Catalytic wet air oxidation of low molecular weight carboxylic acids using a carbon supported platinum catalyst

Aqueous solutions of low molecular weight carboxylic acids, such as acetic, propionic and butyric acids, were treated by catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) using a carbon supported platinum catalyst. Oxidation in the presence of the catalyst, in a stirred reactor, was carried out at 200°C and 6.9 bar of oxygen partial pressure, with conversions (after 2 h) ranging from 59.4 to 75%, and selectivities to gaseous products of up to 100%. Initial rates for conversion varied from 184 (butyric acid) to 260 mmol h⁻¹ g_Pt⁻¹ (propionic acid). The activation energy for butyric acid conversion was found to be 56.7 kJ mol⁻¹.     

Degradation of maleic acid in a wet air oxidation environment in the presence and absence of a platinum catalyst

Over a temperature range of 415–478 K, the catalytic and non-catalytic degradation of an aqueous solution of maleic acid (0.03 M) has been studied both in the presence of oxygen and under an inert atmosphere (nitrogen). These reactions were first-order for maleic acid. The non-catalytic oxidation reaction was zero-order in oxygen over a partial pressure range of 0.4–1.4 MPa. The apparent activation energies for the non-catalytic removal of maleic acid under both a nitrogen (66.7 kJ mol⁻¹) and an air (131.5 kJ mol⁻¹) environment have been calculated. The use of 0.5 wt.% platinum on γ-alumina catalyst significantly enhanced the degradation rate of maleic acid. A kinetic expression was developed accounting for both homogeneous and heterogeneous routes in maleic acid elimination. Although maleic acid removal was zero-order for oxygen concentration, the presence of oxygen is shown to result in significant chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal in both the catalytic and the non-catalytic process. Finally, the stability of a platinum catalyst has been tested for eight consecutive runs without any noticeable loss in catalyst activity.     

Three-phase reactors for environmental remediation: catalytic wet oxidation of phenol using active carbon

Wet oxidation of phenol aqueous solutions was carried out in a fixed bed reactor operating in trickle flow regime. Mild conditions of temperature (140°C) and oxygen partial pressure (1–9 bar) were used. Three active carbons and one commercially available supported copper catalyst were tested as catalytic material. Previous studies demonstrated that active carbon gives higher phenol conversion than conventional oxidation catalysts, although significant loss of active carbon due to combustion was also found. In the present study, the combustion of the active carbon during the process is highly reduced by lowering the oxygen partial pressure from 9 to 2 bar, maintaining an acceptable phenol conversion. The comparison of the performance of three different active carbons shows that their physical and chemical characteristics largely influence on the phenol conversion achieved.     

Partial oxidation of methane in Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3−δ membrane reactor at high pressures

Oxygen permeation fluxes through dense disk-shaped Ba_0.5Sr_0.5Co_0.8Fe_0.2O_3−δ (BSCFO) membranes were investigated as a function of temperature (973–1123 K), pressure (2–10 atm), and membrane thickness (1–2 mm) under an air/helium gradient. A high oxygen permeation flux of 2.01 ml/cm² min was achieved at 1123 K and 10 atm under an air/He oxygen partial pressure gradient. Based on the dependence of the oxygen permeation flux on the oxygen partial pressure difference across the membrane and the membrane thickness, it is assumed that bulk diffusion of oxygen ions was the rate-controlling step in the oxygen transport across the BSCFO membrane disk under an air/He gradient. The partial oxidation of methane (POM) to syngas using LiLaNiO_x/γ-Al₂O₃ as catalyst in a BSCFO membrane reactor was successfully performed at high pressure (5 atm). Ninety-two percent methane conversion, 90% CO selectivity, and 15.5 ml/cm² min oxygen permeation flux were achieved in steady state at a temperature of 1123 K and a pressure of 5 atm. A syngas production rate of 79 ml/cm² min was obtained. Characterization of the membrane surface by SEM and XRD after reaction showed that the surface exposed to the air side preserved the Perovskite structure while the surface exposed to the reaction side was eroded.     

Long-term stability of an Au/Al2O3 catalyst prepared by incipient wetness in continuous-flow glucose oxidation

A 0.3% Au/Al₂O₃ catalyst prepared by the incipient wetness (IW) method was investigated in the continuous-flow liquid-phase glucose oxidation. Therefore, a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) system equipped with an ultrasonic separator was used. The continuous-flow glucose oxidation was carried out at 40 °C, pH 9 and 1 bar oxygen partial pressure. Residence time and glucose concentration were varied. The IW gold catalyst showed very high activity and selectivity to gluconic acid within its 110 days of operation and, thus, an excellent long-term stability. Even after severe microbial contaminations of the catalyst, its activity could be completely restored by in situ regeneration with 2-propanol.     

Oxidation of H2S on activated carbon KAU and influence of the surface state

Properties of the oxidized activated carbon KAU treated at different temperatures in inert atmosphere were studied by means of DTA, Boehm titration, XPS and AFM methods and their catalytic activity in H₂S oxidation by air was determined. XPS analysis has shown the existence of three types of oxygen species on carbon catalysts surface. The content of oxygen containing groups determined by Boehm titration is correlated with their amount obtained by XPS. Catalytic activity of the KAU catalysts in selective oxidation of hydrogen sulfide is connected with chemisorbed charged oxygen species (O_3.1 oxygen type with BE 536.8–537.7 eV) present on the carbons surface.

Formation of dense sulfur layer (islands of sulfur) on the carbons surface and removal of active oxygen species are the reason of the catalysts deactivation in H₂S selective oxidation. The treatment of deactivated catalyst in inert atmosphere at 300 °C gives full regeneration of the catalyst activity at low temperature reaction but only its partial reducing at high reaction temperature. The last case is connected with transformation of chemisorbed charged oxygen species into CO groups.

The KAU samples treated in flow of inert gas at 900–1000 °C were very active in H₂S oxidation to elemental sulfur transforming up to 51–57 mmol H₂S/g catalyst at 180 °C with formation of 1.7–1.9 g S_x/g catalyst.     

Kinetics of carbon oxide evolution in temperature-programmed oxidation of carbonaceous laydown deposited on wet oxidation catalysts

The combustion kinetics of coke laydown on wet oxidation catalysts was studied by means of temperature-programmed oxidation and mass spectrometry within the temperature range (30–600°C). The coke deposits were formed over three different catalysts 1 wt.% Pt/Al₂O₃, MnO₂/CeO₂ and 1 wt.% Pt–MnO₂/CeO₂ during phenol deep oxidation in a three-phase slurry reactor at various reaction conditions (exposure time, temperature, oxygen pressure, catalyst loading). The carbon oxides, oxygen and water fluxes arising from the combustion of the carbonaceous deposits in a 5% O₂/He mixture, were continuously monitored. In all cases, unimodal quasi-Gaussian distributions were obtained for CO₂ while no CO was detected. These evolutions were successfully described by a modified “fractal power-law” grain model. The coke-dependence of the carbon dioxide profiles was related to the fractal dimension of the catalyst surface and to the oxygen partial order during coke burn-off. The corresponding change in O₂ partial order was ascribed to competition between three steps in the combustion mechanism: non-dissociative O₂ chemisorption, interaction of oxygen with undissociated dioxygen bearing surface species, physical desorption of the complex oxide as carbon dioxide.     

Catalytic wet air oxidation of carboxylic acids at atmospheric pressure

Catalytic wet air oxidation of carboxylic acids (maleic acid, oxalic acid and formic acid) was carried out in a batch reactor operated at 160 psi or atmospheric pressure. Pt/Al₂O₃ and the sulfonated poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) resin were used as catalysts. Maleic acid was proved to be a refractory substance which could not be oxidized on the Pt/Al₂O₃ catalyst at all atmoshperic pressure, and needed high pressure and high temperature operation for its oxidation. On the contrary, oxalic acid and formic acid were readily oxidized into carbon dioxide and water at 353 K and atmospheric pressure. The pathways of maleic acid oxidation were proposed, and the conversion of maleic acid into oxalic acid was the rate-determining step. When the sulfonated resin catalyst was present together with the Pt/Al₂O₃ catalyst, maleic acid could be oxidized at 353 K and atmospheric pressure. The sulfonated resin catalyst was suggested to hydrolyze maleic acid into readily oxidizable compounds.     

Temperature profile in a two-stage fixed bed reactor for catalytic partial oxidation of methane to syngas

Detailed axial temperature distribution has been studied in a two-stage process for catalytic partial oxidation of methane to syngas, which consists of two consecutive fixed bed reactors with oxygen or air separately introduced. The first stage of the reactor, packed with a combustion catalyst, is used for catalytic combustion of methane at low initial temperature. While the second stage, filled with a partial oxidation catalyst, is used for the partial oxidation of methane to syngas. A pilot-scale reactor packed with up to 80 g combustion catalyst and 80 g partial oxidation catalyst was employed. The effects of oxygen distribution in the two sections, and gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) on the catalyst bed temperature profile, as well as conversion of methane and selectivities to syngas were investigated under atmospheric pressure. It is found that both oxygen splitting ratio and GHSV have significant influence on the temperature profile in the reactor, which can be explained by the synergetic effects of the fast exothermic oxidation reactions and the slow endothermic (steam and CO₂) reforming reactions. Almost no change in activity and selectivity was observed after a stability experiment for 300 h.     

Liquid phase selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol over Pd–Ag catalysts supported on pumice

Selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde was carried out over pumice supported bimetallic and monometallic Pd and Ag catalysts. Preliminary kinetic studies were performed at 333 K in autoclave, at pressure of 2 atm in pure oxygen. Under these conditions, small amounts of benzoic acid were detected with the monometallic Pd pumice being the most active catalyst. The reaction was also carried out under flowing oxygen at atmospheric pressure and at 348 K. Under these conditions, the selectivity to benzaldehyde was 100%. The catalytic activity of the catalysts was measured after different oxidation and reduction treatments at high temperature. In addition, two mechanical mixtures of pretreated Pd and Ag monometallic samples were tested. The structural data (XRD, XPS, EXAFS) along with the catalytic results would indicate that Ag⁰ and Pd⁰ species are the catalytic sites acting with certain synergism.     

Role of steam in partial oxidation of propylene over a Pd/SDB catalyst

Step-response studies of propylene partial oxidation with oxygen over a hydrophobic Pd/SDB catalyst were conducted at 1000 kPa and 185°C in a fixed-bed reactor. CO₂ was found to be the only oxidation product when the feed contained only propylene and oxygen. CO₂ formation was significantly suppressed by addition of steam to the feed, and this addition leads to the formation of partial oxidation products: acrolein and acrylic acid. A competitive reaction mechanism involving water molecules is proposed to explain the significant influence of steam concentration on the rate of propylene oxidation and product selectivity.     

Catalyst performance for noble metal catalysed alcohol oxidation: reaction-engineering modelling and experiments

A reaction-engineering model is presented, which describes catalyst performance as a function of the catalyst activity profile, the reaction kinetics, and the degree of catalyst deactivation. With this model, the catalyst activity profile can be optimised for Pt catalysed methyl -D-glucopyranoside (slowly-reactive) and glucose (highly-reactive) oxidations. This is done by comparing modelling results with experimentally obtained data for catalysts of different activity distributions. Experiments in a semi-batch stirred reactor showed that for methyl -D-glucopyranoside (MGP) oxidation at oxygen partial pressures below 40 kPa, egg shell catalytic activity distribution gives a higher rate of oxidation than a uniform distribution. It was also observed that with increase in oxygen concentration from 10 to 40 kPa, the rate of deactivation due to catalyst over-oxidation increased dramatically. For glucose oxidation, both catalyst activity distributions give the same oxidation rate for all investigated oxygen partial pressures (5–100 kPa). The developed model adequately describes the observed experimental results of both reactions. It was found that the active metal particle size has a significant influence on the catalyst deactivation for MGP oxidation; the uniform catalyst with higher dispersion shows a higher deactivation rate than the egg shell catalyst. For modelling glucose oxidation, the effect of catalyst particle-to-bubble adhesion and higher diffusivity or partition coefficient for oxygen have to be taken into account.     

Catalytic wet oxidation of H2S to sulfur on Fe/MgO catalyst

The room temperature wet catalytic oxidation was conducted in a batch reactor with Fe/MgO catalyst. Fe/MgO catalyst was prepared by the dissolution–precipitation method. XRD and temperature-programmed reductions (TPR) indicate that Fe oxide in the Fe/MgO is finely dispersed in the MgO support. The high H₂S removal capacities of Fe/MgO can be explained by the finely dispersed iron oxide MgO. The H₂S removal capacities of Fe/MgO are dependent on oxygen partial pressure (1.0 g H₂S/g_cat in air and 2.6 g H₂S/g_cat in oxygen). The valence state analysis of Fe/MgO catalyst suggests that the H₂S oxidation on Fe/MgO can occur by a redox couple reaction, reducing Fe³⁺ into Fe²⁺ by H₂S and oxidizing Fe²⁺ to Fe³⁺ by O₂.     

Reaction and oxygen permeation studies in Sm0.4Ba0.6Fe0.8Co0.2O3 − δ membrane reactor for partial oxidation of methane to syngas

A disk-type Sm_0.4Ba_0.6Co_0.2Fe_0.8O_3 − δ perovskite-type mixed-conducting membrane was applied to a membrane reactor for the partial oxidation of methane to syngas (CO + H₂). The reaction was carried out using Rh (1 wt%)/MgO catalyst by feeding CH₄ diluted with Ar. While CH₄ conversion increased and CO selectivity slightly decreased with increasing temperature, a high level of CH₄ conversion (90%) and a high selectivity to CO (98%) were observed at 1173 K. The oxygen flux was increased under the conditions for the catalytic partial oxidation of CH₄ compared with that measured when Ar was fed to the permeation side. We investigated the reaction pathways in the membrane reactor using different membrane reactor configurations and different kinds of gas. In the membrane reactor without the catalyst, the oxygen flux was not improved even when CH₄ was fed to the permeation side, whereas the oxygen flux was enhanced when CO or H₂ was fed. It is implied that the oxidation of CO and H₂ with the surface oxygen on the permeation side improves the oxygen flux through the membrane, and that CO₂ and H₂O react with CH₄ by reforming reactions to form syngas.     

Oxidative dehydrogenation of propane over V2O5-MgO/TiO2 catalyst: Effect of reactants contact mode

The performance of the active catalyst 5%V₂O₅-1.9%MgO/TiO₂ in propane oxidative dehydrogenation is investigated under various reactant contact modes: co-feed and redox decoupling using fixed bed and co-feed using fluid bed. Using fixed bed reactor under co-feed conditions, propane is activated easily on the catalyst surface with selectivities ranging from 30 to 75% depending on the degree of conversion. Under varying oxygen partial pressures, especially for higher than the stoichiometric ratio O₂/C₃H₈ = 1/2, nor the propane conversion or the selectivities to propene and COx are affected. The performance of the catalyst in the absence of gas phase oxygen was tested at 400 °C. It was confirmed that the catalyst surface oxygen participates to the activation of propane forming propene and oxidation products with similar selectivities as those obtained under co-feed conditions. The ability of the catalyst to fully restore its activity by oxygen treatment was checked in repetitive reduction–oxidation cycles. Fluid bed reactor using premixed propane–oxygen mixtures was also employed in the study. The catalyst was proved to be very active in the temperature range 300–450 °C attaining selectivities comparable to those of fixed bed.     

乙酸液相催化氧化动力学的研究

以乙酸钴、乙酸锰为催化剂，四溴乙烷为促进剂，在半间歇搅拌釜式钛材反应器中对乙酸的液相催化氧化动力学进行了研究，弄清了乙酸氧化损失的规律，提出了降低乙酸氧化速率的可行措施，得到了二氧化碳及乙酸甲酯的生成速率方程。     

Liquid Phase Selective Catalytic Oxidation of Oleic Acid to Azelaic Acid Using Air and Transition Metal Acetate Bromide Complex

Industrially important di‐carboxylic acids are synthesized from mono‐carboxylic unsaturated and unsaturated fatty acids. In this study, the aim is to perform the simultaneous catalytic oxidative C=C cleavage of oleic acid (OA) to azelaic acid and pelargonic acid, and oxidation of the terminal methyl group in pelargonic acid to azelaic acid using cobalt‐ and manganese‐acetate as catalyst, hydrogen bromide as co‐catalyst and air in acetic acid at elevated pressure (2.8–5.8 barg) and temperature (353–383 K). Oxygen solubility is determined under varying pressure, temperature and OA loading. The effect of OA loading, pressure and temperature on OA conversion and azelaic acid selectivity is studied by varying one variable at a time; however, the presence of the synergistic effect of the catalyst and co‐catalyst is investigated by central composite design assisted response surface methodology. Oxidation of terminal methyl group in saturated fatty acid is also confirmed by the oxidation of stearic acid to octadecanedioic acid using identical oxidation conditions of OA. Oxidation products of fatty acids are quantified by gas chromatographic analysis. The innovation of the work is thus the ability of the catalytic system to perform a total oxidation of a terminal methyl group of the hydrocarbon chain. OA oxidation kinetics relating to catalyst and co‐catalyst concentration along with oxygen solubility at elevated temperature and pressure is established. The frequency factor and activation energy for OA oxidation is determined using the Arrhenius equation.     

Partial oxidation kinetics of m-hydroxybenzyl alcohol with noble metal catalysts in supercritical carbon dioxide

Partial oxidation of m-hydroxybenzyl alcohol was studied over several supported noble metal catalysts in a temperature range from 373 to 413 K, up to 2 MPa of oxygen pressure and 20 MPa of carbon dioxide pressure. The major product detected was m-hydroxybenzaldehyde. A charcoal supported palladium catalyst gave the highest yield of the aldehyde. For high temperature above 393 K and high oxygen pressure above 0.5 MPa, total oxidation was observed, which caused the selectivity of m-hydroxybenzaldehyde to decrease. Supercritical carbon dioxide medium seemed to improve heat dissipation of the reaction to allow the partial oxidation of m-hydroxybenzyl alcohol to occur under mild conditions. The partial oxidation of benzyl alcohol over a charcoal supported palladium catalyst was also examined for comparison and the major product formed was benzaldehyde. The conversion of benzyl alcohol and the selectivity to benzaldehyde was higher than those for the case of partial oxidation of m-hydroxybenzyl alcohol.     

Direct conversion of methane into methanol over MoO3/SiO2 catalyst in an excess amount of water vapor

Well-dispersed MoO₃ on SiO₂ showed a high activity for partial oxidation of methane (mixed with oxygen in a molar ratio of 9:1) into methanol and formaldehyde at 873 K in an excess amount of water vapor, which is attributed to the formation of silicomolybdic acid (SMA) on the catalyst surface during reaction. One of the roles of SMA for the partial oxidation of methane is proved to depress the successive oxidation of methanol and formaldehyde into carbon oxides.     

Catalysts based in cerium oxide for wet oxidation of acrylic acid in the prevention of environmental risks

Acrylic acid is a refractory compound for the non-catalytic wet oxidation (WO) process and can seriously damage the environment when released in industrial effluents. Oxidation of acrylic acid by catalytic wet oxidation (CWO) was studied in slurry conditions in a high-pressure batch reactor at 200 °C and 15 bar of oxygen partial pressure. Several solid cerium-based catalysts prepared in our laboratory were used (Ag/Ce, Co/Ce, Mn/Ce, CeO, MnO) and evaluated in terms of activity, selectivity and stability. Mn/Ce shows the higher activity in 2 h with 97.7% reduction of total organic carbon (TOC) followed by: MnO(95.5%)>Ag/Ce(85.0%)>Co/Ce(65.1%)>CeO(61.2%). Attempts were also carried out to analyze the influence of different Mn/Ce molar ratios. High percentages of Mn lead to practically total organic carbon concentration (TOC) abatements while low ratios lead to the formation of non-oxidizable compounds. Acrylic acid was readily degraded by all the catalysts pointing out the high importance of using a catalytic process. pH was an indicator of the reaction pathway and acetic acid was found as the major reaction intermediate compound; however it is completely oxidized after 2 h with exception for Co/Ce, CeO and MnO. Carbon adsorption and leaching of metals were poorly found for Mn/Ce indicating high stability. The catalyst microstructure after the reaction was analyzed and formation of whiskers of β-MnO₂ (or less probably MnOOH) were observed at the catalyst surface. Therefore, Mn/Ce revealed to be a promising catalyst for the treatment of effluents containing acrylic acid; nevertheless, its commercialization depends on further research.