biostudies-literatureUnknown19Neal LMU.S. Department of EnergyNational Science FoundationEthylene production via steam cracking of ethane and naphtha is one of the most energy and emission-intensive processes in the chemical industry. High operating temperatures, significant reaction endothermicity, and complex separations create hefty energy demands and result in substantial CO₂ and NO_x emissions. Meanwhile, decades of optimization have led to a thermally efficient, near-"perfect" process with ∼95% first law energy efficiency, leaving little room for further reduction in energy consumption and CO₂ emissions. In this study, we demonstrate a transformational chemical looping-oxidative dehydrogenation (CL-ODH) process that offers 60%-87% emission reduction through exergy optimization. Through detailed exergy analyses, we show that CL-ODH leads to exergy savings of up to 58% in the upstream reactors and 26% in downstream separations. The feasibility of CL-ODH is supported by a robust redox catalyst that demonstrates stable activity and selectivity for over 1,400 redox cycles in a laboratory-scale fluidized bed reactor.iScience894-904https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC6739627biostudies-literatureIntensified Ethylene Production via Chemical Looping through an Exergetically Efficient Redox Scheme.PMC6739627Haribal VPNeal LMLi FfalseIntensified Ethylene Production via Chemical Looping through an Exergetically Efficient Redox Scheme.Ethylene production via steam cracking of ethane and naphtha is one of the most energy and emission-intensive processes in the chemical industry. High operating temperatures, significant reaction endothermicity, and complex separations create hefty energy demands and result in substantial CO₂ and NO_x emissions. Meanwhile, decades of optimization have led to a thermally efficient, near-"perfect" process with ∼95% first law energy efficiency, leaving little room for further reduction in energy consumption and CO₂ emissions. In this study, we demonstrate a transformational chemical looping-oxidative dehydrogenation (CL-ODH) process that offers 60%-87% emission reduction through exergy optimization. Through detailed exergy analyses, we show that CL-ODH leads to exergy savings of up to 58% in the upstream reactors and 26% in downstream separations. The feasibility of CL-ODH is supported by a robust redox catalyst that demonstrates stable activity and selectivity for over 1,400 redox cycles in a laboratory-scale fluidized bed reactor.2019-01-01T00:00:00Z2019 Sep2024-11-06T21:24:27.986Z2019-09-24T07:10:31ZS-EPMC67396273151397410.1016/j.isci.2019.08.039