Promoting effects of CO2 on dehydrogenation of propane over a SiO2-supported Cr2O3 catalyst

The effects of carbon dioxide on the dehydrogenation of C₃H₈ to produce C₃H₆ were investigated over several Cr₂O₃ catalysts supported on Al₂O₃, active carbon and SiO₂. Carbon dioxide exerted promoting effects only on SiO₂-supported Cr₂O₃ catalysts. The promoting effects of carbon dioxide over a Cr₂O₃/SiO₂ catalyst were to enhance the yield of C₃H₆ and to suppress the catalyst deactivation.     

Synthesis of C2H4 by partial oxidation of CH4 over LiCl/NiO

Alkali halide added transition metal oxides produced ethylene selectively in oxidative coupling of methane. The role of alkali halides has been investigated for LiCl-added NiO (LiCl/NiO). In the absence of LiCl the reaction over NiO produced only carbon oxides (CO₂ + CO). However, addition of LiCl drastically improved the yield of C₂ compounds (C₂H₆ + C₂H₄). One of the roles of LiCl is to inhibit the catalytic activity of the host NiO for deep oxidation of CH₄. The reaction catalyzed by the LiCl/NiO proceeds stepwise from CH₄ to C₂H₄ through C₂H₆ (2CH₄ → C₂H₆ → C₂H₄). The study on the oxidation of C₂H₆ over the LiCl/NiO showed that the oxidative dehydrogenation of C₂H₆ to C₂H₄ occurs very selectively, which is the main reason why partial oxidation of CH₄ over LiCl/NiO gives C₂H₄ quite selectively. The other role of LiCl is to prevent the host oxide (NiO) from being reduced by CH₄. The catalyst model under working conditions was suggested to be the NiO covered with molten LiCl. XPS studies suggested that the catalytically active species on the LiCl/NiO is a surface compound oxide which has higher valent nickel cations (Ni^(2+δ)+ or Ni³⁺). The catalyst was deactivated at the temperatures>973 K due to vaporization of LiCl and consumption of chlorine during reaction. The kinetic and CH₄---CD₄ exchange studies suggested that the rate-determining step of the reaction is the abstraction of H from the vibrationally excited methane by the molecular oxygen adsorbed on the surface compound oxide.     

An investigation of the comparative reactivities of ethane and ethylene in the presence of oxygen over Li/MgO and Ca/Sm2O3 catalysts in relation to the oxidative coupling of methane.

In order to examine the importance of the further oxidation of the desired C₂ products in the oxidative coupling of methane, ethylene and ethane have been added to the feed (containing methane and oxygen) to a Li/MgO or Ca/Sm₂O₃ catalyst. The results of these measurements show that neither of these C₂ molecules is stable under these conditions with either of the catalysts. Additionally, the rates of the oxidation of ethane and of ethylene alone have been measured using a gradientless reactor for both catalysts as well as for a quartz bed. It was found that the Ca/Sm₂O₃ material had higher activities for the oxidation of C₂H₆ and C₂H₄ (and also of CH₄) than had the Li/MgO material. These higher activities result in a lower optimal reaction temperature for the oxidative coupling of methane and are (at least partially) responsible for the lower selectivity to C₂ products observed with the Ca/Sm₂O₃ catalyst compared to that with the Li/MgO catalyst.     

Oxidative dehydrogenation of propane over differently structured vanadia-based catalysts in the presence of O2 and N2O

The effect of the nature and distribution of VO_x species over amorphous and well-ordered (MCM-41) SiO₂ as well as over γ-Al₂O₃ on their performance in the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane with O₂ and N₂O was studied using in situ UV–vis, ex situ XRD and H₂-TPR analysis in combination with steady-state catalytic tests. As compared to the alumina support, differently structured SiO₂ supports stabilise highly dispersed surface VO_x species at higher vanadium loading. These species are more selective over the latter materials than over V/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts. This finding was explained by the difference in acidic properties of silica- and alumina-based supports. C₃H₆ selectivity over V/γ-Al₂O₃ materials is improved by covering the support fully with well-dispersed VO_x species. Additionally, C₃H₆ selectivity over all materials studied can be tuned by using an alternative oxidising agent (N₂O). The improving effect of N₂O on C₃H₆ selectivity is related to the lower ability of N₂O for catalyst reoxidation resulting in an increase in the degree of catalyst reduction, i.e. spatial separation of active lattice oxygen in surface VO_x species. Such separation favours selective oxidation over CO_x formation.     

Catalytic decomposition of light alkanes, alkenes and acetylene over Ni/SiO2

The decomposition of different hydrocarbons (CH₄, C₂H₆, C₂H₄, C₂H₂, C₃H₈, and C₃H₆) over Ni (5 wt.%)/SiO₂ catalysts was carried out. The initial rates of decomposition of the hydrocarbons, the kinetic curves of the decomposition and the kinetic curves of the hydrogenation of deposited carbon into methane depended on the types of hydrocarbons. In addition, the catalytic life of the Ni/SiO₂ catalyst was also dependent on the types of hydrocarbons, i.e. the life was longer according to the order, alkanes>alkenesacetylene.

The carbons deposited on the catalyst were characterized by SEM and Raman spectroscopy. The appearances of the deposited carbons were different among alkanes, alkenes, and acetylene, i.e. a zigzag fiber structure from methane, and a rolled fiber structure from alkenes and acetylene. From Raman spectra of the deposited carbons, it was found that the degree of graphitization of deposited carbon was higher in the order, alkanes>alkenes>acetylene. These results suggest that the mechanism of decomposition of hydrocarbons and the growth mechanism of carbon fibers on the catalyst were different among alkanes, alkenes and acetylene.     

The homogeneous gas phase oxidation of methane and the retarding effect of basic/inert surfaces

The homogeneous gas phase O₂-based oxidation of methane was studied in the temperature range, from 500°C to 750°C at methane partial pressures ranging from 3 bar to 40 bar. At the lower end of the temperature range methanol, formaldehyde, and CO represent the main products, while at temperatures exceeding 650° C/C-coupled products, C₂H₆, C₂H₄, C₃H₆ and C₃H₈ predominate. The change in selectivity as function of the temperature is well explained based on a free radical chain mechanism with degenerate branching, initiated by the gas phase reaction, CH₄+O₂→CH^·₃+HO^·₂. Bringing in basic catalysts known to catalyze the system at low methane partial pressures, in the reactor e.g. SrCO₃, BaCO₃, and 7% Li/MgO resulted in reduced rates of methane and oxygen conversions, and only minor changes in the selectivity to coupled products were observed.     

CO, H2 or C3H8 assisted catalytic combustion of methane over supported LaMnO3 monoliths

The effect of the addition of a second fuel such as CO, C₃H₈ or H₂ on the catalytic combustion of methane was investigated over ceramic monoliths coated with LaMnO₃/La-γAl₂O₃ catalyst. Results of autothermal ignition of different binary fuel mixtures characterised by the same overall heating value show that the presence of a more reactive compound reduces the minimum pre-heating temperature necessary to burn methane. The effect is more pronounced for the addition of CO and very similar for C₃H₈ and H₂. Order of reactivity of the different fuels established in isothermal activity measurements was: CO>H₂≥C₃H₈>CH₄. Under autothermal conditions, nearly complete methane conversion is obtained with catalyst temperatures around 800 °C mainly through heterogeneous reactions, with about 60–70 ppm of unburned CH₄ when pure methane or CO/CH₄ mixtures are used. For H₂/CH₄ and C₃H₈/CH₄ mixtures, emissions of unburned methane are lower, probably due to the proceeding of CH₄ homogeneous oxidation promoted by H and OH radicals generated by propane and hydrogen pyrolysis at such relatively high temperatures.

Finally, a steady state multiplicity is found by decreasing the pre-heating temperature from the ignited state. This occurrence can be successfully employed to pilot the catalytic ignition of methane at temperatures close to compressor discharge or easily achieved in regenerative burners.     

Oxidative coupling of methane in Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3−δ tubular membrane reactors

A dense membrane tube made of Ba_0.5Sr_0.5Co_0.8Fe_0.2O_3−δ (BSCF) was prepared by plastic extrusion from BSCF oxide synthesized by the complexing EDTA-citrate method. The membrane tube was used in a catalytic membrane reactor for oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) to C₂ without an additional catalyst. At high methane concentration (93%), about 62% C₂ selectivity was obtained, which is higher than that achieved in a conventional reactor using the BSCF as a catalyst. The dependence of the OCM reaction on temperature and methane concentration indicates that the C₂ selectivity in the BSCF membrane reactor is limited by high ion recombination rates. If an active OCM catalyst (La-Sr/CaO) was packed in the membrane tube, C₂ selectivity and CH₄ conversion increased compared to the blank run. The highest C₂ yield in the BSCF membrane reactor in presence of the La-Sr/CaO catalyst was about 15%, similar to that in a packed-bed reactor with the same catalyst under the same conditions. However, the ratio of C₂H₄/C₂H₆ in the membrane reactor was much higher than that in the packed-bed reactor, which is an advantage of the membrane reactor.     

Pd-Rh/TiO2光催化CO2氧化乙烷脱氢研究

采用浸渍还原方法制备Pd-Rh/TiO₂催化剂用于常温光催化CO₂氧化乙烷脱氢制C₂H₄。研究不同Pd/Rh比催化剂的光反应性能，利用XRD、EDX-mapping、TEM、HRTEM、XPS技术表征催化剂表面和电子特性，通过UV-Vis、PL技术考察催化剂光响应性能，采用原位红外光谱技术分析Pd-Rh/TiO₂光催化CO₂氧化乙烷脱氢反应机理。研究表明，Pd-Rh双金属体系可有效提高光反应活性，光照下Pd和Rh金属之间存在内部电子转移的作用，降低了Pd表面的电子云密度，促进光生电子和空穴的分离，同时促进了C₂H₆和CO₂在材料表面的吸附。Ar替换CO₂的对比实验证明，反应中的CO₂消耗H₂，可消除催化剂表面积碳，促进C₂H₄生成。     

On the promotional effect of Pd on the propene-assisted decomposition of NO on chlorinated Ce0.68Zr0.32O2

The selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO_x assisted by propene is investigated on Pd/Ce_0.68Zr_0.32O₂ catalysts (Pd/CZ), and is compared, under identical experimental conditions, with that found on a Pd/SiO₂ reference catalyst. Physico-chemical characterisation of the studied catalysts along with their catalytic properties indicate that Pd is not fully reduced to metallic Pd for the Pd/CZ catalysts. This study shows that the incorporation of Pd to CZ greatly promotes the reduction of NO in the presence of C₃H₆. These catalysts display very stable deNO_x activity even in the presence of 1.7% water, the addition of which induces a reversible deactivation of about 10%. The much higher N₂ selectivity obtained on Pd/CZ suggests that the lean deNO_x mechanism occurring on these catalysts is different from that occurring on Pd⁰/SiO₂. A detailed mechanism is proposed for which CZ achieves both NO oxidation to NO₂ and NO decomposition to N₂, whereas PdO_x activates C₃H₆ via ad-NO₂ species, intermediately producing R-NO_x compounds that further decompose to NO and C_xH_yO_z. The role of the latter oxygenates is to reduce CZ to provide the catalytic sites responsible for NO decomposition. The proposed C₃H₆-assisted NO decomposition mechanism stresses the key role of NO₂, R-NO_x and C_xH_yO_z as intermediates of the SCR of NO_x by hydrocarbons.     

Chemistry of surface oxygen formed from N2O on ZSM-5 at moderate temperatures

Conversion of CH₄, C₂H₆, C₃H₈, benzene and their binary mixtures over H-NaZSM-5 catalyst in the presence of N₂O was studied. It was found that under experimental conditions methane alkylates benzene to give toluene and xylenes. Acidity of the catalyst had no effect on the reactivity of active oxygen formed from N₂O towards methane and benzene, but affected their secondary transformation. Acidic samples favored the reaction of aromatic ring methylation with methane whereas deep oxidation of CH₄ prevailed on NaHZSM-5. Based on the relative reactivities and ¹³C label distribution in the products of ¹³CH₄+C₆H₆+N₂O feed conversion, the scheme of hydrocarbon transformation was proposed.     

C2H2 oxidation by plasma/TiO2 combination: Influence of the porosity, and photocatalytic mechanisms under plasma exposure

Plasma/catalyst combination is an active solution to reach high conversion rates at low energetic cost. TiO₂ is one of the catalysts frequently used in dielectric barrier discharges. Plasma/TiO₂ synergy was already exhibited but the mechanisms still have to be understood. This work distinguishes three main effects involved in the synergy: (a) effect of catalyst on the injected power, (b) the effect of porosity on C₂H₂ oxidation, and (c) the photocatalytic degradation of C₂H₂ on TiO₂ under plasma exposure. Different glass fibres-based catalytic materials coated with SiO₂ and/or TiO₂ nano-particles are used to separate these three contributions regarding to C₂H₂ conversion. It is reported that at constant voltage the injected power is mainly increased by the presence of glass fibres. C₂H₂ oxidation is mainly enhanced by the macroporosity of glass fibres and in a minor way by the nano-particles. The production of O atoms close to the surface is probably responsible for the higher C₂H₂ removal efficiency with porous material. The photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ is negligible in the plasma except if additional UV lamps are used to activate TiO₂. With external UV, photocatalytic activity is more efficient in the plasma phase than in a neutral gas phase. This plasma/photocatalysis synergy is due to the use of O atoms in photocatalytic mechanisms.     

Reversed ethane/ethylene adsorption in a metal-organic framework via introduction of oxygen

Separation of ethane from ethylene is a very important but challenging process in the petrochemical industry. Finding an alternative method would reduce the energy needed to make 170 million tons of ethylene manufactured worldwide each year. Adsorptive separation using C₂H₆-selective porous materials to directly produce high-purity C₂H₄ is more energy-efficient. We herein report the “reversed C₂H₆/C₂H₄ adsorption” in a metal-organic framework Cr-BTC via the introduction of oxygen on its open metal sites. The oxidized Cr-BTC(O₂) can bind C₂H₆ over C₂H₄ through the active Cr-superoxo sites, which was elucidated by the gas sorption isotherms and density functional theory calculations. This material thus exhibits a good performance for the separation of 50/50 C₂H₆/C₂H₄ mixtures to produce 99.99% pure C₂H₄ in a single separation operation.     

IR spectroscopic analysis of isotopic C2-products of the oxidative coupling of CH4+CD4mixture over manganese oxide catalyst

The composition and structure of the product of mixture CH₄+CD₄ oxidative coupling over natural manganese mineral catalyst at 3% and 25% methane conversion in redox mode at 850°C have been determined by IR-Absorption- Reflection spectroscopy technique. At low methane conversion there were ethanes: H₃OCH₃, H₃OCD₃, D₃CCD₃ and ethylenes: H₂CCH₂, H₂CCD₂, D₂CCD₂ only The data obtained showed that the reaction proceeds by gas-phase CH₃, CD₃ radicals coupling and ethane is the primary C₂-product and ethylene is produced by gas-phase conversion of ethane.     

Non-oxidative reaction of CBrF3 with methane over NiZSM-5 and HZSM-5

Catalytic hydrodehalogenation of CBrF₃ with methane was studied over NiZSM-5 and HZSM-5 in tubular reactor between 573 and 873 K and at ambient pressure. It was found that the incorporation of nickel into HZSM-5 significantly enhanced the activity of the zeolite. A variety of products were formed during reaction, including CH₃Br, CHF₃, CH₂Br₂, C₂F₆, C₂H₄, C₂H₂, C₂H₂F₂, CHBrF₂, CH₂BrF, and C₂H₃Br. XRD analysis showed that these two zeolite catalysts did not suffer any loss in their crystallinity during use. Deactivation of both NiZSM-5 and HZSM-5 may, in part, be due to poisoning of the zeolite by halogens. Coking is another cause of the deactivation of HZSM-5, but appears to play a minor role in NiZSM-5 deactivation. A series of methylated silicone oils was detected during reaction over NiZSM-5.     

Rapid evaluation of oxidation catalysis by gas sensor system: total oxidation, oxidative dehydrogenation, and selective oxidation over metal oxide catalysts

The rapid evaluation of catalysis is an indispensable technology for the success of combinatorial chemistry. A small-sized, less expensive, easily operating screening is desirable for parallel settings which dramatically shortens the evaluation time. Recent advances in gas sensors have enabled us to use them for the rapid evaluation of oxidation catalysis. Three typical catalytic oxidations over metal oxide catalysts were evaluated by gas sensor systems optimized for each catalytic system. The first one is the total oxidation of carbon monoxide in air. Five catalytic combustion-type gas sensors were used in a parallel reactor system to shorten the evaluation time. The second one is the oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of ethane over the mixed oxide of nickel and iron. The evaluation of the ODH catalysis was performed by a selective olefin sensor which determines the concentration of C₂H₄ in C₂H₆. The third one is the selective oxidation catalysis of propane over alkali modified Fe/SiO₂. The effluents including CO, CO₂, aldehydes and ketones in propane were analyzed by the CO, CO₂ and semiconductor-type gas sensors selective toward aldehydes and ketones. These evaluation results indicated that gas sensors have a good potential for the rapid evaluation of oxidation catalysts.     

C2H6/C3H8影响CH4爆炸极限参数及动力学特性研究

为研究C₂H₆/C₃H₈对甲烷爆炸极限参数及动力学特性的影响,采用标准的可燃气体爆炸极限测定装置测定了不同配比的C₂H₆/C₃H₈混合气体对甲烷爆炸极限的影响规律,同时得出了氮气惰化条件下甲烷爆炸临界参数的变化规律。此外,利用Chemkin软件模拟了C₂H₆/C₃H₈混合气体对甲烷爆炸过程中中间产物浓度的影响情况,并进行了敏感性分析。结果表明,C₂H₆/C₃H₈的存在降低了甲烷的爆炸上下限,增大了甲烷的爆炸危险度;在氮气惰化过程中甲烷的爆炸上限下降,爆炸下限上升,最终爆炸上下限重合,重合点处甲烷浓度和氮气临界浓度均随C₂H₆/C₃H₈的添加而逐渐减小;此外,C₂H₆/C₃H₈混合气体使甲烷爆炸过程中CO和·H的生成量逐渐增大,而CO₂、·O和·OH的生成量则有下降趋势,通过对爆炸过程中甲烷体积的敏感性分析,发现C₂H₆/C₃H₈的存在在某种程度上促进了甲烷爆炸。对比不同配比的C₂H₆/C₃H₈混合气体,发现C₃H₈含量越高,其对甲烷爆炸过程中相关参数的影响越大,这可为工矿企业的安全生产提供一定的理论依据。     

Reaction mechanism of methane activation using non-equilibrium pulsed discharge at room temperature

The reaction mechanism of methane activation using non-equilibrium pulsed discharge was largely clarified from the emission spectroscopic study and experiments with higher hydrocarbons and some kinds of isotopes. The strong emission of atomic carbon and C₂ swan band system was observed as well as H Balmer series emission. This indicates that methane was highly dissociated into C and H by electron impact, which is consistent with the result of high C₂D₂ composition in produced acetylene when the mixture of CH₄ and D₂ was fed into discharge region. High electron energy contributed to produce atomic carbon directly from methane, and high electron density promoted the dehydrogenation from CH₃, CH₂ and CH to produce atomic carbon consecutively. The reason for the high selectivity to C₂H₂ was the high concentration of CH or C₂ formed from atomic carbon, and the repetition mechanism of decomposition and recombination among C, CH, C₂ and C₂H₂.     

Catalytic oxidation of saturated hydrocarbons on multicomponent Au/Al2O3 catalysts: Effect of various promoters

The performance of unpromoted and MO_x-(M: alkali (earth), transition metal and cerium) promoted Au/Al₂O₃ catalysts have been studied for combustion of the saturated hydrocarbons methane and propane. As expected, higher temperatures are required to oxidize CH₄ (above 400 °C), compared with C₃H₈ (above 250 °C). The addition of various MO_x to Au/Al₂O₃ improves the catalytic activity in both methane and propane oxidation. For methane oxidation, the most efficient promoters to enhance the catalytic performance of Au/Al₂O₃ are FeO_x and MnO_x. For C₃H₈ oxidation a direct relationship is found between the catalytic performance and the average size of the gold particles in the presence of alkali (earth) metal oxides. The effect of the gold particle size becomes less important for additives of the type of transition metal oxides and ceria. The results suggest that the role of the alkali (earth) metal oxides is related to the stabilization of the gold nanoparticles, whereas transition metal oxide and ceria additives may be involved in oxygen activation.     

Support-induced promotional effects on the activity of automotive exhaust catalysts 1. The case of oxidation of light hydrocarbons (C2H4)

The kinetics of oxidation of a light hydrocarbon (C₂H₄) were studied on catalysts comprising of combinations of one of three metals, Pt, Pd or Rh supported on five different supports, that is, SiO₂, γ-Al₂O₃, ZrO₂ (8% Y₂O₃), TiO₂ or TiO₂ (W⁶⁺). Significant variation of turnover frequency with the carrier was observed, which cannot be explained by structure sensitivity considerations and is attributed to interactions between the metal crystallites and the carrier. The catalytic activity of these metal-support combinations was investigated over a wide range of partial pressures of ethylene and oxygen. In a separate set of experiments, the kinetics of C₂H₄ oxidation were also investigated on polycrystalline Rh films interfaced with ZrO₂ (8 mol% Y₂O₃) solid electrolyte in a galvanic cell of the type: C₂H₄, O₂, Rh/YSZ/Pt, air, during regular open-circuit conditions as well as under Non-Faradic Electrochemical Modification of Catalytic Activity (NEMCA), that is, closed-circuit conditions. Up to 100-fold increase in catalytic activity was observed by supplying O²⁻ ions to the catalyst surface via positive potential application to the catalyst. The observed kinetic behavior upon increasing catalyst potential parallels qualitatively the observed alteration of turnover frequency with variation of the support of the Rh crystallites.