Chemical and Environmental Engineering Group

Arturo J. Vizcaíno (07/10/1979) obtained his Bachelor and Master Degrees in Chemical Engineering at University of Castilla-La Mancha (1997-2002) and received his Ph.D. at Rey Juan Carlos University in 2007. He has developed his teaching and research career at Rey Juan Carlos University from 2003, as research grant holder, teaching assistant and assistant professor. He is currently Associate Professor at the Department of Chemical, Energy and Mechanical Technology.
His teaching labour comprises several subjects related to the Degrees in Chemical Engineering, Enviromental Engineering, Energy Engineering, Environmental Sciences and Food Science and Technology , as well as the Master in Energy Technology and Resources and Master in Industrial Engineering. In addition, he has participated in the coordination of the Master in Energy Technology and Resources and the Degree in Chemical Engineering.
His research work has been focused on the study of hydrogen production systems, based on steam reforming and water-gas shift, using supported metal catalysts. He has developed two stays as visiting researcher: one short stay (3 months) during his Ph.D. at the “Laboratorio de Procesos Catalíticos” in the University of Buenos Aires (Argentina) under the supervision of Prof. Miguel A. Laborde and Norma E. Amadeo; and a postdoctoral stay (6 months) at the “Institut de Recherches sur la Catalyse et l’Environnement de Lyon”, belonging to the “Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique” (France) under the supervision of Dr. Yves Schuurman.




  • Producción de bioaceite e hidrogeno a partir de microalgas mediante procesos de licuefacción hidrotérmica y reformado con vapor en reactores de membrana

    Funding : Ministerio de economía y competitividad (ENE2017-83696-R)
    Start / End Years : 2018 - 2020
    Principal Investigator : Calles Martín, José Antonio y Carrero Fernández, Alicia
    Research Team : - Alique Amor, David - Calles Martín, José Antonio - Carrero Fernández, Alicia - Martínez Díaz, David - Sanz Villanueva, Daniel - Vicente Crespo, Gemma - Vizcaíno Madridejos, Arturo J. 

      Show summary: The controversy generated by the use of agricultural edible crops for energetic applications has increased the interest of microalgae for biofuels production. Microalgae do not need large fields for its cultivation and can grow quickly. Microalgae are a renewable, sustainable and non-polluting feedstock that contribute to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions because they use CO2 in their growth. For these reasons, the overall aim of this project is the sustainable production of hydrogen and bio-oil from microalgae.
      The microalgae hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) requires lower temperatures than pyrolysis and high pressures to maintain liquid water. This is an advantage because a highly energy demand step like microalgae drying is not needed in liquefaction with the subsequent cost saving. Based on the previous results achieved by the research group (CTQ2013-44447-R project) the bio-oil obtained from one step HTL contains high oxygen (10-20 %) and nitrogen (1-8 %) amounts which are responsible of bio-oil low stability and also of the NOx emissions during bio-oil combustion. To solve these problems, a two-step HTL process is planned in this project. The first step is carried out at low temperature (T< 200 ºC) and provides an aqueous stream by decomposition of proteins and short chain carbohydrates. Next, the solid fraction undergoes a second stage of HTL at higher temperature (T = 250-350°C) with the aim of achieving a bio-oil with low content of nitrogen and oxygen. The second stage of liquefaction also produces a gas stream mainly containing carbon dioxide that may be recirculated to the cultivation of the microalgae.
      The aqueous fractions from both stages of liquefaction can be revalued through the production of high purity hydrogen by catalytic steam reforming in a membrane reactor. Hydrogen can be used as fuel using conventional technologies (combustion engines) or in development ones (fuel cells). Additionally in this project, oxidative steam reforming reactions will be done in order to reduce the energy needs of the process and to avoid catalysts deactivation by coke deposition.
      From the environmental point of view, the project will use tools like the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) to assess the emissions and energy balances, checking that they conform to a model of sustainable development.

















Hydrogen Production through Oxidative Steam Reforming of Acetic Acid over Ni Catalysts Supported on Ceria-Based Materials

Megía, P. J.; Morales, A.; Vizcaíno, A. J.; Calles, J. A.; Carrero, A.


Coke evolution in simulated bio-oil aqueous fraction steam reforming using Co/SBA-15

Megía, P.J.; Vizcaíno, A.J.; Ruiz-Abad, M.; Calles J.A.; Carrero, A.


Pre-activation of SBA-15 intermediate barriers with Pd nuclei to increase thermal and mechanical resistances of pore-plated Pd-membranes

Sanz-Villanueva, D.; Alique, D.; Vizcaíno, A.J.; Sanz, R.; Calles, J.A.


Effect of the incorporation of reducibility promoters (Cu, Ce, Ag) in Co/CaSBA-15 catalysts for acetic acid steam reforming

Megía, P.J.; Calles, J.A.; Carrero, A.; Vizcaíno, A.J.


Methanol reforming by nanostructured Pd/Sm-doped ceria catalysts

Kosinski, M.R.; Vizcaíno, A.J.; Gómez-Sainero, L.M.; Carrero, A.; Baker, R.T.


Hydrogen Production Technologies: From Fossil Fuels toward Renewable Sources. A Mini Review

Megia, P. J.; Vizcaino, A. J.; Calles, J. A.; Carrero, A.


Catalytic behavior of Co-based catalysts in the kinetic study of acetic acid steam reforming

Megía, P.J.; Cortese, M.; Ruocco, C.; Vizcaíno. A.J.; Calles, J.A.; Carrero, A.; Palma, V.


Activated Carbon from Winemaking Waste: Thermoeconomic Analysis for Large-Scale Production

Lorero, I.; Vizcaíno, A.J.; Alguacil, F.J.; López, F.A.


Agglomerated Co–Cr/SBA-15 catalysts for hydrogen production through acetic acid steam reforming

Calles, J. A.; Carrero, A.; Vizcaíno, A. J.; Megía, P. J.


Effect of K, Co and Mo addition in Fe-based catalysts for aviation biofuels production by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis

Martínez del Monte, D.; Vizcaíno, A. J.; Dufour, J.; Martos, C.


Hydrogen production from steam reforming of acetic acid as a model compound of the aqueous fraction of microalgae HTL using Co-M/SBA-15 (M: Cu, Ag, Ce, Cr) catalysts

Megía, P. J.; Carrero, A.; Calles, J. A.; Vizcaíno, A. J.


Steam reforming of model bio-oil aqueous fraction using Ni-(Cu, Co, Cr)/SBA-15 catalysts

Calles, J. A.; Carrero, A.; Vizcaíno, A. J.; García-Moreno, L.; Megía, P. J.


Production of Renewable Hydrogen from Glycerol Steam Reforming over Bimetallic Ni-(Cu,Co,Cr) Catalysts Supported on SBA-15 Silica

Carrero, A.; Calles, J.A.; García-Moreno, L.; Vizcaíno, A.J.


Hydrogen production through glycerol steam reforming using Co catalysts supported on SBA-15 doped with Zr, Ce and La

Carrero, A.; Vizcaíno, A. J.; Calles, J. A.; García-Moreno, L.


Sistema de Gestión Energética en la Universidad Rey Juan Carlos: Modelización de consumos eléctricos

Vizcaíno, A.J.; Peral, A.; del Peso, A.; Potenciano, N.; Orellana, J.; Dufour, J.


Comparison of ethanol steam reforming using Co and Ni catalysts supported on SBA-15 modified by Ca and Mg

Vizcaíno, A.J.; Carrero, A.; Calles, J.A.


Effect of Ce and Zr Addition to Ni/SiO2 Catalysts for Hydrogen Production through Ethanol Steam Reforming

Calles, J. A.; Carrero, A.; Vizcaíno, A. J.; Lindo, M.


Hydrogen production by glycerol steam reforming over SBA-15-supported nickel catalysts: Effect of alkaline earth promoters on activity and stability

Calles, J. A.; Carrero, A; Vizcaíno, A. J.; García-Moreno, L.


Hydrogen production by steam reforming of ethanol using Ni catalysts based on ternary mixed oxides prepared by coprecipitation

Vizcaíno, A. J.; Lindo, M.; Carrero, A.; Calles, J. A.


Effect of Mg and Ca addition on coke deposition over Cu–Ni/SiO2 catalysts for ethanol steam reforming

Carrero, A.; Calles, J.A.; Vizcaíno, A.J.


Ethanol steam reforming on Ni/Al-SBA-15 catalysts: Effect of the aluminium content

Lindo, M.; Vizcaíno, A.J.; Calles, J.A.; Carrero, A.


Steam Reforming of Methanol with Sm2O3-CeO2-Supported Palladium Catalysts: Influence of the Thermal Treatments of Catalyst and Support

Gómez-Sainero, L.M.; Baker, R.T.; Vizcaíno, A.J.; Francis, S.M.; Calles, J.A.; Metcalfe, I.S.; Rodríguez, J.J.


Ethanol steam reforming on Mg- and Ca-modified Cu–Ni/SBA-15 catalysts

Vizcaíno, A.J.; Carrero, A.; Calles, J. A.


Ce and La modification of mesoporous Cu–Ni/SBA-15 catalysts for hydrogen production through ethanol steam reforming

Calles, J. A.; Carrero, A.; Vizcaíno, A. J.


Ethanol steam reforming on Ni/Al2O3 catalysts: Effect of Mg addition

Vizcaíno, A. J.; Arena, P; Baronetti, G.; Carrero, A.; Calles, J. A.; Laborde, M. A.; Amadeo, N.


Hydrogen production by ethanol steam reforming over Cu-Ni supported catalysts

Vizcaíno, A. J.; Carrero, A.; Calles, J. A.


Hydrogen production by ethanol steam reforming over Cu-Ni/SBA-15 supported catalysts prepared by direct synthesis and impregnation

Carrero, A.; Calles, J.A.; Vizcaíno, A.J.


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