Flexible Ni-based structured catalysts for ethylene production through ODH of ethane.

J. P. BORTOLOZZI; E. D. BANÚS; N. L. COURTALÓN; M. A. ULLA; V. G. MILT; E. E. MIRÓ

Donostia - San Sebastián

Congreso; 5th International Conference on Structured Catalysts and Reactors (ICOSCAR 5); 2016

Universidad del País Vasco

Ethylene is a valuable intermediate in actual chemical industry because it is a building block employed to synthesize polymers and fibers. It is mainly produced by steam cracking of naphtha or ethane, which require very high operating temperatures. Therefore, less energy-demanding alternatives to obtain this olefin are under research. Among them, the catalytic oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane (ODHE) is a promising route. This reaction is not thermodynamically limited and it can be operated with lower temperatures, allowing a significant energy saving. Powder catalysts are difficult to apply in a commercial scale plant. However, their deposition on a substrate to build a structured system could make it possible. An example of substrates are ceramic papers that have characteristic advantages as versatility and flexibility. They also provide a porous structure that favors the diffusion of reactants and products. The results show that Ni and NiZr catalysts contain nickel oxide as active phase and show high activity in the ODH of ethane reaction. The addition of Zr modifies the structure of NiO and affects the catalytic behavior as well as the concentration of the precursor solutions and the incorporation of short zirconia fibers.