Oligomerization of endo-dicyclopentadiene using a mesoporous catalyst in a fixed-bed reactor

The oligomerization of endo-dicyclopentadiene (endo-DCPD) over a mesoporous catalyst in a continuous-flow reactor at elevated pressure was studied to produce tricyclopentadiene (TCPD) and tetracyclopentadiene (TeCPD). The mesoporous material prepared from zeolite beta (MMZ_Hβ) was utilized as a catalyst. In addition, this study focused on the catalytic performance of the regenerated catalyst in comparison with the fresh catalyst. The TCPD and TeCPD were continuously produced through DCPD oligomerization over the MMZ_Hβ catalyst in a fixed bed reactor. At early time-on-stream, the conversion of endo-DCPD, the yield of TCPD and TeCPD, and the isomerization selectivity of TCPD in the fixed bed reactor were comparable to those in the batch-type reactor. The yield of oligomer containing TCPD and TeCPD decreased drastically from 28.5 % at 3 h time-on-stream to 21.5 % at 12 h time-on-stream, indicating that the catalyst was significantly deactivated. The in situ calcination in air flow at 500 °C was found to be effective for the regeneration of the used MMZ_Hβ catalyst.     

Mathematical modeling of a slurry reactor for DME direct synthesis from syngas

In this paper,an axial dispersion mathematical model is developed to simulate a three-phase slurry bubble column reactor for direct synthesis of dimethyl ether(DME) from syngas.This large-scale reactor is modeled using mass and energy balances,catalyst sedimentation andsingle-bubble as well as two-bubbles class flow hydrodynamics.A comparison between the two hydrodynamic models through pilot plantexperimental data from the literature shows that heterogeneous two-bubbles flow model is in better agreement with the experimental data thanhomogeneous single-bubble gas flow model.Also,by investigating the heterogeneous gas flow and axial dispersion model for small bubblesas well as the large bubbles and slurry(i.e.including paraffins and the catalyst) phase,the temperature profile along the reactor is obtained.Acomparison between isothermal and non-isothermal reactors reveals no obvious performance difference between them.The optimum values ofreactor diameter and height were obtained at 7 m and 50 m,respectively.The effects of operating variables on the axial catalyst distribution,DME productivity and CO conversion are also investigated in this research.     

VPO催化剂的再生性质及其对晶格氧选择氧化丙烷的影响

采用脉冲反应器,研究了ＶＰＯ催化剂的再生性质及其对晶格氧选择氧化丙烷制丙烯酸和乙酸的影响,结果表明,ＶＰＯ催化剂与气相分子氧反应的速度要比丙烷与其 和氧反应的速度慢许多,因此以丙烷－Ｏ２共进料方式进行反应时,催化剂氧化再生是速度控制步骤,水是影响催化剂选择性的重要因素,但对活性影响不大,在反应温度下,水在ＶＰＯ催化剂 为可逆吸附,容易脱附流失,催化丙烷反应生成目的的产物的活性中心很稳定,主要是晶格     

Supramolecular Strategies for the Recycling of Homogeneous Catalysts

Supramolecular approaches are increasingly used in the development of homogeneous catalysts and they also provide interesting new tools for the recycling of metal-based catalysts. Various non-covalent interactions have been utilized for the immobilization homogeneous catalysts on soluble and insoluble support. By non-covalent anchoring the supported catalysts obtained can be recovered via (nano-) filtration or such catalytic materials can be used in continuous flow reactors. Specific benefits from the reversibility of catalyst immobilization by non-covalent interactions include the possibility to re-functionalize the support material and the use as “boomerang” type catalyst systems in which the catalyst is captured after a homogeneous reaction. In addition, new reactor design with implemented recycling strategies becomes possible, such as a reverse-flow adsorption reactor (RFA) that combines a homogeneous reactor with selective catalyst adsorption/desorpion. Next to these non-covalent immobilization strategies, supramolecular chemistry can also be used to generate the support, for example by generation of self-assembled gels with catalytic function. Although the stability is a challenging issue, some self-assembled gel materials have been successfully utilized as reusable heterogeneous catalysts. In addition, catalytically active coordination cages, which are frequently used to achieve specific activity or selectivity, can be bound to support by ionic interactions or can be prepared in structured solid materials. These new heterogenized cage materials also have been used successfully as recyclable catalysts.     

Hydrogen production by catalytic decomposition of methane using a Fe-based catalyst in a fluidized bed reactor

Catalytic decomposition of methane using a Fe-based catalyst for hydrogen production has been studied in this work. A Fe/Al2O3 catalyst previously developed by our research group has been tested in a fluidized bed reactor (FBR). A parametric study of the effects of some process variables,including reaction temperature and space velocity,is undertaken. The operating conditions strongly affect the catalyst performance. Methane conversion was increased by increasing the temperature and lowering the space velocity. Using temperatures between 700 and 900℃ and space velocities between 3 and 6LN/(gcat·h),a methane conversion in the range of 25%-40% for the gas exiting the reactor could be obtained during a 6 hrun. In addition,carbon was deposited in the form of nanofilaments (chain like nanofibers and multiwall nanotubes) with similar properties to those obtained in a fixed bed reactor.     

Kinetic of Regeneration of Coked Alumina by Thermogravimetry

Thermogravimetry is used for regeneration of the alumina catalyst which was deactivated by coke, formed in the transformation of 1,3-butadiene in a fixed bed continuous flow reactor. The Vyazovkin model-free kinetic analysis has been applied to data on thermal oxidation of carbonaceous deposits on the catalyst. This analysis has allowed us to estimate the activation energy (E) as a function of α (conversion) and to predict the time required to remove coke at a given temperature. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Pt/SAPO-11临氢异构化催化剂反应特性的研究

以正庚烷为模型化合物，在10 mL连续流动固定床反应装置上，考察了温度、压力、空速与氢烃摩尔比对0.4%Pt/SAPO-11催化剂临氢异构化反应性能的影响。结果表明，催化反应以烷烃异构化为主，正庚烷转化率达70%时异构产物选择性保持在90%以上，压力和氢烃摩尔比较小时，产物的选择性较高；压力太高裂解产物生成量增多对异构化选择性不利。获得了正庚烷在Pt/SAPO-11催化剂上临氢异构化的优化反应条件为，360 ℃～380 ℃，0.5 MPa～1.0 MPa，2.1 h-1～4.1 h-1，H2/CH(摩尔比)2～6；烷烃临氢异构化反应的一个条件变化，需要其他条件的改变来达到最佳的匹配。     

Modeling of a radial-flow moving-bed reactor for dehydrogenation of isobutane

A mathematical model for the performance of a radial-flow moving-bed reactor for dehydrogenation of light paraffins was developed. Assuming relevant kinetic expressions for the main reaction and catalyst deactivation, the kinetic parameters were obtained through lab-scale fixed-bed reactor testing using the integral method of analysis. The conversion was found to be a function of a dimensionless decay time, i.e., the ratio of a “catalyst deactivation time constant” to the residence time of the catalyst within the reactor. For a large dimensionless decay time (negligible catalyst decay), the performance equation approached that of a simple packed-bed reactor. The predictions of the model were compared with those of a commercial unit, and fair agreements were observed.     

Model-free kinetics applied to regeneration of coked alumina

Thermogravimetry is proposed to study the alumina catalyst regeneration deactivated by coke, after being used in the transformation of styrene in a fixed bed continuous flow reactor. The model-free kinetic approach has been applied to data for the thermal oxidation of carbonaceous deposits on the catalyst. The activation energy (E) was calculated as a function of a (conversion) and T (temperature), by using Vyazovkin model-free kinetic method, allowing to estimate time required to remove coke at a given temperature. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

High Activity and Selective Fischer–Tropsch Catalysts for Use in a Microchannel Reactor

Each process configuration for practicing the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis places demands particular to that configuration on the catalyst to be used. We discuss how a particular catalyst, prepared by the OMX (organic matrix combustion) method, when used in conjunction with the Velocys microchannel reactor system, results in a very stable, high performance Fischer–Tropsch synthesis system. With the ability to remove heat far more effectively than a conventional reactor system, this microchannel reactor requires a catalyst with much higher volumetric reactive site density. Further, with such a high volumetric reaction rate, mass transfer effects will be important in both the observed activity and selectivity of the operating catalyst. Nevertheless, the catalyst prepared using the OMX method exhibits an apparent turnover frequency which is considerably higher than reported for other catalysts in the literature. In addition to high activity, an economically useful catalyst must exhibit a stable, high selectivity for liquid products and be able to recover near-fresh performance using a regeneration approach which can be carried out with the catalyst in-place. An example of such a stable, multiply regenerated catalyst is given. Finally, further development has focused on a catalyst with even higher C₅₊ selectivity.     

Oxidative coupling of methane in a dual-bed reactor comprising of particle/cordierite monolithic catalysts

A dual-bed reactor was constructed comprising of a 5%Na2WO4-2%Mn/SiO2 particle catalyst and a 4%Ce-5%Na2WO4-2%Mn/SiO2/cordierite monolithic catalyst. The reaction performance of the oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) over the dual-bed reactor system was evaluated. The effects of the bed height and operation mode, as well as the reaction parameters such as reaction temperature, CH4/O2 ratio and flowrate of feed gas, on the catalytic performance were investigated. The results indicated that the suggested dual-bed reactor exhibited a good performance for the OCM reaction when the feed gases firstly passed through the particle catalyst bed and then to the monolithic catalyst bed. A CH4 conversion of 38.2% and a C2H4 selectivity of 43.3% could be obtained using the dual-bed reactor with a particle catalyst bed height of 10 mm and a monolithic catalyst bed height of 50 mm. Both the CH4 conversion and C2H4 selectivity have increased by 2.5% and 12.8%, respectively, as compared with the 5%Na2WO4-2%Mn/SiO2 particle catalyst in a conventional single-bed reactor and by 12.9% and 23.0%, respectively, as compared with the 4%Ce-5%Na2WO4-2%Mn/SiO2/cordierite monolithic catalyst in a single-bed reactor. The catalytic performance of the OCM in the dual-bed reactor system has been improved remarkably.     

Self-regeneration of activated carbon modified with palladium catalyst for electrochemical dechlorination

Catalyst regeneration and the retention of high catalytic activity are still the critical issues in environmental application.A novel fluidized gas-liquid-solid electrochemical reactor was developed to simultaneously remove chlorinated pollutants and in situ regenerate the spent catalyst.Activated carbon modified with palladium catalyst (AC-Pd) was prepared for electrochemical dechlorination.For the 4-chloropbenol wastewater of initial concentration 200 mg L~(-1),the removal efficiency could nearly reach 100% in less than 30 min.Catalytic activity of AC-Pd catalyst was preserved effectively even in consecutive cycling run without special regeneration.OH radicals,generated by electrochemical reaction,played a critical role in self-regeneration of AC-Pd.High catalytic activity of spent AC-Pd catalyst provided an attractive alternative in wastewater treatment.     

Direct Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes from Only CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> by a Hybrid Reactor of Dielectric Barrier Discharge and Solid Oxide Electrolyser Cell

Synthesis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) from only carbon dioxide was performed using hybrid reactor of dielectric barrier discharge and solid oxide electrolyser cell (SOEC). The removal of oxygen by SOEC from the plasma region suppresses the regeneration of CO₂ from CO and complete CO₂ conversion was achieved by the hybrid reactor. Co–Mo catalyst supported on a quartz substrate was inserted into the hybrid reactor and aligned CNTs were able to be synthesized on the substrate using only CO₂ as a carbon source.     

Approach to the prediction of some surface characteristics of carbon-supported CoMo- catalysts from the adsorption/desorption technique

Carbon-supported CoMo- catalyst samples have been prepared through the impregnation (in solution) method using two different Co/Mo loads of 2/10 and 4/20 wt%. The catalytic activities of these catalysts for hydrodesulfurization of dibenzothiophene at 2.9 MPa H(2) and 340 degrees C have been investigated and measured in a sampler microautoclave reactor. Adsorption of dibenzothiophene from decane solution over both carbon and catalysts was studied. The consecutive desorption of adsorbates was followed by the thermal gravimetric technique. Pore volumes and surface areas of carbon and catalysts based on dibenzothiophene desorption data have been estimated. Catalysts exhibit almost the same hydrodesulfurization activity. CoMo catalyst of 4/20 wt% load is speculated to have a tendency to form clusters larger than 2/10 catalyst ratio. Models for catalyst dispersion and agglomeration are suggested.     

Microfabricated reactors for on-chip heterogeneous catalysis

Microfabricated devices constructed from glass and polydimethylsiloxane with integral heaters are described, which can be used for heterogeneous catalysis reactions. Sulfated zirconia is used as the catalyst in an open channel reactor, with either a syringe pump or electroosmotic flow being used to deliver the reactants. The results clearly demonstrate that very high conversion efficiencies are possible, however, the thermodynamics of the reactions are the same as in bulk systems. Ethanol and hexanol are dehydrated to ethene and hexene, respectively, with conversion efficiencies approaching 100%, and the esterification of ethanol is investigated. Yields of approximately 30% ethyl acetate are obtained by gas chromatographic analysis. This is the first time such a method for fabricating a catalyst micro reactor has been reported, yet it demonstrates sufficient robustness and resistance to leakage. The use of electroosmotic flow in a heated catalyst reactor is a significant advancement in reactor design.     

Optimization of MoVSb oxide catalyst for partial oxidation of isobutane by combinatorial approaches

Optimization of the Mo-V-Sb mixed-oxide system for the selective oxidation of isobutane to methacrolein by true combinatorial methods primarily is intended to reduce the number of experiments in a broad parameter space. Therefore, an evolutionary approach based on a genetic algorithm has been chosen to screen three generations of 30 catalysts. With the help of automated sol-gel synthesis techniques, a high-throughput continuous flow reactor (16UPCFR), and appropriate software for experimental design, a new catalyst composition with improved performance has been obtained. Finally, the best catalysts were scaled-up to gram quantities and tested in a continuous-flow reactor unit that was equipped with four parallel reactors (4UPCFR). The final catalyst showed a significantly higher selectivity toward methacrolein at the same isobutane conversion, compared to the initial Mo8V2Sb90O(x) catalyst.     

Influence of residence time and catalyst regeneration on the pyrolysis–zeolite catalysis of oil shale

Oil shale from the Kark region of Pakistan has been pyrolysed in a fixed bed batch reactor and the properties of the derived shale oil determined. The reactor system was then modified to incorporate a second reactor where the derived vapours from oil shale pyrolysis were passed directly to the second reactor containing zeolite ZSM-5 catalyst. The influence of the process parameters of vapour residence time (VRT) over the catalyst and the regeneration of the catalyst were examined. The yield and composition of the derived gases before and after catalysis were determined. In addition, the yield and composition of the derived oil in terms of total nitrogen and sulphur content and the content of aromatic hydrocarbons in the oils was investigated. The results showed that the yield of oil after catalysis was reduced with a consequent higher yield of gases and formation of coke on the catalyst. The main gases from the pyrolysis of oil shales were CO₂, CO, H₂, CH₄, C₂H₄, C₂H₆ and C₃H₆, C₃H₈ and minor concentrations of other hydrocarbon gases. The main role of catalysis was to convert the long chain alkanes and alkenes in the oil to lower molecular weight, short chain, alkyl substituted and iso species and high concentrations of aromatic hydrocarbons. Total nitrogen and sulphur contents in the oils were markedly reduced after catalysis. This reduction was reflected in the reduced concentration of nitrogen and sulphur containing aromatic hydrocarbons. The influence of longer VRTs was to increase the formation of aromatic hydrocarbons, reduce the nitrogen, and sulphur compounds in the oils. The influence of catalyst regeneration, involving five regenerations was not significant on the yield and composition of the derived catalytically upgraded oils.     

Particle/metal-based monolithic catalysts dual-bed reactor with beds-interspace supplementary oxygen:Construction and performance for oxidative coupling of methane

A novel particle/metal-based monolithic catalysts dual-bed reactor with beds-interspace supplementary oxygen is constructed comprising of the upper-layer 5wt%Na2WO4-2wt%Mn/SiO2 particle catalyst and the under-layer 3 wt%Ce-5 wt%Na2WO4-2 wt%Mn/SBA-15/Al2O3 /FeCrAl metal-based monolithic catalyst as well as a side tube in the interspaces of two layers for supplementing O2.The reaction performance of oxidative coupling of methane(OCM) in the dual-bed reactor system is evaluated.The effects of the reaction parameters such as feed CH 4 /O 2 ratio,reaction temperature and side tube feed O2 flowrate on the catalytic performance are investigated.The results indicate that the suggested mode of dual-bed reactor exhibits an excellent performance for OCM.CH4 conversion of 33.2%,C2H4 selectivity of 46.5% and C2 yield of 22.5% could be obtained,which have been increased by 6.4%,4.1% and 5.5%,respectively,as compared with 5 wt%Na2WO4-2 wt%Mn/SiO2 particle catalyst in a single-bed reactor and increased by 10.7%,31.9% and 17.7%,respectively,as compared with 3 wt%Ce-5 wt%Na2WO4-2 wt%Mn/SBA-15/Al2O3 /FeCrAl metal-based monolithic catalyst in a single-bed reactor.The effective promotion of OCM performance in the reactor would supply a valuable reference for the industrialization of OCM process.     

Hydrogen generation using a CuO/ZnO-ZrO₂ nanocatalyst for autothermal reforming of methanol in a microchannel reactor

In the present work, a microchannel reactor for autothermal reforming of methanol using a synthesized catalyst porous alumina support-CuO/ZnO mixed with ZrO? sol washcoat has been developed and its fine structure and inner surface characterized. Experimentally, CuO/ZnO and alumina support with ZrO? sol washcoat catalyst (catalyst slurries) nanoparticles is the catalytically active component of the microreactor. Catalyst slurries have been dried at 298 K for 5 h and then calcined at 623 K for 2 h to increase the surface area and specific pore structures of the washcoat catalyst. The surface area of BET N? adsorption isotherms for the as-synthesized catalyst and catalyst/ZrO? sol washcoat samples are 62 and 108 ± 2 m2g?1, respectively. The intensities of Cu content from XRD and XPS data indicate that Al?O? with Cu species to form CuAl?O?. The EXAFS data reveals that the Cu species in washcoat samples have Cu-O bonding with a bond distance of 1.88 ± 0.02 ? and the coordination number is 3.46 ± 0.05, respectively. Moreover, a hydrogen production rate of 2.16 L h?1 is obtained and the corresponding methanol conversion is 98% at 543 K using the CuO/ZnO with ZrO? sol washcoat catalyst.     

CO2 emission free co-generation of energy and ethylene in hydrocarbon SOFC reactors with a dehydrogenation anode

A dehydrogenation anode is reported for hydrocarbon proton conducting solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). A Cu-Cr(2)O(3) nanocomposite is obtained from CuCrO(2) nanoparticles as an inexpensive, efficient, carbon deposition and sintering tolerant anode catalyst. A SOFC reactor is fabricated using a Cu-Cr(2)O(3) composite as a dehydrogenation anode and a doped barium cerate as a proton conducting electrolyte. The protonic membrane SOFC reactor can selectively convert ethane to valuable ethylene, and electricity is simultaneously generated in the electrochemical oxidative dehydrogenation process. While there are no CO(2) emissions, traces of CO are present in the anode exhaust when the SOFC reactor is operated at over 700 °C. A mechanism is proposed for ethane electro-catalytic dehydrogenation over the Cu-Cr(2)O(3) catalyst. The SOFC reactor also has good stability for co-generation of electricity and ethylene at 700 °C.