiency: A comprehensive assessment for wheat straw},
author = {Gianluca Greco and Christian Di Stasi and Filipe Rego and Belén González and Joan Josep Manyà},
doi = {10.1016/j.apenergy.2020.115842},
issn = {03062619},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-12-01},
journal = {Applied Energy},
volume = {279},
pages = {115842},
publisher = {Elsevier Ltd},
abstract = {In the present work, the effects of the peak temperature (400–550 °C), absolute pressure (0.2–0.9 MPa), gas residence time (100–200 s) and reactor atmosphere (pure N2 or a mixture of CO2/N2) on the pyrolysis behavior of wheat straw pellets were investigated. A factorial design of experiments was adopted to assess the effects of the above-mentioned factors on the pyrolysis products, the exergy efficiencies related to them and to the overall process, and the heat required. The pyrolysis energy/exergy assessment is nowadays of great interest, for the scaling of the installations from lab-scale to commercial-scale. Results showed that, as expected, the peak temperature was the most influential factor on the yields and distributions of all the pyrolysis products as well as the char properties related to its potential stability and pore size distribution. However, an increased pressure enhanced the release of the gas species at the expense of the liquid products, without altering the final char yield. The char exergy efficiency was negatively affected by an increase in peak temperature, whereas its effect on the exergy efficiency of the produced gas resulted to be positive. It was also found that pressurized pyrolysis favored the exergy efficiency of the process, even at relatively high pyrolysis peak temperature. For the biomass feedstock and the range of operating conditions studied here, thermodynamic irreversibilities of the pyrolysis system were considerably lowered when the process was conducted at 550 °C, 0.9 MPa and using a mixture of CO2 and N2 as carrier gas at relatively short residence times.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
In the present work, the effects of the peak temperature (400–550 °C), absolute pressure (0.2–0.9 MPa), gas residence time (100–200 s) and reactor atmosphere (pure N2 or a mixture of CO2/N2) on the pyrolysis behavior of wheat straw pellets were investigated. A factorial design of experiments was adopted to assess the effects of the above-mentioned factors on the pyrolysis products, the exergy efficiencies related to them and to the overall process, and the heat required. The pyrolysis energy/exergy assessment is nowadays of great interest, for the scaling of the installations from lab-scale to commercial-scale. Results showed that, as expected, the peak temperature was the most influential factor on the yields and distributions of all the pyrolysis products as well as the char properties related to its potential stability and pore size distribution. However, an increased pressure enhanced the release of the gas species at the expense of the liquid products, without altering the final char yield. The char exergy efficiency was negatively affected by an increase in peak temperature, whereas its effect on the exergy efficiency of the produced gas resulted to be positive. It was also found that pressurized pyrolysis favored the exergy efficiency of the process, even at relatively high pyrolysis peak temperature. For the biomass feedstock and the range of operating conditions studied here, thermodynamic irreversibilities of the pyrolysis system were considerably lowered when the process was conducted at 550 °C, 0.9 MPa and using a mixture of CO2 and N2 as carrier gas at relatively short residence times.
Stasi, Christian Di; Greco, Gianluca; Canevesi, Rafael L S; Izquierdo, Teresa M; Fierro, Vanessa; Celzard, Alain; González, Belén; Manyà, Joan Josep
Influence of activation conditions on textural properties and performance of activated biochars for pyrolysis vapors upgrading Journal Article
In: Fuel, pp. 119759, 2020, ISSN: 00162361.
@article{DiStasi2020,
title = {Influence of activation conditions on textural properties and performance of activated biochars for pyrolysis vapors upgrading},
author = {Christian Di Stasi and Gianluca Greco and Rafael L S Canevesi and Teresa M Izquierdo and Vanessa Fierro and Alain Celzard and Belén González and Joan Josep Manyà},
doi = {10.1016/j.fuel.2020.119759},
issn = {00162361},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-12-01},
journal = {Fuel},
pages = {119759},
publisher = {Elsevier Ltd},
abstract = {The main aim of the present study is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the effects of process activation conditions on the textural properties of the resulting activated carbons, which were produced from wheat straw-derived biochar through chemical activation (with K2CO3 at different pressures and mass impregnation ratios) and physical activation (with CO2 at different temperatures and pressures). For chemically activated biochars, it was found that specific surface area and pore size distribution were both only positively affected by increasing the carbonate loading. However, physically activated biochars produced at the highest pressure and lowest temperature (1.0 MPa and 700 °C) had the highest surface areas and widest pore size distributions. The materials with the most appropriate textural properties were then tested as catalysts for steam and dry reforming of the aqueous phase of pyrolysis oil. The best catalytic performance (a total gas yield of 74% and a selectivity toward H2 of almost 40%) was observed for a physically activated biochar. This good performance was ascribed to the high availability of K0 on the catalyst surface, which could effectively promote the reactions involved in the upgrading process.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The main aim of the present study is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the effects of process activation conditions on the textural properties of the resulting activated carbons, which were produced from wheat straw-derived biochar through chemical activation (with K2CO3 at different pressures and mass impregnation ratios) and physical activation (with CO2 at different temperatures and pressures). For chemically activated biochars, it was found that specific surface area and pore size distribution were both only positively affected by increasing the carbonate loading. However, physically activated biochars produced at the highest pressure and lowest temperature (1.0 MPa and 700 °C) had the highest surface areas and widest pore size distributions. The materials with the most appropriate textural properties were then tested as catalysts for steam and dry reforming of the aqueous phase of pyrolysis oil. The best catalytic performance (a total gas yield of 74% and a selectivity toward H2 of almost 40%) was observed for a physically activated biochar. This good performance was ascribed to the high availability of K0 on the catalyst surface, which could effectively promote the reactions involved in the upgrading process.
2019
Stasi, Christian Di; Alvira, Darío; Greco, Gianluca; González, Belén; Manyà, Joan Josep
Physically activated wheat straw-derived biochar for biomass pyrolysis vapors upgrading with high resistance against coke deactivation Journal Article
In: Fuel, vol. 255, pp. 115807, 2019, ISSN: 00162361.
@article{DiStasi2019,
title = {Physically activated wheat straw-derived biochar for biomass pyrolysis vapors upgrading with high resistance against coke deactivation},
author = {Christian Di Stasi and Darío Alvira and Gianluca Greco and Belén González and Joan Josep Manyà},
doi = {10.1016/j.fuel.2019.115807},
issn = {00162361},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-11-01},
journal = {Fuel},
volume = {255},
pages = {115807},
publisher = {Elsevier Ltd},
abstract = {Wheat straw-derived biochars (produced through slow pyrolysis at 500 °C and 0.1 MPa) were physically (with CO2) and chemically (with K2CO3) activated to assess their performance as renewable and low-cost catalysts for biomass pyrolysis vapors upgrading. Preliminary cracking experiments, which were carried out at 700 °C using a mixture of four representative model compounds, revealed a clear correlation between the volume of micropores of the catalyst and the total gas production, suggesting that physical activation up to a degree of burn-off of 40% was the most interesting activation route. Next, steam reforming experiments were conducted using the most microporous material to analyze the effect of both the bed temperature and gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) on the total gas production. The results showed a strong dependence between the bed temperature and the total gas production, with the best result obtained at the highest temperature (750 °C). On the other hand, the change in GHSV led to minor changes in the total gas yield, with a maximum achieved at 14500 h−1. Under the best operating conditions deduced in the previous stages, the addition of CO2 into the feed gas stream (partial pressure of 20 kPa) resulted in a total gas production of 98% with a H2/CO molar ratio of 2.16. This good result, which was also observed during the upgrading of the aqueous phase of a real biomass pyrolysis oil, was ascribed to the relatively high coke gasification rate, which refresh the active surface area preventing deactivation by coke deposition.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Wheat straw-derived biochars (produced through slow pyrolysis at 500 °C and 0.1 MPa) were physically (with CO2) and chemically (with K2CO3) activated to assess their performance as renewable and low-cost catalysts for biomass pyrolysis vapors upgrading. Preliminary cracking experiments, which were carried out at 700 °C using a mixture of four representative model compounds, revealed a clear correlation between the volume of micropores of the catalyst and the total gas production, suggesting that physical activation up to a degree of burn-off of 40% was the most interesting activation route. Next, steam reforming experiments were conducted using the most microporous material to analyze the effect of both the bed temperature and gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) on the total gas production. The results showed a strong dependence between the bed temperature and the total gas production, with the best result obtained at the highest temperature (750 °C). On the other hand, the change in GHSV led to minor changes in the total gas yield, with a maximum achieved at 14500 h−1. Under the best operating conditions deduced in the previous stages, the addition of CO2 into the feed gas stream (partial pressure of 20 kPa) resulted in a total gas production of 98% with a H2/CO molar ratio of 2.16. This good result, which was also observed during the upgrading of the aqueous phase of a real biomass pyrolysis oil, was ascribed to the relatively high coke gasification rate, which refresh the active surface area preventing deactivation by coke deposition.