Chemical looping CO2 splitting as an alternative to sustainable aviation fuels synthesis: proof-of-concept

• Proof-of-concept of Chemical Looping CO 2 Splitting in a 1 kW th continuous unit. • ZrO 2 -MgO-FeO material operated for 45 h at 800–900 °C without defluidization. • ZrO 2 -MgO-FeO material achieved CO 2 conversion above 75% at auto-thermal conditions. • CO-rich gas stream suitable for direct Fischer–Tropsch synthesis without conditioning. • ZrO 2 -MgO-FeO material shows high stability and suitability for scale-up. The increasing global demand for sustainable aviation fuels calls for innovative, scalable technological solutions, especially those that can efficiently utilize abundant CO 2 sources. Among various CO 2 utilization technologies, Chemical Looping CO 2 Splitting emerges as a cost-effective, eco-friendly method for producing CO from CO 2 and green H 2 , supporting the production of aviation biofuels via the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. In this work, the proof-of-concept for the Chemical Looping CO 2 Splitting process was demonstrated in a 1kW th continuous prototype using two iron oxide-based oxygen carriers. These materials achieved a total of 65 h of successful operation at high temperatures (800–900 °C). The most promising results came from a ZrO 2 -MgO-supported iron oxide-based material, which showed CO 2 conversion rates of about 75% in the splitting reactor under auto-thermal conditions. This high CO 2 -to-CO conversion suggests that the off-gas stream from the reactor could be directly fed to a Fischer-Tropsch unit for e-kerosene production, eliminating the need for any preconditioning treatment. Additionally, the particles of this oxygen carrier exhibited excellent physicochemical stability and resistance to agglomeration during the experimental run in the prototype unit. These findings indicate that this oxygen carrier is a good candidate for scaling up Chemical Looping CO 2 Splitting technology as an alternative way to produce sustainable aviation fuels.