Modeling and simulation of stationary catalytic processes

Generalized models for steady state catalytic processes are presented in matrix form. Multistep reaction rate control is assumed. Numerical algorithms for solving of the created linear and nonlinear equation systems are developed and tested. Four examples are considered: an Eley–Rideal-mechanism, a Langmuir–Hinshelwood mechanism, a dual route, dual site mechanism, and a monomolecular decomposition with steady state multiplicity. The overall reaction rates are simulated as a function of the reactant concentrations. A maximum reaction rate is obtained in the case of a Langmuir–Hinshelwood mechanism (example 2), the location of the rate maximum in the concentration domain is shifted towards the concentration of the reactant with the lowest adsorption constants. An Eley–Rideal mechanism (example 1) has always monotonously increasing rate curves. In the case of steady state multiplicity (example 4) all steady states could be simulated with the proposed algorithm. The computation of reaction rate surfaces is important in investigating the behavior of complicated catalytic systems (e.g., systems with multistep rate control and/or steady state multiplicity), in planning of experiments and in chemical reactor simulation.     

Some problerns in adsorption and calorimetric studies of the steps of catalytic processes

Principal side factors as well as technical and procedural peculiarities capable of distorting the results of measurements of adsorbed and desorbed amounts, of falsifying the nature of the processes proceeding in the systems under study, and of promoting artifacts in calorimetric and other studies of gas chemisorption on powders are considered. Modified techniques and procedures allowing the elimination of sources of side phenomena and artifacts and freeing traditional glass static adsorption apparatuses and experimental procedures from undesirable factors and peculiarities are proposed. Some available chemisorption and calorimetric data representing artifacts and also some data that are not artifacts but, due to imperfections of chemisorption techniques, show up as artifacts are presented and discussed. Several applications of the improved techniques and procedures to calorimetric and adsorption studies of the steps of catalytic processes proceeding on the basis of natural gas and of products of its pr     

Some problems in adsorption and calorimetric studies of the steps of catalytic processes

Principal side factors as well as technical and procedural peculiarities capable of distorting the results of measurements of adsorbed and desorbed amounts, of falsifying the nature of the processes proceeding in the systems under study, and of promoting artifacts in calorimetric and other studies of gas chemisorption on powders are considered. Modified techniques and procedures allowing the elimination of sources of side phenomena and artifacts and freeing traditional glass static adsorption apparatuses and experimental procedures from undesirable factors and peculiarities are proposed. Some available chemisorption and calorimetric data representing artifacts and also some data that are not artifacts but,due to imperfections of chemisorption techniques, show up as artifacts are presented and discussed. Several applications of the improved techniques and procedures to calorimetric and adsorption studies of the steps of catalytic processes proceeding on the basis of natural gas and of products of its processing are presented and discussed.     

Linking pore diffusivity with macropore structure of zeolite adsorbents. Part II: simulation of pore diffusion and mercury intrusion in stochastically reconstructed zeolite adsorbents

In the present study we complete the evaluation of three dimensional digitized reconstructions of a binderless zeolite adsorbent with improved mass transfer rates, by performing simulations of pore diffusion and Hg-intrusion porosimetry in these structures. It is seen that an excellent agreement with the experimental diffusivity is achieved (relative error of 1.2 %) for a pore structure that matches, besides low order correlations, chord length distribution functions that account for higher order correlations. Furthermore, simulations on a variety of reconstructed samples indicate that matching chord length distribution functions is a necessary (though probably not sufficient) condition for accurate structural representation. The average tortuosity factor is 2.68 and is nearly constant over a broad spectrum of pressures, when properly normalized. Hg-intrusion porosimetry simulations, performed with a pure morphology method, show a good agreement with the experimental curve for normalized cumulative intrusion volumes in the range of 50–88 %, but cannot make a distinction between structures with differences in higher order correlations. It is believed that SEM micrographs, properly obtained to represent realistic 2D sections of the material, contain sufficient structural information that can distinguish among pore structures with different mass transfer rates, when combined with stochastic reconstruction methods. Evidently, the direct link between these structural parameters and pore diffusivity will provide the necessary route to improve the mass transfer rate of porous adsorbents.     

Molecular simulation of the adsorption of MTBE in silicalite, mordenite, and zeolite beta

The use of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) as a gasoline additive has resulted in serious environmental problems following spills and leaks, primarily due to MTBE's high solubility in water. Remediation technologies have involved air stripping, advanced oxidation, and sorption on granular activated carbons (GAC). Hydrophobic zeolites, such as silicalite, dealuminated Y, mordenite, and beta, have been of interest in recent studies for the removal of MTBE from water. Some of these materials have shown a better performance than GAC particularly in the microg/L range. We made Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations of the adsorption of pure MTBE in silicalite, mordenite, and zeolite beta with different Na+ loadings at room temperature to reveal the factors affecting the adsorption process. The results show that although the three zeolites studied here have similar pore volumes, the pore structure of zeolite beta causes a significant difference on the predicted amount of MTBE adsorbed. It was found that the position of the Na+ cations has an important effect at lower pressures. Within the range of [Na+] studied, the amount of Na+ was not found to be critical on the adsorption capacity of any of the zeolites studied, except at very low pressures in silicalite and zeolite beta.     

Quantum-chemical calculation on models of hydroxy-containing zeolite fragments

Fragments of the zeolite structure have been calculated by the EHT method. The results are in agreement with spectral data on structural hydroxy groups of zeolites.

---

PMX . .

     

Dendritic nanoarchitecture imparts ZSM-5 zeolite with enhanced adsorption and catalytic performance in energy applications

The development of zeolites possessing dendritic features represents a great opportunity for the design of novel materials with applications in a large variety of fields and, in particular, in the energy sector to afford its transition towards a low carbon system. In the current work, ZSM-5 zeolite showing a dendritic3D nanoarchitecture has been synthesized by the functionalization of protozeolitic nanounits with an amphiphilic organosilane, which provokes the branched aggregative growth of zeol...     

Acetylene and argon adsorption in a supramolecular organic zeolite

The adsorption properties of a new nanoporous organic zeolite with respect to acetylene and Ar were studied by volumetric adsorption analysis, microcalorimetric experiments, and synchrotron high-resolution X-ray powder diffraction. This allowed us to locate the guest molecules inside the host channels and characterize the host-guest interactions.     

ITQ-15: the first ultralarge pore zeolite with a bi-directional pore system formed by intersecting 14- and 12-ring channels, and its catalytic implications

The pore topology of ITQ-15 zeolite consists of an ultra-large 14-ring channel that is intersected perpendicularly by a 12-ring pore; acid sites have been introduced in its framework and this unique structure shows advantages over unidirectional ultralarge pore zeolites for diffusing and reacting large molecules.     

Quantum-chemical simulation of boron- and halogen-containing polymers

Quantum-chemical method of density functional theory B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) was used to study the energy and structural characteristics of boron- and halogen-containing condensation polymers C _n+2H _n+4B_2n X _n (X = F, Cl, Br; n = 1, 2, …), constructed based on 1,2,6-halodiborenes. All possible condensation versions were analyzed and the structure of the most stable polymer was established. It was shown by AIM-analysis that in the systems under consideration bicoordinated halogen atoms were present.     

Molecular dynamics simulation of the cation motion upon adsorption of CO2 in Faujasite zeolite systems

Molecular Dynamics simulations have been carried out in NaX and NaY Faujasite systems to deepen understanding of the cation rearrangement during the CO2 adsorption process suggested by our recent diffusivity measurements. This study is a major contribution since the rearrangement of the cations in Faujasite, the most promising adsorbent for CO2 storage, can represent a significant breakthrough in understanding the adsorption and diffusion processes at the mircroscopic scale. For NaY, it has been shown that at low and intermediate loadings, SII cations can migrate toward the center of the supercage due to strong interactions with the adsorbates, followed by a hopping of SI'cation from the sodalite cage into the supercage to fill the vacant SII site. The SI cations are only displaced at a higher loading, leading to cation de-trapping out of the double six rings into the vacant SI' sites. For NaX, the SIII' cations which occupy the most accessible adsorption sites move significantly upon coordination to the carbon dioxide molecules. The SI' and SII cations remain consistently located in their initial sites whatever the loading. Indeed, the most probable migration mechanism involves SIII' cation displacements into nearby vacant SIII' sites.     

Mathematical modelling and simulation of adsorption processes at spherical microparticles.

A model for the adsorption process at spherical microparticles under transient diffusion conditions has been developed and solved using numerical simulation. This model allowed us to demonstrate that the system is controlled by two main dimensionless parameters: the adsorption rate constant ka' and the saturation parameter beta. Analytical models for the adsorption process at spherical microparticles under steady-state mass transport conditions have been derived. These models use previously developed empirical relationships for the calculation of the mass transfer coefficient (kc). The properties of the system were studied for both the case where mass transport is described by diffusion only and the case where it is the result of a coupled diffusion/convection process. These mathematical tools were then used to analyse the results obtained for the uptake of CuII by glassy carbon powder modified with the monomer L-cysteine methyl ester and to extract a minimum value for the adsorption rate constant which was found to be of the order of 10(-4) cm s(-1).     

Quantum-chemical simulation of the solvation of protons in nonaqueous solutions

Calculations of the spatial and electronic structures of complexes of H⁺ with pyridine, dimethylaniline, diphenylamine, dimethyl sulfoxide, and propylene carbonate molecules have been carried out. The ion-molecule bonding energies have been determined, and an analysis of the wave functions of the complexes has been carried out. The calculations were carried out by the SCF-MO-LCAO method in the all-valence-electron MINDO/3 approximation. The model has been confirmed by independent conductometric measurements.Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Éksperimental'naya Khimiya, Vol. 21, No. 3, pp. 362–364, May–June, 1985.     

The effect of local defects on water adsorption in silicalite-1 zeolite: a joint experimental and molecular simulation study

We report a joint experimental and molecular simulation study of water condensation in silicalite-1 zeolite. A sample was synthesized using the fluoride route and was found to contain essentially no defects. A second sample synthesized using the hydroxide route was found to contain a small amount of silanol groups. The thermodynamics of water condensation was studied in these two samples, as well as in a commercial sample, in order to understand the effect of local defects on water adsorption. The molecular simulation study enabled us to qualitatively reproduce the experimentally observed condensation thermodynamics features. A shift and a rounding of the condensation transition was observed with an increasing hydrophilicity of the local defect, but the condensation transition was still observed above the water saturation vapor pressure P0. Both experiments and simulations agree on the fact that a small water uptake can be observed at very low pressure, but that the bulk liquid does not form from the gas phase below P0. The picture that emerges from the observed water condensation mechanism is the existence of a heterogeneous internal surface that is overall hydrophobic, despite the existence of hydrophilic "patches". This heterogeneous surface configuration is thermodynamically stable in a wide range of reduced pressures (from P/P0 = 0.2 to a few thousands), until the condensation transition takes place.     

Quantum-chemical simulation of dicyanamide and tricyanomethanide ion solvation

SCF MO LCAO has been applied in the MNDO-WS approximation to calculate the spatial and electronic structures for solvates formed by dicyanamide and tricyanomethanide ions with alcohols, water, chloroform, and methylene chloride. The monosolvates formed by those anions are molecular complexes having medium-strength H bonds.Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Ékperimental'naya Khimiya, Vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 92–96, January–February, 1989.     

Combined use of calorimetric and adsorption kinetic methods for the study of the mechanisms of catalytic processes

Consideration is given to the main results obtained in studies based on calorimetric methods at high temperatures (above room temperature) of the following aspects of the mechanisms of catalytic and sorption processes on powder catalysts: 1) relation between chemisorption and dissolution of gases in the subsurface layers of solids; 2) influence of surface-adsorbed substance on the adsorption of another substance from the gas phase; 3) nature of intermediate species formed during catalytic processes on the catalyst surface. Results are presented of the application of calorimetric methods to measuring the enthalpy change of polymerization in a dry system: gaseous monomer — solid catalyst — solid polymer, and to investigating the mechanisms of such processes. Anomalous solubility of gases in the subsurface layers of solids has been shown to be significant for the mechanism of nucleation during phase transitions in solids.

---

Zusamenfassung Die wichtigsten Ergebnisse der auf kalorimetrischen Methoden bei hohen Temperaturen (über Raumtemperatur) beruhenden Untersuchungen der Mechanismen von katalytischen und Sorptionsprozessen an pulverförmigen Katalysatoren werden behandelt: 1) Zusammenhang zwischen Chemisorption und Lösung von Gasen in den Schichten von Festkörpern unterhalb der Oberfläche; 2) Einfluß der an der Oberfläche adsorbierten Substanz auf die Adsorption einer anderen Substanz aus der Gasphase; 3) Beschaffenheit der während des katalytischen Vorgangs an der Katalysator-Oberfläche entstandenen Intermediärteilchen.Ergebnisse der Anwendung der kalorimetrischen Methode zur Messung der Enthalpie-Änderungen der Polymerisation im trockenen System: gasförmiges Monomer — fester Katalysator — festes Polymer und zur Untersuchung der Mechanismen solcher Vorgänge werden mitgeteilt. Es wurde gezeigt, daß die anomale Löslichkeit von Gasen in den Schichten unterhalb der Oberfläche von Festkörpern für den Mechanismus der Keimbildung während des Phasenüberganges in Festkörpern von Bedeutung ist.

---

Résumé On examine les principaux résultats obtenus lors des études effectuées à l'aide de méthodes calorimétriques à hautes températures (au-dessus de la température ambiante), sous les aspects suivants du mécanisme des réactions catalytiques et de Sorption sur des catalyseurs en poudre: 1) relation entre la chimisorption et la dissolution des gaz dans les sous-couches superficielles des solides, 2) influence d'une substance adsorbée en surface sur l'adsorption d'une autre substance de la phase gazeuse, 3) nature des particules intermédiaires formées lors de la réaction catalytique à la surface du catalyseur. Les résultats de l'application de la méthode calorimétrique à la mesure des variations d'enthalpie au cours de la polymérisation en système «sec» sont présentés: monomère gazeux — catalyseur solide — polymère solide, ainsi que ceux relatifs à l'étude du mécanisme de ces réactions. On montre que la solubilité anormale des gaz dans les sous-couches superficielles des solides joue un rôle important sur le mécanisme de la nucléation lors des transitions de phases dans les solides.

---

, ( ) : 1) : 2) ; 3) , . » « — . .

     

In situ determination of the adsorption characteristics of a zeolite membrane

A methodology based on adsorption-branch porosimetry is described for in situ measurement of the adsorption of condensable gases within the pore structure of inorganic membranes. The method is applied to the study of n-hexane and p-xylene adsorption in a high-silica, MFI zeolite membrane. The results, interpreted in terms of a simple model for competitive adsorption effects on the permeance of a non-adsorbing gas, yield Langmuir adsorption constants and Henry’s law constants for n-hexane and p-xylene that are in excellent agreement with measurements on bulk materials. The method is proposed for the fundamental study of fouling characteristics of inorganic membranes, especially in cases where a true bulk surrogate is not available.