{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T04:58:39Z","timestamp":1787029119896,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,27]],"date-time":"2025-01-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1737936000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia","award":["451-03-66\/2024-03\/200105"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["451-03-66\/2024-03\/200105"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Molecules"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The alumina, in the form of \u03b1-Al2O3 tabular balls, considered in this study is a high-purity form of aluminum oxide that has been fired at high temperatures (well above 1900 \u00b0C), virtually removing porosity. However, the purity and inertness of the surface of the Al2O3 tabular balls minimize the catalytic activity, which is why lithium doping was tried. Thus, the target of this study was the effect of doping with lithium ions in some tabular balls of Al2O3 (the crystalline structure is corundum) on the improvement of the catalytic properties of alumina. This study examined the impact of a lithium catalyst on the combustion of various fuels within a porous inert medium (PIM) burner. This study specifically compared low calorific gaseous fuel (e.g., biogas) combustion in a PIM burner with and without the lithium catalyst. The experimental setup comprised a gas preparation unit for mixing CNG and CO2 to simulate biogas and a PIM burner. The PIM burner comprised Al2O3 spheres (13 mm diameter, 45% porosity) in a random packing configuration. Three fuels, varying in composition and lower heating value (LHV ranging from 20.771 to 27.695 MJ\/m3), were combusted at air ratios ranging from 1.67 to 1.79. The results indicated that the catalyst increased peak combustion temperatures by 23.2 \u00b0C to 51.4 \u00b0C, depending on the fuel type and air ratio. Significantly higher carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations were observed without the catalyst, particularly with fuel type F1, while nitrous oxide (NOx) levels remained consistently low. Upstream flame propagation was observed in the presence of the catalyst. These findings demonstrate the potential of lithium catalysts to enhance combustion stability and reduce emissions in porous media combustion burners. Following these studies, it can be stated that Li(I) has the role of promoter of the catalytic process.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules30030577","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,27]],"date-time":"2025-01-27T11:38:49Z","timestamp":1737977929000},"page":"577","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["\u03b1-Al2O3 Functionalized with Lithium Ions Especially Useful as Inert Catalyst Bed Supports"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"30","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7163-8584","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mirjana","family":"Stameni\u0107","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Belgrade, Kraljice Marije 16, 11120 Belgrade, Serbia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Timotei Bogdan","family":"Baco\u0219","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Mechanical Engineering Faculty, Politehnica University Timisoara, Mihai Viteazu Blv., 1, 300222 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Aleksandar","family":"Milivojevi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Belgrade, Kraljice Marije 16, 11120 Belgrade, Serbia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Vuk","family":"Ad\u017ei\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Belgrade, Kraljice Marije 16, 11120 Belgrade, Serbia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mihaela","family":"Ciopec","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Institute for Renewable Energies\u2014ICER, Politehnica University Timisoara, 138 Gavril Musicescu Street, 300501 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2532-2893","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nicoleta Sorina","family":"Neme\u015f","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Biotechnologies and Environmental Protection, Politehnica University Timisoara, Victoriei Square, No. 2, 300006 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7572-3703","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Adina","family":"Negrea","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Institute for Renewable Energies\u2014ICER, Politehnica University Timisoara, 138 Gavril Musicescu Street, 300501 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Adrian Eugen","family":"Cioabl\u0103","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Mechanical Engineering Faculty, Politehnica University Timisoara, Mihai Viteazu Blv., 1, 300222 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"667","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pecs.2008.04.003","article-title":"Porous burners for lean-burn applications","volume":"34","author":"Wood","year":"2008","journal-title":"Prog. 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