Review Outlines Advances in Chemical Looping for Low-Carbon Fuel Production

Researchers at Jeonbuk National University, South Korea, have published a comprehensive review examining recent advances in chemical looping technologies, highlighting how improvements in fluidized-bed reactor design and oxygen carrier materials could support lower-carbon hydrogen and chemical production.

Chemical looping is an emerging process that uses cyclic oxidation and reduction of metal oxide particles in fluidized-bed reactors to enable fuel conversion with inherent carbon dioxide separation.

According to the authors, recent developments have expanded the range of applications for chemical looping systems, including reforming, gasification and hydrogenation processes. “Our work highlights key advancements in fluidized-bed reactors that enhance reforming, gasification, and hydrogenation within chemical looping systems,” said Jester Lih Jie Ling, who led the research. “It also emphasizes enhanced oxygen carrier materials with higher reactivity, durability, and resistance—critical attributes for long-term, stable operation.”

The review, published in Renewable Energy, outlines performance criteria for oxygen carriers and bed materials, including oxygen vacancy behavior, fuel or feedstock compatibility, carbon deposition, particle agglomeration, and economic and environmental considerations. The authors note that advances in reactor design now allow chemical looping systems to process liquid and solid feedstocks in addition to gases, broadening their industrial relevance.

From a materials perspective, the researchers report that oxygen carrier structure and synthesis methods significantly influence chemical yield and product purity. The review evaluates commonly used preparation techniques, including sol-gel processing, spray drying, impregnation, co-precipitation and freeze granulation, and assesses their impact on carrier performance during repeated redox cycles.

The paper also examines a range of oxygen carrier compositions, including perovskite, spinel and core-shell structures, as well as copper-, iron-, nickel- and manganese-based materials. These carriers were evaluated for applications such as hydrogen production via steam reforming and water splitting, ammonia synthesis through nitrogen looping, and the production of syngas-derived fuels, light olefins and selective oxidation products.

In addition to materials selection, the authors emphasize the importance of fluidization control and particle-scale modeling to optimize yields and maintain reactor stability. The review identifies thermal and chemical stress–related particle degradation as a key area for future research.

“The implementation of chemical looping processes in fluidized bed reactors is in alignment with the increasing demand for sustainable and low carbon renewable energy technologies,” Ling said in a statement. “Overall, this review is expected to guide the further development of chemical looping fluidized bed reactors.”