Zirconia supported LaMnO3 monoliths for the catalytic combustion of methane

Novel LaMnO₃ perovskite-based structured catalysts have been studied for methane catalytic combustion under lean, pre-mixed conditions. Monoliths have been prepared by wash-coating cordierite honeycomb substrates with lanthanum stabilised ZrO₂, on which the perovskite was dispersed by either impregnation or deposition–precipitation (DP) routes. Extensive physico-chemical characterisation of monoliths (by means of XRD, BET, SEM-EDAX, TPR of H₂ and drift analysis) has revealed the presence of a zirconia layer firmly anchored on cordierite walls, with remarkable surface area and chemical inertia towards negative interactions with perovskitic active phase. The activity of fresh catalysts for methane combustion is significantly enhanced with respect to bulk LaMnO₃, due to good dispersion on the porous support. Catalytic performances and durability have been studied under auto-thermal reaction conditions of interest for radiant pre-mixed burners, with maximum catalyst temperatures up to 1000 °C, through accurate characterisation of ignition transients and steady operation, comparing results with those relevant to both nude cordierite and previously developed monoliths of LaMnO₃ supported on La stabilised γ-Al₂O₃.     

Rh–La(Mn,Co)O3 monolithic catalysts for the combustion of methane under fuel-rich conditions

Novel Rh–La(Mn,Co)O₃ structured catalysts were developed for the partial oxidation of methane to syngas intended as a preliminary conversion step in combustion systems such as power turbines and utility burners employing a fuel-rich fuel-lean approach to reduce NO_x formation. Active components were impregnated on La–γ-Al₂O₃ washcoated honeycomb monoliths and the catalysts were characterised by BET, SEM/EDS, H₂-TPR, and in situ FT-IR under reaction conditions. Catalytic partial oxidation of methane was tested under both pseudo-isothermal and pseudo-adiabatic conditions showing that the process can be conducted with high yield and selectivity: improved and stable performances were found especially in the case of Rh–LaMnO₃ catalyst, due to the synergism between active sites and to the stabilization of the noble metal.     

Fischer–Tropsch synthesis on monolithic catalysts of different materials

Monolithic structures made of cordierite, γ-Al₂O₃ and steel have been prepared as catalysts and tested for Fischer–Tropsch activity. The monoliths made of cordierite and steel were washcoated with a 20 wt.% Co–1 wt.% Re/γ-Al₂O₃ Fischer–Tropsch catalyst whereas the γ-Al₂O₃ monoliths were made by direct impregnation with an aqueous solution of the Co and Re salts resulting in a loading of 12 wt.% Co and 0.5 wt.% Re. The activity and selectivity of the different monoliths were compared with the corresponding powder catalysts.

Higher washcoat loadings resulted in decreased C₅₊ selectivity and olefin/paraffin ratios due to increased transport limitations. The impregnated γ-Al₂O₃ monoliths also showed similar C₅₊ selectivities as powder catalysts of small particle size (38–53 μm). Lower activities were observed with the steel monoliths probably due to experimental problems.     

Microemulsion synthesis of MgO-supported LaMnO3 for catalytic combustion of methane

Catalysts with 20% LaMnO₃ supported on MgO have been prepared via CTAB-1-butanol-iso-octane-nitrate salt microemulsion. The preparation method was successfully varied in order to obtain different degrees of interaction between LaMnO₃ and MgO as shown by TPR and activity tests after calcination at 900 °C. Activity was tested on structured catalysts with 1.5% CH₄ in air as test gas giving a GHSV of 100,000 h⁻¹. The activity was greatly enhanced by supporting LaMnO₃ on MgO compared with the bulk LaMnO₃. After calcination at 1100 °C both the surface area and TPR profiles were similar, indicating that the preparation method is of little importance at this high temperature due to interaction between the phases. Pure LaMnO₃ and MgO were prepared using the same microemulsion method for comparison purposes. Pure MgO showed an impressive thermal stability with a BET surface area exceeding 30 m²/g after calcination at 1300 °C. The method used to prepare pure LaMnO₃ appeared not to be suitable since the surface area dropped to 1.1 m²/g already after calcination in 900 °C.     

Ethylene epoxidation on Ag catalysts supported on non-porous, microporous and mesoporous silicates

The ethylene epoxidation activity of Ag catalysts supported on non-porous SiO₂, microporous silicalite zeolite and mesoporous MCM-41 and HMS silicates was investigated in the present study in comparison to conventional low surface area -Al₂O₃ based catalysts. The MCM-41 and HMS based catalysts exhibited similar ethylene conversion activity and ethylene oxide (EO) selectivity with the SiO₂ and -Al₂O₃ based catalysts at relatively lower temperatures (up to 230 °C), whereas their activity and selectivity decreased significantly at higher temperatures (≥300 °C). The silicalite based catalyst was highly active for a wide temperature range, similar to the SiO₂ and -Al₂O₃ based catalysts, but it was the less selective amongst all catalysts tested. High loadings of Ag particles (up to ca. 40 wt.%) with medium crystallites size (20–55 nm) could be achieved on the mesoporous materials resulting in very active epoxidation catalysts. The HMS-type silicate with the 3D network of wormhole-like framework mesopores (with average diameter of 3.5 nm), in combination with a high-textural (interparticle) porosity, appeared to be the most promising mesoporous support.     

Production of hydrogen by steam reforming of glycerin over alumina-supported metal catalysts

Use of biodiesel and its production are expected to grow steadily in the future. With the increase in production of biodiesel, there would be a glut of glycerin in the world market. Glycerin is a potential feedstock for hydrogen production because one mol of glycerin can produce up to four mols of hydrogen. However, less attention has been given for the production of hydrogen from glycerin. The objective of this study is to develop, test and characterize promising catalysts for hydrogen generation from steam reforming of glycerin. Fourteen catalysts were prepared on ceramic foam monoliths (92% Al₂O₃, and 8% SiO₂) by the incipient wetness technique. This paper discusses the effect of these catalysts on hydrogen selectivity and glycerin conversion in temperatures ranging from 600 to 900 °C. The effect of glycerin to water ratio, metal loading, and the feed flow rate (space velocity) was analyzed for the two best performing catalysts. Under the reaction conditions investigated in this study, Ni/Al₂O₃ and Rh/CeO₂/Al₂O₃ were found as the best performing catalysts in terms of hydrogen selectivity and glycerin conversion. It was found that with the increase in water to glycerin molar ratio, hydrogen selectivity and glycerin conversion increased. About 80% of hydrogen selectivity was obtained with Ni/Al₂O₃, whereas the selectivity was 71% with Rh/CeO₂/Al₂O₃ at 9:1 water to glycerin molar ratio, 900 °C temperature, and 0.15 ml/min feed flow rate (15300 GHSV). Although increase in metal loading increased glycerin conversion for both catalysts, hydrogen selectivity remained relatively unaffected. At 3.5 wt% of metal loading, the glycerin conversion was about 94% in both the catalysts.     

Fischer–Tropsch synthesis using monolithic catalysts

Square channel cordierite monoliths have been loaded with alumina washcoat layers of various thicknesses (20–110 μm) and loaded with rhenium and cobalt resulting in a 0.1 wt.% Re/17 wt.% Co/Al₂O₃ catalyst. These monolithic catalysts have been tested in the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis in a temperature window (180–225 °C) under synthesis gas compositions ranging from stoichiometrically excess carbon monoxide to excess hydrogen (H₂/CO = 1–3). The results include data on the activity and selectivity of CoRe/Al₂O₃ monolithic catalysts for FTS under these process conditions. Washcoat layers thicker than about 50 μm appear to lead to internal diffusion limitations. Thinner washcoat layers yield, depending on the conditions, to larger amounts of -olefins than alkanes for chain lengths below 10 carbon atoms. ASF and non-ASF chain length distributions are obtained for thin washcoats, whereby the chain growth probability increases from 0.83 to 0.93. Under certain conditions the amounts of alkanes even increase with chain length. These experimental results with different diffusion lengths have been used to analyze the effects of secondary reactions on FTS selectivity.     

Adsorption and reactions of ethanol and ethanol–water mixture on alumina-supported Pt catalysts

The formation of surface species in the ethanol–water interaction and the reforming of ethanol have been investigated on Pt/Al₂O₃ catalysts and for comparison on the support. By means of infrared spectroscopy it was found that on Pt/Al₂O₃ not only adsorbed ethanol, different types of ethoxy species but also traces of acetaldehyde and a significant amount of acetate groups were detectable on the surface. The latter species were stable even at 700 K. The gas phase analysis of the ethanol-dosed surface showed at higher temperature considerable amount of ethylene in the case of Al₂O₃ and hydrogen in the case of Pt/Al₂O₃.

In the ethanol + water reaction the selectivity of H₂ and CO₂ formation at 723 K decreased in time, while that of ethylene increased. This trend was attenuated by increasing the following parameters: water concentration, metal loading and reaction temperature. It was assumed that this behavior of Pt/Al₂O₃ in the ethanol + water reaction can be attributed to the formation of surface acetate groups which hindered the reaction on the metal, although these species were located rather on the support.     

Degradation of polystyrene waste over base promoted Fe catalysts

One of the most attractive processes is the catalytic degradation of polystyrene (PS). This process enables to get styrene monomer (SM) at relatively low temperature with a high selectivity. In this study, the modified Fe-based catalysts were employed for the catalytic degradation of EPSW (expandable PS waste), where carboanion may lead to high selectivity of SM in the catalytic degradation of PS. The yield of oil (Y_Oil) and SM (Y_SM) were increased in the presence of Fe-based catalysts and with increasing reaction temperature. Y_Oil and Y_SM were obtained over Fe–K/Al₂O₃ at the relative low reaction temperature (400 °C) 92.2 and 65.8 wt.%, respectively. The value of E_a (activation energy) is obtained as 194 kJ/mol for the thermal degradation of EPSW. However, the E_a was decreased considerably from 194 to 138 kJ/mol in the presence of the catalysts (Fe–K/Al₂O₃).     

Determination of surface composition of alloy nanoparticles and relationships with catalytic activity in Pd–Cu/SiO2 cogelled xerogel catalysts

The combination of results from carbon monoxide chemisorption, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy allowed calculating the surface composition of the palladium–copper nanoparticles in Pd–Cu/SiO₂ cogelled xerogel catalysts. Values obtained indicate a very pronounced surface enrichment with copper. Surface compositions obtained with this method, which combines three different experimental techniques, are in agreement with the literature data previously obtained for surface segregation in Pd–Cu/SiO₂ catalysts by other techniques as low energy ion scattering and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. While 1,2-dichloroethane hydrodechlorination over pure palladium mainly produces ethane, increasing copper content in bimetallic catalysts results in an increase in ethylene selectivity, to reach 100% in ethylene selectivity for the sample containing 1.4 wt.% of palladium and 3.0 wt.% of copper.     

Partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas over iridium–nickel bimetallic catalysts

Partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas was carried out using supported iridium–nickel bimetallic catalysts, in order to reduce loading levels of iridium and nickel, and to avoid carbon deposition on nickel-based catalysts by adding iridium. The performance of supported iridium–nickel bimetallic catalysts in synthesis gas formation depended strongly upon the support materials. La₂O₃ gave the best performance among the support materials tested. Ir(0.25 wt%)–Ni(0.5 wt%)/La₂O₃ afforded 36% conversion of methane (CH₄/O₂=5) to give CO and H₂ with the selectivities of above 90% at 800°C, and those at 600°C were 25.3% conversion of methane and CO and H₂ selectivities of about 80%, respectively. Reduced monometallic Ir(0.25 wt%)/La₂O₃ and Ni(0.5 wt%)/La₂O₃ catalysts did not produce synthesis gas at 600°C. A higher conversion of methane was obtained by synergistic effects. The product concentrations of CO, H₂, and CO₂, and CH₄ conversion were maintained in high values, even increasing the space velocity of feed gas over Ir–Ni/La₂O₃ catalyst, indicating that rapid reaction takes place. As a by-product, a small amount of carbon deposition was observed, but carbon formation decreased with increasing the space velocity. On the other hand, with reduced monometallic Ni(10 wt%)/La₂O₃ catalyst, yield of synthesis gas and carbon decreased with increasing the space velocity.     

Tuning the selectivity of MoOx supported catalysts for cyclohexane photo oxidehydrogenation

The photocatalytic properties of sulphated MoO_x/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts in cyclohexane oxidative dehydrogenation have been determined in a two-dimensional fluidized bed photoreactor and compared to those of sulphated MoO_x/TiO₂ catalysts. Photocatalytic tests on MoO_x/γ-Al₂O₃ at 8 wt% MoO₃ and various sulphate contents showed the selective (100%) formation of cyclohexene, without production of benzene, as instead found with MoO_x/TiO₂. These results show that the selectivity of photocatalytic cyclohexane oxydehydrogenation is dramatically influenced by the catalyst support.

Maximum cyclohexane conversion and cyclohexene yield of 11% were obtained for SO₄ content of 2.6 wt% at 120 °C. Physico-chemical characterisation of catalysts indicates the presence of both octahedral polymolybdate and sulphate species on alumina surface, as previously found for titania. Increasing sulphate load, thermogravimetry evidenced the presence of up to three sulphate species at different thermal stability. The lower activity observed at high sulphate content is likely due to polymolybdate decoration by sulphates.     

AMnO3 (A=La, Nd, Sm) and Sm1−xSrxMnO3 perovskites as combustion catalysts: structural, redox and catalytic properties

Catalytic combustion of methane has been investigated over AMnO₃ (A = La, Nd, Sm) and Sm_1−xSr_xMnO₃ (x = 0.1, 0.3, 0.5) perovskites prepared by citrate method. The catalysts were characterized by chemical analysis, XRD and TPR techniques. Catalytic activity measurements were carried out with a fixed bed reactor at T = 623–1023 K, space velocity = 40 000 N cm³ g⁻¹ h⁻¹, CH₄ concentration = 0.4% v/v, O₂ concentration = 10% v/v.

Specific surface areas of perovskites were in the range 13–20 m² g⁻¹. XRD analysis showed that LaMnO₃, NdMnO₃, SmMnO₃ and Sm_1−xSr_xMnO₃ (x = 0.1) are single phase perovskite type oxides. Traces of Sm₂O₃ besides the perovskite phase were detected in the Sm_1−xSr_xMnO₃ catalysts for x = 0.3, 0.5. Chemical analysis gave evidence of the presence of a significant fraction of Mn(IV) in AMnO₃. The fraction of Mn(IV) in the Sm_1−xSr_xMnO₃ samples increased with x. TPR measurements on AMnO₃ showed that the perovskites were reduced in two steps at low and high temperature, related to Mn(IV) → Mn(III) and Mn(III) → Mn(II) reductions, respectively. The onset temperatures were in the order LaMnO₃ > NdMnO₃ > SmMnO₃. In Sm_1−xSr_xMnO₃ the Sr substitution for Sm caused the formation of Mn(IV) easily reducible to Mn(II) even at low temperature. Catalytic activity tests showed that all samples gave methane complete conversion with 100% selectivity to CO₂ below 1023 K. The activation energies of the AMnO₃ perovskites varied in the same order as the onset temperatures in TPR experiments suggesting that the catalytic activity is affected by the reducibility of manganese. Sr substitution for Sm in SmMnO₃ perovskites resulted in a reduction of activity with respect to the unsubstituted perovskite. This behaviour was related to the reduction of Mn(IV) to Mn(II), occurring under reaction conditions, hindering the redox mechanism.     

Selective oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde over V–Mg–O catalysts

The results of a complex investigation of V–Mg–O catalysts for oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of methanol are presented. The efficiency of vanadium–magnesium oxide catalysts in production of formaldehyde has been evaluated. Strong dependence of the formaldehyde yield and selectivity upon vanadium oxide loading and the conditions of heat treatment of the catalyst were observed. The parameters of the preparation mode for the efficient catalyst were identified. In optimised reaction conditions the V–Mg–O catalysts at the temperature approximate 450 °C ensured the formation of formaldehyde with the yield of 94% at the selectivity of 97%.

No visible changes in the performance of the catalyst (methanol conversion, formaldehyde yield and selectivity) were detected during the 60 h of operation in prolonged runs. Characterization of the catalyst by XRD, IR, and UV methods suggests the formation of species of the pyrovanadate type (Mg₂V₂O₇) with irregular structure on the surface of a V–Mg–O catalyst. These species make the catalyst efficient for methanol ODH.     

Selective hydrogenation of benzene to cyclohexene catalyzed by Ru supported catalysts: Influence of the alkali promoters on kinetics, selectivity and yield

The selective hydrogenation of benzene to cyclohexene in the presence of Ru supported catalysts has been investigated in a tetraphase slurry reactor at 423 K, at 5 MPa of pressure, in the presence of two liquid phases: benzene and an aqueous solution of ZnSO₄ (0.6 mol l⁻¹). A study of the influence of the transport phenomena on the reactivity of the catalyst has been carried out. But no correlation between Carberry and Wheeler–Weisz numbers and the selectivity of the catalysts has been found. The main features of the catalysts are the strong dependence between the catalysts preparation procedure and their activity and selectivity. The best results have been observed with Ru/ZrO₂ catalysts. The influence of the bases employed in the precipitation of the catalysts precursor has also been investigated. KOH is the most effective, yield of 41% and initial selectivity of 80% of cyclohexene has been observed.     

碳二前脱丙烷前加氢催化剂工艺条件试验

采用浸渍法制备Pd-Ag/α-Al2O3催化剂,采用碳二前脱丙烷前加氢工艺系统考察反应器入口温度、空速和反应压力对催化剂性能的影响。结果表明,随着反应器入口温度升高,乙炔和丙炔+丙二烯转化率提高,乙烯选择性提高至一定值后趋于稳定,丙烯选择性波动不大,正丁烯生成量增加,较为适宜的反应器入口温度为(60~70)℃;随着空速升高,乙炔和丙炔+丙二烯转化率降低,乙烯选择性提高,丙烯选择性变化不大,正丁烯生成量降低,较为适宜的空速为(12 000~14 000)h-1;随着反应压力升高,乙炔转化率和丙炔+丙二烯转化率略增,乙烯选择性降低,较为适宜的反应压力为3.6 MPa。     

Vapor phase nitration of benzene over solid acid catalysts IV. Nitration with nitric acid (3); supported sulfuric acid catalyst with co-feeding of a trace amount of sulfuric acid

In the vapor phase nitration of benzene with diluted nitric acid, we have succeeded in keeping a high nitration activity of the supported sulfuric acid catalyst for more than 2 months by co-feeding a trace amount of sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄/HNO₃ = 1/5000 (wt. ratio)). The results after 60 days on-stream over 10 wt.%–H₂SO₄/SiO₂ catalyst are as follows: yield of nitrobenzene (NB), 93% based on HNO₃; selectivity of NB, 97% based on HNO₃; productivity of NB (STY), 0.76 kg/kg cat h. These performances were demonstrated in bench scale experiments using molded silica or quartz supports. Finally, nitration reactions of toluene and chlorobenzene were conducted and compared with each other over several solid acid catalysts developed by us.     

Influence of zirconia raw materials on the development of DeNOx monolithic catalysts

Pd-zirconia-based monolithic catalysts were prepared with various commercial zirconia raw materials and a natural magnesium silicate binder, sepiolite, for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO with CH₄ in oxygen excess. The different textural properties, metastable tetragonal zirconia phase stability, surface acidity, Pd dispersion and catalytic properties of these monoliths were compared to select the most suitable structured catalyst for NO_x control in natural gas-fired power plants. The influence of operating temperature in the two reactions, NO reduction and CH₄ combustion, with the monolithic catalysts was determined. A 0.4 wt.% Pd-zirconia catalyst, manufactured from a sulphated zirconium hydroxide raw material, was selected as the most appropriate in the reaction under study, reaching a maximum NO conversion at 400 °C.     

Oxidative coupling of methane over K/Ni/Ca oxide and K/Ni/Mg oxide catalysts

The oxidative coupling behaviour of a series of K/Ni/Ca oxide catalysts with low nickel-to-calcium ratios has been examined and the results are compared with those for a magnesium-based catalyst. The effect of gas composition and the stability of ethylene under reaction conditions have also been studied. The catalysts were calcined at 1200°C unless otherwise stated. Potassium was added after the calcination stage. It is found that a high calcination temperature of 1200°C is necessary to give a Ca-based catalyst with high activity and selectivity. The catalysts based on MgO were less selective. Substitution of K for Li in the MgO based catalyst gave a slight improvement in the selectivity. A series of experiments was carried out with the K_0.1Ni_0.012 Ca material with the aim of optimising the yield. It was found that the selectivity could be improved by increasing the concentration of CH₄ or by adding CO₂ to the feed. However the addition of CO₂ decreased the activity of the catalyst. The activity could be increased by increasing the H₂O concentration. An increase of the O₂ concentration in the feed from 10.85 to 13% with 31% of CH₄ and 21% H₂O increased the C₂ yield from 15.1% to 17.8%. In a series of experiments in which different concentrations of C₂H₄ were added to the feed, it was found that the main oxidation product of ethylene was CO₂. The formation of ethane was unaffected by the addition of ethylene. It is therefore proposed that two different sites are required for the oxidation of ethylene and the activation of methane to form ethane.     

Hydrogen production from ethanol over bimetallic Rh-M/CeO2 (M = Pd or Pt)

The reaction of ethanol for the production of hydrogen has been studied over a series of metal supported CeO₂ catalysts. The study is conducted by TPD, steady state reaction, XPS, TEM, and infrared spectroscopy. TPD gave evidence for the role of Rh in dissociating the carbon–carbon bond needed for efficient production of hydrogen molecules. IR of CO adsorption at 90 K revealed that Rh particles are most likely in very small clusters as evidenced by a single OC–Rh IR band at 2020 cm⁻¹. TEM did not show conclusive evidence for the presence of the metal on-top of the CeO₂ support, yet the Rh-Pd/CeO₂ used catalyst has features that might be attributed to epitaxial growth of the noble metal along the (1 1 1) surface of the CeO₂ support. Considerable reconstruction of the CeO₂ support is seen for the used catalysts, in addition. Reforming of ethanol to hydrogen using (3 moles of water per mole of ethanol) was very efficient particularly above 650 K where hydrogen selectivity reaches 60 vol.%. At these temperatures hydrogen production from reforming of methane takes place.