
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
2025
Aragüés-Aldea, P.; Mercader, V. D.; Durán, P.; Francés, E.; Peña, J. Á.; Herguido, J.
Biogas upgrading through CO2 methanation in a multiple-inlet fixed bed reactor: Simulated parametric analysis Journal Article
En: Journal of CO2 Utilization, vol. 93, pp. 103038, 2025, ISSN: 2212-9820.
@article{ARAGUESALDEA2025103038,
title = {Biogas upgrading through CO2 methanation in a multiple-inlet fixed bed reactor: Simulated parametric analysis},
author = {P. Aragüés-Aldea and V. D. Mercader and P. Durán and E. Francés and J. Á. Peña and J. Herguido},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212982025000228},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcou.2025.103038},
issn = {2212-9820},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-01-01},
journal = {Journal of CO2 Utilization},
volume = {93},
pages = {103038},
abstract = {A simulation of the catalytic CO2 methanation reaction was carried out, evaluating the effect of reactants distributed feeding throughout the bed. The main operational parameters were studied in a multiple-inlet reactor to test their effect on conversions and, most importantly, on selectivities towards both CO and CH4 as reaction products. The analyzed parameters were, firstly, the number of feeding points (N) and the dosage degree of reactants, followed by temperature (T), partial pressures of reactants (H2:CO2 ratios), and the composition of a sweetened biogas as feeding stream (CH4:CO2 ratios). It is confirmed that a distribution of biogas through several side inlets improves selectivities to the desired CH4 product, over other feeding configurations. The effect of distributing reactants becomes intensified when the number of lateral feedings increases. This observation supports the experimental trends already proven in previous works. Regarding main operation parameters such as temperature and H2:CO2 molar ratio, the analysis confirmed that their influence on selectivities acts just as predicted at low conversions. However, when these conversions become higher the space velocity (WHSV) is the most important factor for selectivities. Finally, no significant changes in reaction performance were obtained when modifying the biogas CH4:CO2 ratio in the broad range of methane concentrations from 55 v% to 70 v%.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Mercader, V. D.; Aragüés-Aldea, P.; Durán, P.; Francés, E.; Herguido, J.; Peña, J. A.
Optimizing Sorption Enhanced Methanation (SEM) of CO2 with Ni3Fe + LTA 5 A mixtures Journal Article
En: Catalysis Today, vol. 453, pp. 115262, 2025, ISSN: 0920-5861.
@article{MERCADER2025115262,
title = {Optimizing Sorption Enhanced Methanation (SEM) of CO2 with Ni3Fe + LTA 5 A mixtures},
author = {V. D. Mercader and P. Aragüés-Aldea and P. Durán and E. Francés and J. Herguido and J. A. Peña},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092058612500080X},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cattod.2025.115262},
issn = {0920-5861},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-01-01},
journal = {Catalysis Today},
volume = {453},
pages = {115262},
abstract = {This study investigates the integration of catalytic CO2 methanation and water adsorption using a Ni-Fe-based catalyst and LTA 5 A zeolite to enhance methane production via the Sabatier reaction. By mitigating thermodynamic limitations through in situ water removal, the research explores key operational parameters, including temperature, space velocity, and H₂:CO₂ feed ratios, to optimize process performance. The findings highlight that a temperature of 300 °C, a WHSV of 1.50 × 104 (STP) mL·gcat−1·h−1 (4.86 gCO2·gcat⁻¹·h⁻¹), and a H₂:CO₂ molar ratio equal to 5:1, result in enhanced methane yields, shifting thermodynamic equilibrium due to water sorption during initial stages. The presence of methane in the feed, representative of a biogas, demonstrated negligible effects on methane yields under optimal conditions, underscoring the method’s feasibility for direct biogas upgrading. While the process achieved significant intensification, challenges such as loss of activity of the bed of solids (catalyst plus water adsorbent) were identified, necessitating further advancements in both catalyst and adsorbent stability, as well as a deeper study on their interaction. The study provides a pathway for scaling up adsorption-enhanced methanation technologies to achieve renewable methane production, addressing the dual goals of carbon management and energy storage.},
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pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
2024
González Pizarro, Rodrigo; Durán Sánchez, Paúl; Aragüés Aldea, Pablo; Mercader Plou, Victor; Francés, Eva; Peña Llorente, José Ángel; Herguido Huerta, Javier
vol. 12, 2024.
@proceedings{GonzálezPizarro_DuránSánchez_AragüésAldea_MercaderPlou_Francés_PeñaLlorente_HerguidoHuerta_2024,
title = {Enriquecimiento de biogás por metanación de CO2 sobre Ni-MnxOy en reactor de lecho fijo con alimentación distribuida},
author = {González Pizarro, Rodrigo and Durán Sánchez, Paúl and Aragüés Aldea, Pablo and Mercader Plou, Victor and Francés, Eva and Peña Llorente, José Ángel and Herguido Huerta, Javier},
url = {https://papiro.unizar.es/ojs/index.php/jji3a/article/view/10682},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-07-01},
urldate = {2024-07-01},
journal = {Jornada de Jóvenes Investigadores del I3A},
volume = {12},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {proceedings}
}
Sanz Monreal, Pablo; Mercader Plou, Víctor; Durán Sánchez, Paúl; Francés Pérez, Eva; Herguido Huerta, Javier; Peña Llorente, José Ángel
Modelado cinético para la metanación de CO2 sobre un catalizador Ni3Fe/Al2O3. Proceedings
vol. 12, 2024.
@proceedings{SanzMonreal_MercaderPlou_DuránSánchez_FrancésPérez_HerguidoHuerta_PeñaLlorente_2024,
title = {Modelado cinético para la metanación de CO2 sobre un catalizador Ni3Fe/Al2O3.},
author = {Sanz Monreal, Pablo and Mercader Plou, Víctor and Durán Sánchez, Paúl and Francés Pérez, Eva and Herguido Huerta, Javier and Peña Llorente, José Ángel},
url = {https://papiro.unizar.es/ojs/index.php/jji3a/article/view/10693},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-07-01},
urldate = {2024-07-01},
journal = {Jornada de Jóvenes Investigadores del I3A},
volume = {12},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {proceedings}
}
Mercader Plou, Víctor Daniel; Ruiz-Alejos, David; de Jong, Wiebren; Durán, Paul; Aragüés Aldea, Pablo; Sanz Monreal, Pablo; Becerril, Miguel Ángel; Francés, Eva; Herguido, Javier; Peña, José Ángel
vol. 12, 2024.
@proceedings{MercaderPlou_Ruiz-Alejos_deJong_Durán_AragüésAldea_SanzMonreal_Becerril_Francés_Herguido_Peña_2024,
title = {Influence of Ni-Fe load in a bimetallic catalyst supported on Zeolite 13X for CO2 methanation in a fixed bed reactor},
author = {Mercader Plou, Víctor Daniel and Ruiz-Alejos, David and de Jong, Wiebren and Durán, Paul and Aragüés Aldea, Pablo and Sanz Monreal, Pablo and Becerril, Miguel Ángel and Francés, Eva and Herguido, Javier and Peña, José Ángel},
url = {https://papiro.unizar.es/ojs/index.php/jji3a/article/view/10689},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-07-01},
urldate = {2024-07-01},
journal = {Jornada de Jóvenes Investigadores del I3A},
volume = {12},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {proceedings}
}