Call: +34 876555485
Email: vmercader@unizar.es
Address: Lab 4.2.10 c/Mariano Esquillor SN Edificio I+D+i, I3A, 50018, Zaragoza (Spain)
Sideral: See the profile (CV)
ABOUT ME
BSc (2018) and MSc (2020) in Chemical Engineering at University of Zaragoza (Spain), and LUT University (Finland). There, I also prepared my master’s Thesis working for VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland in the Renewable Energy Processes team in issues related to CO2 adsorption from air. Back in Spain, I was hired as a research engineer in the Thermochemical Processes Group of UNIZAR in the reduction of NOx emissions from ammonia combustion. Since 2021, I am preparing my PhD Thesis in the field of energy valorization of biogas and renewable hydrogen by intensification with advanced materials and multifunctional reactors in the Catalysis and Reactor Engineering Group (CREG) of UNIZAR. I participated in an international collaboration as visitor researcher in the Large Scale Energy Storage group of TU Delft (The Netherlands).
Currently working in the H4BIOMET project.
Additional Education: Certificate of Higher Education in Industrial Chemistry (2013), MSc (2022) in Occupational Risk Prevention at International University of La Rioja.
Patents:
ES2725999A1 & WO2019186312A1 – Thermoplastic polymer body with a surface structure, process for its manufacture and household appliance comprising the thermoplastic polymer body.
Conquest and Prizes:
Best contribution at the congress “IV Jornada del I3A – XII Jornada de Jóvenes Investigadores e Investigadoras”, June 2023.
Part of the team winner of the entrepreneur conquest Innounita 2022 at Spanish level and at European Innounita program, December 2022. Cofounder of Agrofood4ZeroWaste project.
Finalist in the 2022 young researchers’ awards of European Gas Technology Conference (EGATEC), May 2022. https://www.gerg.eu/the-2022-young-researchers-awards/
Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0395-0143
Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=57259122800
PUBLICATIONS
2026
Mercader, V. D.; Sanz-Monreal, P.; Durán, P.; Aragüés-Aldea, P.; Francés, E.; Herguido, J.; Peña, J. A.
Intensifying synthetic natural gas production by functionalization of a NiFe/γ-Al2O3 catalyst with alkaline and alkaline-earth materials Journal Article
En: Fuel, vol. 406, pp. 136698, 2026, ISSN: 0016-2361.
@article{MERCADER2026136698,
title = {Intensifying synthetic natural gas production by functionalization of a NiFe/γ-Al2O3 catalyst with alkaline and alkaline-earth materials},
author = {V. D. Mercader and P. Sanz-Monreal and P. Durán and P. Aragüés-Aldea and E. Francés and J. Herguido and J. A. Peña},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016236125024238},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2025.136698},
issn = {0016-2361},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-01-01},
journal = {Fuel},
volume = {406},
pages = {136698},
abstract = {This study demonstrates the influence of the functionalization method (Mechanical Mixture -MM- and Dual Function Materials -DFM-) of two CO2 adsorbent species (Na and Ca) in a catalytic fixed-bed reactor for CO2 methanation. The experiments consisted of cycles beginning with a CO2 adsorption stage followed by a methanation stage (with H2), interspersed with or without inert purge periods. The greatest enhancement in methane generation was observed in experiments with a mechanical mixture (MM) of NiFe/γ-Al2O3 catalyst and Na2O/γ-Al2O3. The methane production capacity was tested over a temperature range comprised between 200 and 400 °C, with values over 380 μmol/g obtained under moderate conditions (350 °C and pCO2 = 0.12 bar) and selectivity to methane close to 100 %. Since the ultimate goal is the methanation of the CO2 present in a biogas (without removing CH4), the potential effect of the presence of methane during the CO2 adsorption stages was also investigated. To achieve this task, a feed stream representative of a sweetened biogas coming from the anaerobic decomposition of municipal solid waste (MSW) (70 %v CH4 and 30 %v CO2) was used. The results showed no adverse effects along the successive cycles, paving the way to the use of these solids for biogas upgrading. On the other hand, the catalyst did not show a significant loss of activity after several hours of repetitive adsorption-methanation cycles.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
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2025
Ruiz-Alejos Rodríguez, David; Mercader Plou, Víctor; Peña LLorente, José Angel; Herguido Huerta, Javier
Modelado de Adsorción de CO₂ con Múltiples Métodos para Simulaciones de Power-to-Methane Proceedings
vol. 13, 2025.
@proceedings{Ruiz-AlejosRodríguez_MercaderPlou_PeñaLLorente_HerguidoHuerta_2025,
title = {Modelado de Adsorción de CO₂ con Múltiples Métodos para Simulaciones de Power-to-Methane},
author = {Ruiz-Alejos Rodríguez, David and Mercader Plou, Víctor and Peña LLorente, José Angel and Herguido Huerta, Javier},
url = {https://papiro.unizar.es/ojs/index.php/jji3a/article/view/11998},
doi = {10.26754/jji-i3a.202511998},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-07-01},
urldate = {2025-07-01},
journal = {Jornada de Jóvenes Investigadores del I3A},
volume = {13},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {proceedings}
}
Gimeno Izquierdo, Chuan; Mercader Plou, Victor Daniel; Durán Sánchez, Paúl; Peña Llorente, José Ángel; Herguido Huerta, Francisco Javier
Different Behavior of Commercial Nickel and Ruthenium Catalysts on Biogas Upgrading Proceedings
vol. 13, 2025.
@proceedings{GimenoIzquierdo_MercaderPlou_DuránSánchez_PeñaLlorente_HerguidoHuerta_2025,
title = {Different Behavior of Commercial Nickel and Ruthenium Catalysts on Biogas Upgrading},
author = {Gimeno Izquierdo, Chuan and Mercader Plou, Victor Daniel and Durán Sánchez, Paúl and Peña Llorente, José Ángel and Herguido Huerta, Francisco Javier},
url = {https://papiro.unizar.es/ojs/index.php/jji3a/article/view/12001},
doi = {10.26754/jji-i3a.202512001},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-07-01},
urldate = {2025-07-01},
journal = {Jornada de Jóvenes Investigadores del I3A},
volume = {13},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {proceedings}
}
Mercader Plou, Víctor Daniel; Glaser, Jonas; Durán, Paúl; Sanz Monreal, Pablo; Aragüés Aldea, Pablo; Francés, Eva; Herguido, Javier; Peña Llorente, José Ángel
Mechanical Mixture (MM) Materials for Cyclic CO₂ Power-to- Methane: Filler Influence and Stability Proceedings
vol. 13, 2025.
@proceedings{MercaderPlou_Glaser_Durán_SanzMonreal_AragüésAldea_Francés_Herguido_PeñaLlorente_2025,
title = {Mechanical Mixture (MM) Materials for Cyclic CO₂ Power-to- Methane: Filler Influence and Stability},
author = {Mercader Plou, Víctor Daniel and Glaser, Jonas and Durán, Paúl and Sanz Monreal, Pablo and Aragüés Aldea, Pablo and Francés, Eva and Herguido, Javier and Peña Llorente, José Ángel},
url = {https://papiro.unizar.es/ojs/index.php/jji3a/article/view/11999},
doi = {10.26754/jji-i3a.202511999},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-07-01},
urldate = {2025-07-01},
journal = {Jornada de Jóvenes Investigadores del I3A},
volume = {13},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {proceedings}
}
Sanz Monreal, Pablo; Mercader Plou, Víctor Daniel; Durán Sánchez, Paul Esteban; Francés Pérez, Eva; Herguido Huerta, Javier; Peña Llorente, José Ángel
vol. 13, 2025.
@proceedings{SanzMonreal_MercaderPlou_DuránSánchez_FrancésPérez_HerguidoHuerta_PeñaLlorente_2025,
title = {Modeling and simulation of CO2 methanation in a fixed-bed reactor: Evaluation of 1D pseudo-homogeneous approaches.},
author = {Sanz Monreal, Pablo and Mercader Plou, Víctor Daniel and Durán Sánchez, Paul Esteban and Francés Pérez, Eva and Herguido Huerta, Javier and Peña Llorente, José Ángel},
url = {https://papiro.unizar.es/ojs/index.php/jji3a/article/view/11997},
doi = {10.26754/jji-i3a.202511997},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-07-01},
urldate = {2025-07-01},
journal = {Jornada de Jóvenes Investigadores del I3A},
volume = {13},
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pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {proceedings}
}