Dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene over Fe2O3/Al2O3 catalysts in the presence of carbon dioxide

An Fe₂O₃ (10 wt%)/Al₂O₃ (90 wt%) catalyst prepared by a coprecipitation method was found to be effective for dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to produce styrene in the presence of CO₂ instead of steam used in commercial processes. The dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene over the catalyst in the presence of CO₂ was considered to proceed both via a one-step pathway and via a two-step pathway. CO₂ was found to suppress the deactivation of the catalyst during the dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene over iron oxide-based catalyst in the presence of carbon dioxide

The energy required for a new process using CO₂ for the dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to produce styrene was estimated to be much lower than that of the present commercial process using steam. A Fe/Ca/Al oxides catalyst was found to exhibit high performance in the dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene in the presence of CO₂. And the deactivation of the Fe/Ca/Al oxides catalyst was restrained by the action of CO₂.     

Dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene and propane over Ga2O3–ZrO2 catalysts in the presence of CO2

Ga₂O₃–ZrO₂ catalysts were prepared by a coprecipitation method. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, Raman, DRS, XPS, SEM, EDX, IR, NH₃-TPD, CO₂-TPD and N₂ adsorption methods. Dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene and propane in the presence of CO₂ over these catalysts has been investigated and compared. Ga₂O₃–ZrO₂ catalysts exhibit different catalytic behavior for the two dehydrogenation reactions.     

Stable carbon dioxide reforming of methane over modified Ni/Al2O3 catalysts

CO₂ reforming of methane was studied over modified Ni/Al₂O₃ catalysts. The metal modifiers were Co, Cu, Zr, Mn, Mo, Ti, Ag and Sn. Relative to unmodified Ni/Al₂O₃, catalysts modified with Co, Cu and Zr showed slightly improved activity, while other promoters reduced the activity of CO₂ reforming. Mn-promoted catalyst showed a remarkable reduction in coke deposition, while entailing only a small reduction in catalytic activity compared to unmodified catalyst. The catalysts prepared at high calcination temperatures showed higher activity than those prepared at low calcination temperature. The Mn-promoted catalyst showed very low coke deposition even in the absence of diluent gas and the activity changed only slightly during 100 h operation. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene with carbon dioxide over MgO-modified Al2O3-supported V–Sb oxide catalysts

Alumina-supported V_0.43Sb_0.57 oxide (VSb/Al) and MgO-modified alumina-supported V_0.43Sb_0.57 oxide catalysts (VSb/Mg_nAl with Mg/Al atomic ratio, n = 0.1, 0.3 or 0.5) have been tested for the dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene with carbon dioxide as an oxidant. Their catalytic behaviors were interpreted by results of several catalyst characterization methods. The decrease in the surface acidity of the VSb/Mg_nAl catalysts due to modification of alumina with MgO favors the prolonged time-on-stream activities. However, the addition of relatively large amounts of MgO (n = 0.3 or 0.5) causes substantial decrease in their surface areas, reducibility of active vanadium oxide component and, consequently, ethylbenzene conversion. These negative factors did not become apparent for the most efficient VSb/Mg_0.1Al system demonstrating high and stable catalytic activity.     

Dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene over TiO2-Fe2O3 and ZrO2-Fe2O3 mixed oxide catalysts

The mixed metal oxides TiO₂-Fe₂O₃ and ZrO₂-Fe₂O₃ were examined as potential catalysts for the dehydrogenation reaction of ethylbenzene. The acidic and basic properties and surface area, pore volume and pore size distribution of these catalysts were measured. The catalytic activities can be correlated very well with the surface area and the acidity and basicity of ZrO₂-Fe₂O₃ catalysts. However, for TiO₂-Fe₂O₃ catalysts, the surface area, the amount of acidic and basic sites and TiFe₂O₅ crystallinity are all important factors affecting the catalytic activities for ethylbenzene dehydrogenation. A synergistic effect was found for the TiO₂-Fe₂O₃ and ZrO₂-Fe₂O₃ catalyst system and also for the TiO₂-Fe₂O₃-ZrO₂ system, i.e. the activities of these catalysts can be ranked in the following order: TiO₂-Fe₂O₃-ZrO₂>TiO₂-Fe₂O₃ >ZrO₂>Fe₂O₃>TiO₂. Meanwhile, all of these catalysts showed higher activities than the conventional potassium-promoted iron catalysts.     

Dehydrogenation of light alkanes over oxidized diamond-supported catalysts in the presence of carbon dioxide

Oxidized diamond demonstrated excellent support for the dehydrogenation of light alkanes to alkenes in the presence of CO₂. Oxidized diamond-supported Cr₂O₃ and V₂O₅ catalysts exhibited comparatively higher catalytic activities in the dehydrogenation of lower alkanes in the presence of CO₂. In the dehydrogenation of propane, the oxidized diamond-supported Cr₂O₃ and V₂O₅ catalysts in the presence of CO₂ afforded nearly twofold higher activities than that in the absence of CO₂. The activity of the oxidized diamond-supported V₂O₅ catalyst in the dehydrogenation of propane increased with increasing reaction temperatures. Furthermore, in the dehydrogenation of n-butane and iso-butane, a promoting effect of CO₂ on butane conversion and butenes yields was observed over the oxidized diamond-supported Cr₂O₃ and V₂O₅ catalysts, though the promotion effect was small.

UV-Vis analyses of the fresh and the reacted catalysts in the presence and absence of CO₂ revealed that CO₂ kept the surface V₂O₅ and Cr₂O₃ in a state of oxidation slightly higher than that in the absence of CO₂.     

Ethylbenzene to styrene in the presence of carbon dioxide over zirconia

ZrO₂ itself was found be active for the dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene, especially in the presence of CO₂, which was aimed to be utilized as an oxidant. This positive effect of CO₂ was highly dependent on the crystalline phases of zirconia. The higher the tetragonal phase contained in ZrO₂, the higher the ethylbenzene conversion and styrene selectivity that were obtained. Highly tetragonal ZrO₂ was more active in oxidative dehydrogenation than monoclinic ZrO₂. The differences of catalytic activities could be ascribed to the differences of the surface area and CO₂ affinity related with surface basicity.     

Co-production of hydrogen and multi-wall carbon nanotubes from ethanol decomposition over Fe/Al2O3 catalysts

The co-production of hydrogen and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) from the decomposition of ethanol over Fe/Al₂O₃ at different temperatures and feeding rates of ethanol was investigated systematically. The results indicated that Fe/Al₂O₃ was a quite active catalyst for the co-production of hydrogen and CNTs and that its activity and stability depended strongly on the Fe loading. Among all catalysts tested, 10 mol% Fe/Al₂O₃ was the most effective catalyst based on the ratio of hydrogen production, the total H₂ yield, and the quality of the CNTs formed. The efficiency of hydrogen production from ethanol decomposition over 10 mol% Fe/Al₂O₃ reached a maximum of ∼80% at 800 °C and the yield of CNTs with well-oriented growth and uniform diameter was 141%. In addition, the reaction of hydrogen and CNTs co-produced from ethanol decomposition was proposed.     

Cu-K/Al2O3 based catalysts for conversion of carbon dioxide to methane and carbon monoxide

Abstract

A series of Cu-K/Al₂O₃ catalysts were synthesized by wet impregnation technique. The reduced catalysts were further used for conversion of carbon dioxide to methane and carbon monoxide. Moreover, the fresh and used catalysts were characterized to investigate the changes in the surface morphology, metal dispersion, surface area, crystalline phases, and functional groups of studied catalysts. The SEM analysis of fresh and spent catalysts showed no remarkable difference in surface morphology with irregular shaped agglomerated particles. Furthermore, TEM micrographs presented the well distribution of metal catalyst over alumina support. The decrease in surface area from 115 to 77?m²/g for Cu_1.62-K_0.5/Al₂O₃ after reaction was related to sintering and oxidation of catalyst during reaction. XRD revealed the disappearance of some minor peaks which can be associated with the sintering of spent catalyst. FTIR also presented some new peak for spent catalyst which can be linked with metal oxides. Moreover, various reaction conditions of temperature (230, 400, and 600?°C), pressure (1 and 7?bar), and feed molar ratio of H₂/CO₂ (2:1 and 4:1) were investigated using different Cu loading (0, 1, 1.25, 1.62, and 4 weight percent). A maximum CO₂ conversion of 63% with 39% CH₄ selectivity was achieved by using Cu_1.62-K_0.5/Al₂O₃ at 600?°C, molar ratio of H₂/CO₂ 4 under 7?bar. The presence of K on the surface of synthesized catalyst increased the CO₂ conversion from 48% (Cu₁/Al₂O₃) to 55% (Cu₁-K_0.5/Al₂O₃) at above mentioned reaction conditions which suggested the promoter effect of K during conversion of carbon dioxide.     

Propylene metathesis over Re2O7/Al2O3-B2O3 catalysts

A series of alumina aluminum borate (AAB) with various Al/B molar ratios were prepared by the coprecipitation method. The supported rhenium oxide catalysts with various contents of Re₂O₇ were also prepared by the impregnation method with perrhenic acid. The catalytic activity and stability of Re₂O₇/AAB catalysts for the reaction of propylene metathesis were tested in a fixed-bed microreactor. It was found that Re₂O₇/AAB is more active, stable and regenerable than Re₂O₇/Al₂O₃ for propylene metathesis. The optimum Al/B molar ratio was found to be in the range of 4–10.     

Low-temperature CO oxidation over CuO/Fe2O3 catalysts

Copper iron composite oxide catalysts have been prepared by co-precipitation method. The catalytic activity and stability of the catalysts on CO oxidation were evaluated by using a microreactor-GC system. The results indicated that the copper iron composite oxide catalysts exhibited obviously high stability and catalytic activity on CO oxidation at low temperature. The effect of the calcination temperature, the molar ratios of copper to iron, the specific surface areas and the particle sizes on the catalytic activity of the catalysts was investigated in this paper.     

Benzene hydroisomerization over Pt/MOR/Al2O3 catalysts

Benzene hydroisomerization is among the promising processes converting benzene into methylcyclopentane (MCP), which is an environmentally friendlier, octane boosting component of motor fuels. Benzene hydroisomerization into MCP over the Pt/MOR/Al₂O₃ (MOR = mordenite) catalytic system is reported here. The dependence of the yield of the target product on the acidic properties of the support and platinum precursor ([Pt(NH₃)₄]Cl₂ or H₂PtCl₆) have been investigated in order to optimize the catalyst composition. The acidic properties of the surface have been altered by introducing 30–95 wt % alumina into the support. Catalytic activity has been measured in the hydroisomerization of cyclohexane and a benzene (20 wt %) + n-heptane (80 wt %) mixture in a flow reactor at 250–350°C, 1.5 MPa, H₂: CH = 3: 1, a cyclohexane LHSV of 6 h^?1, a mixed feedstock LHSV of 2 h^?1, a catalyst bed volume of 2 cm³, and catalyst pellet sizes of 0.25–0.75 mm. The most efficient catalyst for cyclohexane and n-heptane isomerization and benzene hydroisomerization is the platinum-containing catalyst (0.3 wt % Pt) whose support consists of 30 wt % MOR and 70 wt % Al2O3. The highest yield of the target products of isomerization in the presence of this catalyst is attained in the temperature range from 280 to 310°C, which is thermodynamically favorable for MCP formation from benzene. This indicates that this catalyst is promising for the hydroisomerization of benzene-containing gasoline fractions. Use of H₂PtCl₆, a readily available chemical, as the platinum precursor is favorable for commercialization of the catalyst and ensures price attractiveness in its industrial-scale manufacturing.     

Mechanistic Insight in the Ethane Dehydrogenation Reaction over Cr/Al2O3 Catalysts

A Cr/Al₂O₃ alkane dehydrogenation catalyst exhibits a maximum in ethylene yield during an ethane dehydrogenation cycle. Isotopic labelling experiments with monolabelled ¹³C-ethane and deuterium were used to elucidate whether the initial activity increase could be due to formation of an active, larger hydrocarbon intermediate on the surface. The results strongly indicate that this is not the case, and instead point to a traditional reaction cycle involving adsorption of ethane to form an ethyl species, followed by desorption of ethene and hydrogen. Transient kinetic data suggest that ethane adsorption is the rate-determining step of reaction.     

Reduction of lean NOx by ethanol over Ag/Al2O3 catalysts in the presence of H2O and SO2

The reduction of lean NOx using ethanol in simulated diesel engine exhaust was carried out over Ag/Al₂O₃ catalysts in the presence of H₂O and SO₂. The Ag/Al₂O₃ catalysts are highly active for the reduction of lean NOx by ethanol but the reaction is accompanied by side reactions to form CH₃CHO, CO along with small amounts of hydrocarbons (C₃H₆, C₂H₄, C₂H₂ and CH₄) and nitrogen compounds such as NH₃ and N₂O. The presence of H₂O enhances the NOx reduction while SO₂ suppresses the reduction. The presence of SO₂ along with H₂O suppresses the formation of acetaldehyde and NH₃. By infrared spectroscopy, it was revealed that the reactivity of NCO species formed in the course of the reaction was greatly enhanced in the presence of H₂O. The NCO species readily reacts with NO in the presence of O₂ and H₂O at room temperature, being converted to N₂ and CO₂ (CO). Addition of SO₂ suppresses the formation of NCO species and lowers the reactivity of the NCO species. However, the reduction of NOx is still kept at high conversion levels in the presence of H₂O and SO₂ over the present catalysts. About 80% of NOx in the simulated diesel engine exhaust was removed at 743 K. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Kinetics of acetone hydrogenation over Pt/Al2O3 catalysts

The hydrogenation of acetone to isopropanol has been studied in the vapour phase over Pt/Al₂O₃ catalysts. The rate law obtained at a total pressure of 1 atm and temperatures between 303 and 363 K is of the form V=kP⁰_aP^1/2_H exp (-44 kJ mol^?1 RT^?1). The kinetic results are consistent with a Langmuir-Hinshelwood hydrogenation mechanism involving a half hydrogenated species and a non-competitive chemisorption of acetone and hydrogen on the platinum surface. The specific activity (calculated per platinum surface atom) has been found to be scarcely dependent on the platinum particle size. It is suggested that the chemisorption sites are made of a very small ensemble of platinum atoms.     

Formation of carbon nanotubes from the carbon monoxide disproportionation reaction over Co/Al2O3 and Co/SiO2 catalysts

The ammonia method has been successfully used for preparing thermostable and well dispersed alumina‐supported catalysts with a surface average size of cobalt particle D _{s= 5.7} nm. The disproportionation reaction of CO over this Co/Al₂O₃ catalyst and a similar Co/SiO₂ catalyst leads to the formation of carbon nanotubes demonstrating the same morphology. The amount of nanotubes over Co/Al₂O₃, however, is much larger than that obtained over Co/SiO₂, because of a faster ageing in the latter solid. Similar support effects have already been reported for other catalytic reactions involving carbon oxides. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.