Synthesis,characterization and hydrotreating performance of supported tungsten phosphide catalysts

Supported tungsten phosphide catalysts were prepared by temperature-programmed reduction of their precursors (supported phospho-tungstate catalysts) in H₂ and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET, temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia (NH₃-TPD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The reduction-phosphiding processes of the precursors were investigated by thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) and the suitable phosphiding temperatures were defined. The hydrodesulfurization (HDS) and hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) activities of the catalysts were tested by using thiophene, pyridine, dibenzothiophene, carbazole and diesel oil as the feedstock. The TiO₂, ?-Al₂O₃ supports and the Ni, Co promoters could remarkably increase and stabilize active W species on the catalyst surface. A suitable amount of Ni (3%–5%), Co (5%–7%) and V (1%–3%) could increase dispersivity of the W species and the BET surface area of the WP/?-Al₂O₃ catalyst. The WP/?-Al₂O₃ catalyst possesses much higher thiophene HDS and carbazole HDN activities and the WP/TiO₂ catalyst has much higher dibenzothiophene (DBT) HDS and pyridine HDN activities. The Ni, Co and V can obviously promote the HDS activity and inhibit the HDN activity of the WP/?-Al₂O₃ catalyst. The G-Ni5 catalyst possesses a much higher diesel oil HDS activity than the sulphided industrial NiW/?-Al₂O₃ catalyst. In general, a support or promoter in the WP/?-Al₂O₃ catalyst which can increase the amount and dispersivity of the active W species can promote its HDS and HDN activities.     

WP/γ-Al2O3催化剂的制备、表征及加氢脱硫和加氢脱氮活性

Two series of WP/Al2O3 catalyst precursors with WP mass loading in the range 18.5%-37.1% were prepared using the impregnation method and mixing method, respectively, and the catalysts were then obtained by temperature-programmed reduction of supported tungsten phosphate (precursor of WP/Al2O3 catatlysts) in H2 at 650℃ for 4h. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, BET, TG/DTA, XPS and 31p MAS-NMR. The activities of these catalysts were tested in the hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) of pyridine and hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of thiophene at 340℃ and 3.0MPa. The results showed that owing to the stronger interaction of the support with the active species, the precursor of WP/Al2O3 catalyst was more difficultly phosphided and a greater amount of W species was in a high valence state W6 on the surface of the catalyst prepared by the impregnation method than that by the mixing method. 31p MAS-NMR results indicated that 31p shift from 85% H3PO4 of 2.55 × 10-4 for WP and 2.57 × 10-4 for WP/γ-Al2O3 catalysts prepared by mixing method. Such WP/Al2O3 catalysts showed higher HDN activities and lower HDS activities than those prepared by the impregnation method under the same loading of WP.WP/γ-Al2O3 catalysts with weak interaction between support and active species were favorable for HDN reaction while the WP/γ-Al2O3 catalysts with strong interaction were favorable for HDS reaction.     

A role of molybdenum and shape selectivity of catalysts in simultaneous reactions of hydrocracking and hydrodesulfurization

The hydrocracking and hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of n-heptane containing 0.2 mole% dibenzothiophene (DBT) were performed simultaneously using NiPtMo catalysts supported on HZSM-5, LaY and γ-Al₂O₃ in a high pressure fixed bed reactor. Molybdenum played an important role in both hydrocracking and hydrodesulfurization (HDS). We found that the sulfur compound, dibenzothiophene (DBT). in the reactant was adsorbed on a molybdenum site and converted to hydrogen sulfide so that the active sites of the catalysts for hydrocracking were less poisoned by DBT and the conversion of n-heptane over molybdenum impregnated catalyst was higher than that over molybdenum-free catalyst. The crystal structures of the molybdenum supported on the zeolite and γ-Al₂O₃ were mainly MoO_2.5 (OH)_0.5[021] and MoO₃[210] respectively as shown by XRD analysis. The structure of MoO_2.5(OH)_0.5 was easily reduced to MoS₂[003] during the reaction. After the reaction of 100 hours over the catalyst supported on γ-Al₂O₃ the crystal structure of MoO₃[210] partially changed to MoO₃[300] and the structure of MoS₂[003] was not observed. Because of the reactant shape selectivity of zeolite, the acid and the metal sites in the intracrystalline of the catalysts supported on zeolites were less poisoned by DBT. Therefore, both hydrocracking and HDS using n-heptane containing 0.2 mole% of DBT were successfully demonstrated over the prepared catalysts.     

Hydrodesulfurization of dibenzothiophene over supported and unsupported molybdenum carbide catalysts

A series of γ-Al₂O₃ supported molybdenum carbides [carbided Mo/γ-Al₂O₃ (MCS), Co-Mo/γ-Al₂O₃ (CMCS), and Ni-Mo/γ-Al₂O₃ (NMCS)] and unsupported molybdenum carbide (MCUS) were prepared by the temperature-programmed carburization of their corresponding molybdenum nitrides with 20 % CH₄/H₂. XRD and SEM studies show that unsupported molybdenum carbide catalyst possesses a typical crystalline Mo₂C (FCC structure), while supported molybdenum carbide catalysts possess highly dispersed surface molybdenum carbide species on an alumina oxide support. The results of dibenzothiophene (DBT) hydrodesulfurization over molybdenum carbide catalysts show that the reactivity is strongly dependent on the type of catalyst. Supported molybdenum carbide catalysts possess a higher reactivity than the unsupported molybdenum carbide catalyst. In addition, Co or Ni promoted, supported molybdenum carbide catalyst possesses a higher reactivity than the unpromoted, supported molybdenum carbide catalyst. The reactivity, which is also dependent on the reaction conditions, increases with increasing reaction temperature and pressure and contact time. The CO uptakes of the molybdenum carbide catalysts correlate well with overall activity (total rate) for DBT hydrodesulfurization. The major reaction product is biphenyl, with cyclohexylbenzene next in abundance regardless of the type of catalysts and reaction conditions. It was also found that the molybdenum carbide catalysts exhibit stable initial reactivity due to the stable and weak acidic characteristics of these catalysts.     

The functionalities of Pt/γ-Al2O3 catalysts in simultaneous HDS and HDA reactions

A Pt/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst was tested in simultaneous hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of dibenzothiophene and hydrodearomatization (HDA) of naphthalene reactions. Samples of it were subjected to different pretreatments: reduction, reduction–sulfidation, sulfidation with pure H₂S and non-activation. The reduced catalyst presented the best performance, even comparable to that of Co(Ni)Mo catalysts. All catalyst samples were selective to the HDS reaction over HDA, and to the direct desulfurization pathway of dibenzothiophene HDS over the hydrogenation reaction pathway of HDS. The effect of H₂S partial pressure on the functionalities of the reduced Pt/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst was studied. The results showed that an increase in H₂S partial pressure does not cause poisoning, but an inhibition effect, without changing the catalyst selectivity. Accordingly, the activity trends were ascribed to adsorption differences between the different reactive molecules over the same catalytic active site. TPR characterization along with a thermodynamics analysis showed that the active phase of reduced Pt/γ-Al₂O₃ is constituted by Pt⁰ particles. However, presulfidation of the catalyst leads to a mixture of PtS and Pt⁰ which has a negative effect on the catalytic performance without changing catalyst functionalities.     

Modification of the alumina‐supported Mo‐based hydrodesulfurization catalysts by tungsten

The incorporation effect of tungsten as an activity‐promotional modifier into the Ni‐promoted Mo/γ‐Al₂O₃ catalyst was studied. Series of W‐incorporated catalysts with different content of tungsten were prepared by changing the impregnation order of nickel and tungsten onto a base Mo/γ‐Al₂O₃. Catalytic activities were measured from the atmospheric reactions of thiophene hydrodesulfurization (HDS) and ethylene hydrogenation (HYD). The HDS and HYD activities of the WMo/γ‐Al₂O₃ catalysts (WM series) initially increased and subsequently decreased with increasing content of tungsten as compared with those of their base Mo/γ‐Al₂O₃. The maximal activity promotion occurred at the W/(W + Mo) atomic ratio 0.025. For the Ni‐promoted Mo/γ‐Al₂O₃ catalysts, the effect of W incorporation was greatly dependent on the impregnation order of tungsten. The catalysts prepared by impregnating Ni onto the WMo/γ‐Al₂O₃ catalysts showed the same trend of activity promotion as for the WM series, while those by impregnating W onto a NiMo/γ‐Al₂O₃ catalyst resulted in lower activities than their base NiMo/γ‐Al₂O₃ catalyst. To characterize the catalysts, temperature‐programmed reduction and low‐temperature oxygen chemisorption were conducted. The effects of W incorporation on the NiMo‐based catalysts were discussed in reference to those on the CoMo‐based catalysts. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Nickel and cobalt promoted tungsten and molybdenum sulfide mesoporous catalysts for hydrodesulfurization

High-performance hydrodesulfurization (HDS) catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation of Ni-Mo(W) and Co-Mo(W) species over siliceous MCM-41 doped with zirconium. Catalysts with W and Mo loadings of 20 and 11 wt%, respectively, and with a Ni or Co loading of 5 wt%, were prepared. As a reference, a nickel-tungsten catalyst supported on a commercial γ-Al₂O₃ with a 5 and 20 wt% metal loadings, respectively has also been prepared. HDS reaction of dibenzothiophene (DBT) under 3.0 MPa of total pressure and with hourly space velocity (WHSV) of 28 h⁻¹ was used to evaluate the activity of these sulfided catalysts. All the catalysts displayed a very good performance in the temperature range of 300-340 °C, with conversions between 49.0% and 92.6%. The Ni promoted catalysts displayed better performances than those of Co promoted catalysts in the HDS of DBT. On the other hand they show different selectivity to hydrogenation, thus, in Ni promoted catalysts, the hydrogenation (HYD) reaction contributes more to the conversion of DBT than Co promoted catalysts where the direct desulfurization (DDS) reaction is more important. The performance of this set of catalysts is similar to that observed with a Ni5W20-Al₂O₃ catalyst in the same range of temperature (300-340 °C). However, the selectivity to the HYD product, CHB, observed with nickel promoted catalysts (Ni5-Mo11 and Ni5-W20) is higher than that found for Ni5W20-Al₂O₃ catalyst probably due to a higher superficial area of the MCM-support and to the presence on the surface of zirconium species, which leading to a better dispersion and lower stacking of the active phases.     

Hydrotreating of Heavy Gas Oil Derived from Athabasca Bitumen Over Co–Mo/γ-Al2O3 Catalyst Prepared by Sonochemical Method

Co–Mo/γ-Al₂O₃ oxide containing 9.8 wt% Mo and 2.9 wt% Co was prepared by high-intensity ultrasonic irradiation of Mo(CO)₆, Co₂(CO)₈, and γ-Al₂O₃ in decahydronapthalene under air flow. The oxidic Co–Mo catalyst thus formed was characterized by elemental analysis, BET N₂ adsorption and XRD. The surface sites on the sulfided Co–Mo/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst were characterized by infrared spectroscopy of CO adsorption. Hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) and hydrodesulfurization (HDS) activities were evaluated for heavy gas oil derived from Athabasca bitumen in a trickle bed reaction system using the following conditions: temperatures ranging from 370 to 400 °C, a pressure of 8.8 MPa, a liquid hourly space velocity of 1 h⁻¹, and a H₂/feed ratio of 600 ml/ml. The dispersion, nature of active sites and hydrotreating activity of this catalyst were compared with the conventionally prepared Co–Mo/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst containing similar wt% of Mo and Co. The Co–Mo catalyst prepared by sonochemical method has higher HDN and HDS rate constants than the conventional catalyst due to an improved dispersion of MoS₂.     

Role of cobalt on γ-Al2O3 based NO x storage catalyst

Co/Pt/Ba/γ-Al₂O₃, Co/Ba/γ-Al₂O₃, Pt/Ba/γ-Al₂O₃, Co/Pt/γ-Al₂O₃, Ba/γ-Al₂O₃, Pt/γ-Al₂O₃, and Co/γ-Al₂O₃ type catalysts were prepared by a conventional impregnation method, and their NO _x storage capacities were evaluated by colorimetric assay. Co-containing catalysts had a higher NO _x storage capacity than that of Co-free counterparts. The role of each component, especially Co, for the catalysts prepared was investigated by using in-situ FTIR. The high NO _x storage for Co-containing catalysts including Co/Ba/γ-Al₂O₃ and Co/Pt/Ba/γ-Al₂O₃ is mainly due to the formation of Co₃O₄ on the catalyst surface identified by XAFS.     

Synergism Between Ni and W in the Niw/ γ-Al2O3 Hydrotreating Catalysts

A series of NiW/ γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts (20 and 30 wt% W and 1–5 wt% Ni) have been prepared and studied by TPR and XPS. HDS activity has been tested in the thiophene conversion. The effect of Ni and W loadings on the formation of different structures is presented. In the calcined catalysts several phases coexist, concentrations of which depend on the Ni/(Ni+W) atomic ratio. The Ni synergistic effect in the HDS reaction is confirmed by the increase in the HDS activity (~10–15 times). This effect is ascribed to the formation of an active NiWS phase of high dispersion from the mixed NiW oxide precursors. At higher Ni/Ni+W ratio a redistribution of active components in additional amount ofNiWS phase during sulfidation is suggested.     

Deactivation and coke formation on palladium and platinum catalysts in vegetable oil hydrogenation

Deactivation of palladium and platinum catalysts due to coke formation was studied during hydrogenation of methyl esters of sunflower oil. The supported metal catalysts were prepared by impregnating γ-alumina with either palladium or platinum salts, and by impregnating α-alumina with palladium salt. The catalysts were reused for several batch experiments. The Pd/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst lost more than 50% of its initial activity after four batch experiments, while the other catalysts did not deactivate. Samples of used catalysts were cleaned from remaining oil by repeated extractions with methanol, and the amount of coke formed on the catalysts was studied by temperature-programmed oxidation. The deactivation of the catalyst is a function of both the metal and the support. The amount of coke increased on the Pd/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst with repeated use, but the amount of coke remained approximately constant for the Pt/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst. Virtually no coke was detected on the Pd/α-Al₂O₃ catalyst. The formation of coke on Pd/α-Al₂O₃ may be slower than on the Pd/γ-Al₂O₃ owing to the carrier’s smaller surface area and less acidic character. The absence of deactivation for the Pt/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst may be explained by slower formation of coke precursors on platinum compared to palladium.     

Deep hydrodesulphurization and hydrogenation of diesel fuels on alumina-supported and bulk molybdenum carbide catalysts

Deep hydrodesulphurization (HDS) of diesel fuels has been carried out on P (Ni)-promoted or non-promoted Mo₂C-supported γ-Al₂O₃ and bulk Mo₂C under standard industrial conditions (613 K, 3 MPa). The effect of the promoter was investigated for different feedstocks on HDS and hydrogenation (HYD) with very low levels of sulfur. The temperature effect was also followed. The HDS conversion indicates that phosphorus promoted alumina supported carbide catalysts are as active as a commercial Co-Mo/Al₂O₃ catalyst for low levels of sulfur in the feed. Furthermore, the refractory compounds such as 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene are only transformed on molybdenum carbide catalyst in industrial conditions for hydrotreated gas oils. With gas oils with less than 50 wt ppm in sulfur, phosphorus promoted molybdenum carbide catalysts become more active than commercial catalysts for the HYD of the aromatic compounds and the HDS or the HDN of the feedstock.     

Effect of EDTA on hydrotreating activity of CoMo/γ-Al2O3 catalyst

γ-Al₂O₃ supported Co (0–4.5 wt%) Mo (9.0 wt%) sulfide catalysts were prepared in the presence and the absence of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). The hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) activity of these catalysts was studied in the model reaction of 2,6-dimethylaniline (DMA) at 300 °C under 4 MPa. The CoMo/Al₂O₃ catalysts prepared with the EDTA showed higher HDN of DMA than those prepared without EDTA. The maximum of 36% increase in rate constant of HDN of DMA was observed over the catalyst with 3% Co prepared using EDTA. The FT-IR spectroscopy of adsorbed CO on CoMo catalysts showed that EDTA addition promoted the formation of catalytically active “CoMoS” phase as evidenced from increases in intensity of band at 2070 cm⁻¹, which is maximum for 3% Co loaded catalysts. The HDN and hydrodesulfurization (HDS) activity of 3% Co loaded catalyst prepared using EDTA was tested and compared with those catalyst prepared without EDTA in a trickle bed reactor using heavy gas oil derived from Athabasca bitumen in the temperature range 370–400 °C and 8.8 MPa. Improved HDN and HDS conversion of heavy gas oil was obtained for the catalyst prepared with EDTA.     

NiMoNx/γ-Al2O3 catalyst for HDN of pyridine

A series of NiMoN_x/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts with various Ni contents were prepared by a topotactic reaction between their corresponding precursors NiO·MoO₃/γ-Al₂O₃ and NH₃. The catalysts were characterized using BET, XRD, and H₂-TPR techniques, and the HDN activity of pyridine over these catalysts was tested. XRD patterns show that metallic Ni, Mo₂N and a new phase of Ni₃Mo₃N exist in NiMoN_x/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst. H₂-TPR studies indicate that the presence of Ni lowers the reduction temperature of the passivated surface layer of nitrided Mo/γ-Al₂O₃. The HDN activity for NiMoN_x/γ-Al₂O₃ is much higher than that for NiMoS_x/γ-Al₂O₃. The nitride catalyst with about 5.0 wt% NiO and 15.0 wt% MoO₃ in its precursor has the highest specific denitrogenation activity. The appearance of Ni₃Mo₃N and the synergy between metallic Ni and nitrided Mo are probably responsible for the high activity of NiMoN_x/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst. The role of Ni in HDN reaction was also investigated. The activities decrease in the order: reduced Ni/γ-Al₂O₃≥nitrided Ni/γ-Al₂O₃>partially reduced Ni/γ-Al₂O₃ and sulfided Ni/γ-Al₂O₃.     

Pt–Ni/γ-Al2O3 catalyst for the preferential CO oxidation in the hydrogen stream

The preferential CO oxidation (PROX) in the presence of excess hydrogen was studied over Pt–Ni/γ-Al₂O₃. CO chemisorption, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and temperature-programmed reduction were conducted to characterize active catalysts. The co-impregnated Pt–Ni/γ-Al₂O₃ was superior to Pt/Ni/γ-Al₂O₃ and Ni/Pt/γ-Al₂O₃ prepared by a sequential impregnation of each component on alumina support. The PROX activity was affected by the reductive pretreatment condition. The pre-reduction was essential for the low-temperature PROX activity. As the reduction temperature increased above 423 K, the CO₂ selectivity decreased and the atomic percent of Ni in the bimetallic phase of Pt–Ni increased. This catalyst exhibited the high CO conversion even in the presence of 2% H₂O and 20% CO₂ over a wide reaction temperature. The bimetallic phase of Pt–Ni seems to give rise to high catalytic activity for the PROX in H₂-rich stream.     

Synthesis, characterization, and hydrotreating activity of carbon-supported transition metal phosphides

A series of nickel, molybdenum, and tungsten metal phosphides deposited on a carbon black support (Ni₂P/C, MoP/C, and WP/C) were synthesized by means of temperature-programmed reduction. The samples were characterized by BET surface area, CO uptake, X-ray diffraction (XRD), elemental analysis, and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements. The activity of these catalysts was measured at 613 K and 3.1 MPa in a three-phase, packed-bed reactor for hydrodesulfurization (HDS) and hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) with a model liquid feed containing 500 ppm sulfur as 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT), 3000 ppm sulfur as dimethyl disulfide, and 200 ppm nitrogen as quinoline. The Ni₂P/C catalyst was found to exhibit the best hydroprocessing performance based on equal CO chemisorption sites (70 μmol) loaded in the reactor. An optimum Ni loading for HDS and HDN activity was found as 1.656 mmol g⁻¹ (11.0 wt.% Ni₂P) which gave an HDS conversion of 99% and an HDN conversion of 100% at a molar space velocity of 0.88 h⁻¹. These were much higher than those of a commercial Ni-Mo-S/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst which gave an HDS conversion of 68% and an HDN conversion of 94%, and a previously reported best Ni₂P/SiO₂ catalyst which gave an HDS conversion of 76% and an HDN conversion of 92%. The use of carbon instead of silica as a support gave rise to other differences, which included smaller particle size, higher CO uptake, lessened retention of P on the support, and reduced sulfur deposition. The stability of the 11.0 wt.% Ni₂P/C catalyst was also excellent with no deactivation observed over 110 h of time on stream. The activity and stability of the Ni₂P/C catalyst were affected by the phosphorous content, both reaching a maximum with an initial Ni/P ratio of 1/2. EXAFS and elemental analysis of the spent samples indicated the formation of a surface phosphosulfide phase on the Ni₂P, which was beneficial for hydrotreating activity, while the bulk structure of the phosphides was maintained during the course of reaction as revealed from the XRD patterns.     

Effect of the hydrogen spillover on the selectivity of dibenzothiophene hydrodesulfurization over CoSx/γ-Al2O3, NiSx/γ-Al2O3 and MoS2/γ-Al2O3 catalysts

Dibenzothiophene (DBT) hydrodesulphurization (HDS) reaction at 3 MPa and 325–375 °C on Mo/γ-Al₂O₃ single-bed and Me/γ-Al₂O₃//SiO₂//Mo/γ-Al₂O₃ (Me = Co or Ni) double-bed catalysts were investigated. Results indicate that ratio cyclohexylbenzene (CHB)/biphenyl (BP) or selectivity is higher when using double-beds rather than a single-bed. Synergy in dibenzothiophene hydrodesulphurization on Co//Mo and Ni//Mo double-beds is also detected. Changes in selectivity and conversion are attributed to the action of spillover hydrogen (Hso) formed in the first bed that reaches the second bed.     

Correlating Low-temperature Hydrogenation Activity of Co/Pt(111) Bimetallic Surfaces to Supported Co/Pt/γ-Al2O3 Catalysts

The low-temperature self-hydrogenation (disproportionation) of cyclohexene was used as a probe reaction to correlate the reactivity of Co/Pt(111) bimetallic surfaces with supported Co/Pt/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts. Temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) experiments show that cyclohexene undergoes self-hydrogenation on the ~1 ML Co/Pt(111) surface at ~219 K, which does not occur on either pure Pt(111) or a thick Co film on Pt(111). Supported catalysts with a 1:1 atomic ratio of Co:Pt were synthesized on a high surface area γ-Al₂O₃ to verify the bimetallic effect on the self-hydrogenation of cyclohexene. EXAFS experiments confirmed the presence of Co–Pt bonds in the catalyst. Using FTIR in a batch reactor configuration, the bimetallic catalyst showed a higher activity toward the self-hydrogenation of cyclohexene at room temperature than either Pt/γ-Al₂O₃ or Co/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts. The comparison of Co/Pt(111) and Co/Pt/γ-Al₂O₃ provided an excellent example of correlating the self-hydrogenation activity of cyclohexene on bimetallic model surfaces and supported catalysts.     

Transesterification of Rapeseed Oil for Synthesizing Biodiesel by K/KOH/γ-Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> as Heterogeneous Base Catalyst

The heterogeneous base catalyst, γ-Al₂O₃ loaded with KOH and K (K/KOH/γ-Al₂O₃) was first prepared and used in the transesterification of rapeseed oil with methanol to produce biodiesel. The prepared catalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method, infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was found that when γ-Al₂O₃ is loaded with KOH and K, the Al–O–K species is produced, resulting in an increase in the catalytic activity. The impacts of catalyst preparation conditions on the catalytic activities of K/KOH/γ-Al₂O₃ were investigated. The results demonstrate that the catalyst K/KOH/γ-Al₂O₃ has high catalytic activity when the added amounts of KOH and K are 20 and 7.5 wt% respectively. The transesterification of rapeseed oil to biodiesel with the prepared heterogeneous base catalyst was optimized. It was found that the yield of biodiesel can reach as high as 84.52% after 1 h reaction at 60°C, with a 9:1 molar ratio of methanol to oil, a catalyst amount of 4 wt%, and a stirring rate of 270 g.     

Carbon Nanofiber Supported Cobalt Catalysts for Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis with High Activity and Selectivity

Platelet and fishbone carbon nanofibers (CNFs) have been used as supports for cobalt Fischer–Tropsch catalysts. The activity and selectivity of the CNF supported catalysts have been studied at 483 K, 20 bar, and H₂/CO = 2.1, and compared with corresponding activity and selectivity for α-Al₂O₃ and γ-Al₂O₃ supported cobalt catalysts. The platelet CNF supported catalyst has demonstrated high activity and high selectivity to C₅₊ hydrocarbons, with activity comparable with Co/γ-Al₂O₃ and selectivity comparable with Co/α-Al₂O₃.