An Introduction to Catalysis
We've had a number of people ask us how this catalyst really works without adding anything to the fuel, wearing out, or needing an outside power source to make it work. So we're attempting a basic intro to catalysis and how the science works to strip hydrogen atoms off of a molecule and break a longer carbon chain into shorter chains or circular chains with fewer hydrogen atoms.
Our catalysts mainly do two things to improve the fuel for better combustion: 1) "crack" longer chain hydrocarbons into shorter chains that burn easier and cleaner and 2) take straight-chain hydrocarbons and turn them into ring compounds that generate free hydrogen, allowing the mixture to burn more efficiently. Below we show some videos that helped us understand the chemistry and physics.
We assume that you've already read the "How it Works" page. That should give you the basics. This page is to understand the physics behind how a catalyst works. Now, on to the smart guys...
Catalysis: A Good Intro To The Topic
This 3-minute video gives a good overview on the theory of catalysts and why they are used to drive chemical reactions. They lower the activation energy required for a reaction to take place so more reactions happen. In our catalysts, they allow the "cracking" of long-chain hydrocarbons into shorter chains and allow for dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons. More on that below. You will have to click through to watch it on YouTube but if you're interested in it, it's worth it.
How a Surface Catalyst Works
Our catalyst is a surface catalyst and this clip describes how they work in general.
Catalyst Reaction Animation
-Forming Aromatic Rings from Hexane
-Cracking Long Hydrocarbons into Short
This very well-done animation shows how the atoms are rearranged because of the catalysts properties. At 2:07 it particularly shows how a hexane molecule can be transformed into other molecules and release free hydrogen. That free hydrogen helps our catalyst deliver more efficient combustion.
Cracking
This video is not strictly about catalysis but it describes the cracking of the long-chain molecules that we talk about. The video talks about needing high temperature for the reaction but the rate of reaction is propotional to the temperature so some cracking will happen at lower temperatures and that's how our catalyst "cracks" a small portion of longer chains into shorter chains. You will have to click through to watch it on YouTube.
We hope this is useful - it helped us. Don't forget to read the "How It Works" page. As always, please feel free to reach out to us below.
-Your friends at Zelkam