Catalytic activities of binary molten salts composed of ZnCl2 and metal chlorides for hydrocracking of phenanthrene

Phenanthrene, a coal model compound, was hydrocracked in a batch autoclave at 400 °C for 3 h with an initial hydrogen pressure of 9.8 MPa and equimolar concentrations of molten salts. Binary salts composed of ZnCl₂ and metal chlorides, such as CuCl, MoCl₅CrCl₃, NiCl₂, and PdCl₂, etc., showed superior catalytic activity to pure ZnCl₂ (MCI_x/ZnCl₂ molar ratio was fixed to $\text{1}\text{4}$). The isomerization of cyclohexene and H₂?D₂ exchange reactions were also examined to estimate acid-catalytic and hydrogen-activation abilities, respectively. Both activities were found to increase with the addition of metal chloride to ZnCl₂, indicating synergistic catalytic activity. Phenanthrene conversions (as a measure of hydrocracking activities of the salts) over some catalysts correlated rectilinearly with yields of isomerized products of cyclohexane.