New nanophase iron-based catalysts for hydrocracking applications

摘要

Development of highly efficient iron-based materials for processes involving carbon-carbon bond cleavage, including petroleum hydrocracking and coal liquefaction, offers the potential for decreasing catalyst costs as well as reducing the need for expensive catalyst recovery and recycling steps. Carbon-carbon bond cleavage catalysts produced in situ at reaction conditions from nanocrystalline hydrated iron oxides, show high activity and selectivity in model compound studies. Two highly active catalyst precursors, ferric oxyhydroxysulfate (OHS) and 6-line ferrihydrite, can be produced by a flow-through hydrothermal powder synthesis method, the Rapid Thermal Decomposition of precursors in Solution (RTDS) process. Model compound studies indicate that both catalyst precursors are active at a 400 C reaction temperature, but that there are significant differences in their catalytic characteristics. The activity of 6-line ferrihydrite is highly dependent on the particle (aggregate) size whereas the activity of the OHS is essentially independent of particle size. These differences are attributed to variations in the crystallite aggregation and particle surface characteristics of the two catalyst precursor materials. Catalytic activity is retained to lower reaction temperatures in tests using OHS than in similar tests using 6-line ferrihydrite.