Modeling and analysis of air combustion and steam regeneration in methanol to olefins processes

Light olefins is the incredibly important materials in chemical industry.Methanol to olefins(MTO),which provides a non-oil route for light olefins production,received considerable attention in the past decades.However,the catalyst deactivation is an inevitable feature in MTO processes,and regeneration,therefore,is one of the key steps in industrial MTO processes.Traditionally the MTO catalyst is regenerated by removing the deposited coke via air combustion,which unavoidably transforms coke into carbon dioxide and reduces the carbon utilization efficiency.Recent study shows that the coke species over MTO catalyst can be regenerated via steam,which can promote the light olefins yield as the deactivated coke species can be essentially transferred to industrially useful synthesis gas,is a promising pathway for further MTO processes development.In this work,we modelled and analyzed these two MTO regeneration methods in terms of carbon utilization efficiency and technology economics.As shown,the steam regeneration could achieve a carbon utilization efficiency of 84.31%,compared to 74.74%for air combustion regeneration.The MTO processes using steam regeneration can essentially achieve the near-zero carbon emission.In addition,light olefins production of the MTO processes using steam regeneration is 12.81%higher than that using air combustion regeneration.In this regard,steam regeneration could be considered as a potential yet promising regeneration method for further MTO processes,showing not only great environmental benefits but also competitive economic performance.

Production of Light Olefins from Biosyngas by Two-stage Catalytic Conversion Process via Dimethyl Ether

NiSAPO-34 and NiSAPO-34/HZSM-5 were prepared and evaluated for the performance of dimethyl ether （DME） conversion to light olefins （DTO）. The processes of two-stage light olefin production, DME synthesis and the following DTO, were also investigated using biosyngas as feed gas over Cu/Zn/A1/HZSM-5 and the optimized 2%NiSAPO-34/HZSM- 5. The results indicated that adding 2%Ni to SAPO-34 did not change its topology structure, but resulted in the forming of the moderately strong acidity with decreasing acid amounts, which slightly enhanced DME conversion activity and C2=-C3= selectiw ity. Mechanically mixing 2%NiSAPO-34 with HZSM-5 at the weight ratio of 3.0 further prolonged DME conversion activity to be more than 3 h, which was due to the stable acid sites from HZSM-5. The highest selectivity to light olefins of 90.8% was achieved at 2 h time on stream. The application of the optimized 2%NiSAPO-34/HZSM-5 in the second-stage reactor for DTO reaction showed that the catalytic activity was steady for more than 5 h and light olefin yield was as high as 84.6 g/m3syngas when the biosyngas （H2/CO/CO2/N2/CH4=41.5/26.9/14.2/14.6/2.89, vol%） with low H/C ratio of 1.0 was used as feed gas.

Systematic variation of the sodium/sulfur promoter content on carbon-supported iron catalysts for the Fischer–Tropsch to olefins reaction

The Fischer–Tropsch to olefins（FTO） process is a method for the direct conversion of synthesis gas to lower C–Colefins. Carbon-supported iron carbide nanoparticles are attractive catalysts for this reaction.The catalytic activity can be improved and undesired formation of alkanes can be suppressed by the addition of sodium and sulfur as promoters but the influence of their content and ratio remains poorly understood and the promoted catalysts often suffer from rapid deactivation due to particle growth. A series of carbon black-supported iron catalysts with similar iron content and nominal sodium/sulfur loadings of 1–30/0.5–5 wt% with respect to iron are prepared and characterized under FTO conditions at 1and 10 bar syngas pressure to illuminate the influence of the promoter level on the catalytic properties.Iron particles and promoters undergo significant reorganization during FTO operation under industrially relevant conditions. Low sodium content（1–3 wt%） leads to a delay in iron carbide formation. Sodium contents of 15–30 wt% lead to rapid loss of catalytic activity due to the covering of the iron surface with promoters during particle growth under FTO operation. Higher activity and slower loss of activity are observed at low promoter contents（1–3 wt% sodium and 0.5–1 wt% sulfur） but a minimum amount of alkali is required to effectively suppress methane and C–Cparaffin formation. A reference catalyst support（carbide-derived carbon aerogel） shows that the optimum promoter level depends on iron particle size and support pore structure.

Effects of zinc on Fe-based catalysts during the synthesis of light olefins from the Fischer-Tropsch process

Fe‐based catalysts for the production of light olefins via the Fischer‐Tropsch synthesis were modi‐fied by adding a Zn promoter using both microwave‐hydrothermal and impregnation methods. The physicochemical properties of the resulting catalysts were determined by scanning electron mi‐croscopy, the Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller method, X‐ray diffraction, H2 temperature‐programed re‐duction and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results demonstrate that the addition of a Zn promoter improves both the light olefin selectivity over the catalyst and the catalyst stability. The catalysts prepared via the impregnation method, which contain greater quantities of surface ZnO, exhibit severe carbon deposition following activity trials. In contrast, those materials synthesized using the microwave‐hydrothermal approach show improved dispersion of Zn and Fe phases and decreased carbon deposition, and so exhibit better CO conversion and stability.

Catalytic Transformation of Bio-oil to Olefins with Molecular Sieve Catalysts

Catalytic conversion of bio-oil into light olefins was performed by a series of molecular sieve catalysts, including HZSM-5, MCM-41, SAPO-34 and Y-zeolite. Based on the light olefins yield and its carbon selectivity, the production of light olefins decreased in the following order： HZSM-5〉SAPO-34〉MCM-41〉Y-zeolite. The highest olefins yield from bio-oil using HZSM- 5 catalyst reached 0.22 kg/kgbio-oil with carbon selectivity of 50.7% and a nearly complete bio-oil conversion. The reaction conditions and catalyst characterization were investigated in detail to reveal the relationship between the catalyst structure and the production of olefins. The comparison between the pyrolysis and catalytic pyrolysis of bio-oil was also performed.

In situ Synthesis of SAPO-34 Zeolites in Kaolin Microspheres for a Fluidized Methanol or Dimethyl Ether to Olefins Process

SAPO-34 zeolite is considered to be an effective catalyst for methanol or dimethyl ether conversion to olefins. In this study,we developed the in situ synthesis technology to prepare SAPO-34 zeolite in kaolin micro-spheres as a catalyst for fluidized methanol or dimethyl ether to olefins process. The silicoaluminophosphate zeolite was first time reported to be synthesized in kaolin microspheres. The SAPO-34 content of synthesized catalyst was about 22% as measured by three different quantitative methods(micropore area,X-ray fluorescence and energy dispersive spectroscopy element analysis) . Most of the SAPO-34 zeolites were in nanoscale size and distributed uniformly inside the spheres. The catalytic performance was evaluated in fixed bed and fluidized bed reactors. Compared with the conventional spray-dry catalyst,SAPO/kaolin catalyst showed superior catalytic activities,bet-ter olefin selectivities(up to 94%,exclusive coke) ,and very good hydrothermal stability. The in situ synthesis of SAPO-34 in kaolin microspheres is a facile and economically feasible way to prepare more effective catalyst for fluidized MTO/DTO(methanol to olefins/dimethyl ether to olefins) process.

Iron-based Fischer–Tropsch synthesis of lower olefins: The nature of χ-Fe_5C_2 catalyst and why and how to introduce promoters

As a sustainable and short-flow process, iron-catalyzed direct conversion of CO-rich syngas to lower olefins without intermediate steps, i.e., Fischer–Tropsch-to-Olefins (FTO), has received increasing attention. However, its fundamental understanding is usually limited by the complex crystal phase composition in addition to the interferences of the promoter effects and inevitable catalyst deactivation. Until recently, the combination of multiple in-situ/ex-situ characterizations and theoretical studies has evidenced Hägg iron carbide (χ-Fe5C2) as the dominant active phase of iron-based Fischer–Tropsch catalysts. This perspective attempts to review and discuss some recent progresses on the nature of χ-Fe5C2catalyst and the crucial effects of promoters on the FTO performance from theoretical and experimental viewpoints, aiming to provide new insights into the rational design of iron-based FTO catalysts. © 2016 Science Press

Preparation of modified Ce-SAPO-34 catalysts and their catalytic performances of methanol to olefins

The modified Ce-SAPO-34 catalysts were prepared with three methods, i.e., the liquid ion exchange with air calcination, impregnation with air calcination and impregnation with steam calcination methods. The catalytic performances of the catalysts for methanol to olefins were investigated. The properties of the catalysts were characterized using XRD, BET, XRF, FT-IR and NH3-TPD. The results indicated that compared to the SAPO-34 catalyst the catalyst prepared with the impregnation and air calcination prolonged the lifetime by 40 min and improved the selectivity to ethylene by 5% （mol） and the catalyst prepared with the impregnation and steam calcination showed the best modification effect, prolonging the lifetime by 70 min and improving the ethylene selectivity by 10% （mol）. The catalyst prepared with the liquid ion exchange showed similar behaviour as the SAPO-34 catalyst. It was verified that the porous structure and surface acidity of these catalysts determined their catalytic behaviors.

Study on the deactivation and regeneration of the ZSM-5 catalyst used in methanol to olefins

ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst modified by a trace of metal cations shows high activity and high selectivity for the reaction of methanol to olefins （MTO）, but it inclines to deactivate during the reaction. In this paper, the mechanism of the catalyst deactivation and the regeneration method were studied by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, N2 adsorption-desorption, infrared spectra （IR）, and infrared spectra coupled with NH3 molecular probes （IR-NH3）. These characterizations indicated that coke formation was the main reason for the catalyst deactivation. To regenerate the deactivated catalyst, two methods, i.e., calcination and methanol leaching, were used. N2 adsorption-desorption, IR and IR-NH3 characteriza-tions showed that both methods can eliminate coke deposited on the catalyst and make the catalyst reactivated. XRD showed that the structure of the catalyst did not change after regeneration. Interestingly, the regenerated catalyst even showed better catalytic performance of the MTO reaction than the fresh one. Besides, the calcination regeneration can eliminate coke more completely, however, the methanol leaching method can be more easily carried out in situ in the reactor.

Catalytic roles of the acid sites in different pore channels of H‐ZSM‐5 zeolite for methanol‐to‐olefins conversion

H‐ZSM‐5 zeolite is a typical catalyst for methanol‐to‐olefins(MTO)conversion.Although the performance of zeolite catalysts for MTO conversion is related to the actual location of acid sites in the zeolite framework,the catalytic roles of the acid sites in different pore channels of the H‐ZSM‐5 zeolite are not well understood.In this study,the MTO reaction network,involving the aromatic cycle,alkene cycle,and aromatization process,and also the diffusion behavior of methanol feedstock and olefin and aromatic products at different acid sites in the straight channel,sinusoidal channel,and intersection cavity of H‐ZSM‐5 zeolite was comparatively investigated using density functional theory calculations and molecular dynamic simulations.The results indicated that the aromatic cycle and aromatization process occurred preferentially at the acid sites in the intersection cavities with a much lower energy barrier than that at the acid sites in the straight and sinusoidal channels.In contrast,the formation of polymethylbenzenes was significantly suppressed at the acid sites in the sinusoidal and straight channels,whereas the alkene cycle can occur at all three types of acid sites with similar energy barriers and probabilities.Consequently,the catalytic performance of H‐ZSM‐5 zeolite for MTO conversion,including activity and product selectivity,can be regulated properly through the purposive alteration of the acid site distribution,viz.,the location of Al in the zeolite framework.This study helps to elucidate the relation between the catalytic performance of different acid sites in the H‐ZSM‐5 zeolite framework for MTO conversion,which should greatly benefit the design of efficient catalyst for methanol conversion.

Effect of In_(2)O_(3)particle size on CO_(2) hydrogenation to lower olefins over bifunctional catalysts

A reaction-coupling strategy is often employed for CO_(2)hydrogenation to produce fuels and chemicals using oxide/zeolite bifunctional catalysts.Because the oxide components are responsible for CO_(2)activation,understanding the structural effects of these oxides is crucial,however,these effects still remain unclear.In this study,we combined In_(2)O_(3),with varying particle sizes,and SAPO‐34 as bifunctional catalysts for CO_(2)hydrogenation.The CO_(2)conversion and selectivity of the lower olefins increased as the average In_(2)O_(3)crystallite size decreased from 29 to 19 nm;this trend mainly due to the increasing number of oxygen vacancies responsible for CO_(2) and H_(2) activation.However,In_(2)O_(3)particles smaller than 19 nm are more prone to sintering than those with other sizes.The results suggest that 19 nm is the optimal size of In_(2)O_(3)for CO_(2)hydrogenation to lower olefins and that the oxide particle size is crucial for designing catalysts with high activity,high selectivity,and high stability.

Effect of the support on cobalt carbide catalysts for sustainable production of olefins from syngas

Co2C‐based catalysts with SiO2,γ‐Al2O3,and carbon nanotubes(CNTs)as support materials were prepared and evaluated for the Fischer‐Tropsch to olefin(FTO)reaction.The combination of catalytic performance and structure characterization indicates that the cobalt‐support interaction has a great influence on the Co2C morphology and catalytic performance.The CNT support facilitates the formation of a CoMn composite oxide during calcination,and Co2C nanoprisms were observed in the spent catalysts,resulting in a product distribution that greatly deviates from the classical Anderson‐Schulz‐Flory(ASF)distribution,where only 2.4 C%methane was generated.The Co3O4 phase for SiO2‐andγ‐Al2O3‐supported catalysts was observed in the calcined sample.After reduction,CoO,MnO,and low‐valence CoMn composite oxide were generated in theγ‐Al2O3‐supported sample,and both Co2C nanospheres and nanoprisms were identified in the corresponding spent catalyst.However,only separated phases of CoO and MnO were found in the reduced sample supported by SiO2,and Co2C nanospheres were detected in the spent catalyst without the evidence of any Co2C nanoprisms.The Co2C nanospheres led to a relatively high methane selectivity of 5.8 C%and 12.0 C%of theγ‐Al2O3‐and SiO2‐supported catalysts,respectively.These results suggest that a relatively weak cobalt‐support interaction is necessary for the formation of the CoMn composite oxide during calcination,which benefits the formation of Co2C nanoprisms with promising catalytic performance for the sustainable production of olefins via syngas.

TiO_2 supported cobalt-manganese nano catalysts for light olefins production from syngas

Cobalt-manganese nano catalysts were prepared by sol-gel method. This research investigated the effects of different cobalt-manganese （Co/Mn = 1/1） loading, pH and calcination conditions on the catalytic performance of Co-Mn/TiO2 catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis （FTS） in a fixed bed reactor. It was found that the catalyst containing 30wt%（Co-Mn）/TiO2 was an optimal catalyst for the conversion of synthesis gas to light olefins especially propylene. The activity and selectivity of optimal catalyst were studied under different operational conditions. The results showed that the best operational conditions were H2/CO = 1/1 molar feed ratio at 250 ℃ and GHSV = 1300 h-1 un- der atmospheric pressure. Characterization of catalysts was carried out by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, N2 adsorption-desorlation measurements.

Study on Catalytic Cracking of Cyclohexane to Produce Light Olefins

Catalytic cracking of cyclohexane(CHA) over ZSM-5, Beta, and USY zeolite catalysts was examined in a fixed fluidized bed reactor(ACE) at 773 K. The adsorption of cyclohexane in ZSM-5, Beta, and USY catalysts was investigated by IR spectroscopy. The IR results demonstrated that the zeolite structure has a remarkable influence on adsorption. Beta zeolite has stronger adsorption of cyclohexane than ZSM-5 and USY zeolites. During the cracking of cyclohexane, path Ⅰ(cyclohexane →methycyclopentane →light olefins) and path Ⅱ(cyclohexane → cyclohexene → light olefins) were found as two important reaction pathways to produce light olefins. A mixture of ZSM-5 and Beta zeolites is better suited for path Ⅰ, and a combination of ZSM-5 and USY zeolites is suitable for path Ⅱ. When pathway Ⅰ and pathway Ⅱ had the same proportion in cyclohexane conversion, pathway Ⅱ would be a better choice for light olefins production.

Empirical modeling of normal/cyclo-alkanes pyrolysis to produce light olefins

Due to the complexity of feedstock,it is challenging to build a general model for light olefins production.This work was intended to simulate the formation of ethylene,propene and 1,3-butadiene in alkanes pyrolysis by referring the effects of normal/cyclo-structures.First,the pyrolysis of n-pentane,n-hexane,n-heptane,n-octane,n-nonane,n-decane,cyclohexane,methylcyclohexane,n-hexane and cyclohexane mixtures,and n-heptane and methylcyclohexane mixtures were carried out at 650–800℃,and a particular attention was paid to the measurement of ethylene,propene and 1,3-butadiene.Then,pseudo-first order kinetics was taken to characterize the pyrolysis process,and the effects of feedstock composition were studied.It was found that chain length and cyclo-alkane content can be qualitatively and quantitively represented by carbon atom number and pseudo-cyclohexane content,which made a significant difference on light olefins formation.Furthermore,the inverse proportional/quadratic function,linear function and exponential function were proposed to simulate the effects of chain length,cycloalkane content and reaction temperature on light olefins formation,respectively.Although the obtained empirical model well reproduced feedstock conversion,ethylene yield and propene yield in normal/cycloalkanes pyrolysis,it exhibited limitations in simulating 1,3-butadiene formation.Finally,the accuracy and flexibility of the present model was validated by predicting light olefins formation in the pyrolysis of multiple hydrocarbon mixtures.The prediction data well agreed with the experiment data for feedstock conversion,ethylene yield and propene yield,and overall characterized the changing trend of 1,3-butadiene yield along with reaction temperature,indicating that the present model could basically reflect light olefins production in the pyrolysis process even for complex feedstock.

Fe-modified HZSM-5 catalysts for ethanol conversion into light olefins

A series of Fe/HZSM-5 catalysts with different iron loadings were prepared by impregnation method.Characterization was performed by N2 adsorption-desorption,X-ray diffraction（XRD）,NH3 temperature-programmed desorption（NH3-TPD）,temperature-programmed reduction （TPR）,temperature-programmed oxidation（TPO）and thermogravimetry（TG）analysis.Iron content in the synthesized samples varied from 1.1 wt%to 20 wt%.The obtained samples have been used for ethanol conversion into light olefins.It was found that the amount of strong acidity at 300 -5 50-C on Fe-modified samples was decreased,going with another new acid site appearance at 550- 600-C and that Fe/HZSM-5 catalysts were highly selective towards light olefins,especially the 9FZ sample.In addition,Fe-modified catalysts suppressed the conversion of ethanol to aromatics and paraffins and enhanced their anti-carbon deposit ability.

ZSM-5/MAPO Composite Catalyst for Converting Methanol to Olefins in a Two-Stage Unit with a Dimethyl Ether Pre-Reactor

A ZSM-5/MAPO composite catalyst was prepared by adding ZSM-5 zeolite powder to a conventional molecular sieve synthesis system, followed by modification with NH_4H_2PO_4. The samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, IR, NH_3-TPD, and BET analyses. The catalytic property of the samples toward the methanol-to-olefin(MTO) reaction was evaluated in a connected in series two-stage unit equipped with a continuous flow(once-through) fixed-bed tubular reactor similar to an industrial reactor. The first reactor mainly converted methanol into dimethyl ether and water, followed by being subject to continuous reaction in the second reactor, in which DME was converted to hydrocarbons. The composites exhibited the typical framework topology of MFI, AEI and AFI, which represented the ZSM-5 zeolite, the molecular sieves AlPO-18 or SAPO-18, AlPO-5 or SAPO-5, respectively. The composites showed several advantages for optimizing the zeolite acidity, enhancing the mass transfer, and restraining the side reactions. Catalytic reaction results showed that the composites exhibited higher selectivity to light olefins(84.0%) and lower selectivity to C_2―C_4 alkanes and C_5^+ hydrocarbons than pure ZSM-5. Moreover, the composite zeolite loaded with 3% of P demonstrated improved catalytic activity and stability for the conversion of methanol to propylene, because the coking rate was obviously suppressed.

Targeted Catalytic Cracking to Olefins(TCO):Reaction Mechanism,Production Scheme,and Process Perspectives

Light olefins are important organic building blocks in the chemicals industry.The main low-carbon olefin production methods,such as catalytic cracking and steam cracking,have considerable room for improvement in their utilization of hydrocarbons.This review provides a thorough overview of recent studies on catalytic cracking,steam cracking,and the conversion of crude oil processes.To maximize the production of light olefins and reduce carbon emissions,the perceived benefits of various technologies are examined.Taking olefin generation and conversion as a link to expand upstream and downstream processes,a targeted catalytic cracking to olefins(TCO)process is proposed to meet current demands for the transformation of oil refining into chemical production.The main innovations of this process include a multiple feedstock supply,the development of medium-sized catalysts,and a diameter-transformed fluidizedbed reactor with different feeding schemes.In combination with other chemical processes,TCO is expected to play a critical role in enabling petroleum refining and chemical processes to achieve low carbon dioxide emissions.

Boosting CO_(2) hydrogenation to high-value olefins with highly stable performance over Ba and Na co-modified Fe catalyst

CO_(2)hydrogenation has been considered to be a highly promising route for the production of high-value olefins(HVOs)while also mitigating CO_(2)emissions.However,it is challenging to achieve high selectivity and maintain stable performance for HVOs(ethylene,propylene,and linear a-olefins)over a prolonged reaction time due to the difficulty in precise control of carbon coupling and rapid catalyst deactivation.Herein,we present a selective Ba and Na co-modified Fe catalyst enriched with Fe_(5)C_(2)and Fe_(3)C active sites that can boost HVO synthesis with up to 66.1%selectivity at an average CO_(2)conversion of 38%for over 500 h.Compared to traditional NaFe catalyst,the combined effect of Ba and Na additives in the NaBaFe-0.5 catalyst suppressed excess oxidation of FeCxsites by H_(2)O.The absence of Fe3O4phase in the spent NaBaFe-0.5 catalyst reflects the stabilization effect of the co-modifiers on the FeCxsites.This study provides a strategy to design Fe-based catalysts that can be scaled up for the stable synthesis of HVOs from CO_(2)hydrogenation.

Kinetics of steam regeneration of SAPO-34 zeolite catalyst in methanol-to-olefins(MTO) process

Methanol-to-olefins(MTO)is industrially applied to produce ethylene and propylene using methanol converted from coal,synthetic gas,and biomass.SAPO-34 zeolites,as the most efficient catalyst in MTO process,are subject to the rapid deactivation due to coke deposition.Recent work shows that steam regeneration can provide advantages such as low carbon dioxide emission and enhanced light olefins yield in MTO process,compared to that by air regeneration.A kinetic study on the steam regeneration of spent SAPO-34 catalyst has been carried out in this work.In doing so,we first investigated the effect of temperature on the regeneration performance by monitoring the crystal structure,acidity,residual coke properties and other structural parameters.The results show that with the increase of regeneration temperature,the compositions of residual coke on the catalyst change from pyrene and phenanthrene to naphthalene,which are normally considered as active hydrocarbon pool species in MTO reaction.However,when the regeneration temperature is too high,nitrogen oxides can be found in the residual coke.Meanwhile,as the regeneration temperature increases,the quantity of residual coke reduces and the acidity,BET surface area and pore structure of the regenerated samples can be better recovered,resulting in prolonging catalyst lifetime.We have further derived the kinetics of steam regeneration,and obtained an activation energy of about 177.8 kJ·mol^(-1).Compared that with air regeneration,the activation energy of steam regeneration is higher,indicating that the steam regeneration process is more difficult to occur.