Study of Adsorptive Ethylene/Ethane Separation with Ag^+-Exchanged Resins via π-Complexation

Ag^+-exchanged resins are prepared and studied for ethylene/ethaneseparation by adsorption. On Ag^+-exchanged S9, at 25 deg. C and0.1013 Mpa, the equilibrium adsorbed amount for C_2H_4 is 0.992 mmol·g^-1, and The adsorption ratio for C_2H_4/C_2H_6 is 3.56. Theadsorption capacity can be restored almost completely at 25 deg. CAnd 75 deg. C, and the desorption residual amount is less than 0.01mmol·g^-1. For the adsorption consisting of physical Adsorption andπ-complexation with energy heterogeneity, the equilibrium data arecorrelated with Langmuir- Freundlich isotherm equation.

Effect of Zeolite 5A Particle Size on Its Performance for Adsorptive Separation of Ethylene/Ethane

The adsorptive separation of ethylene from ethane exhibits a less energy-intensive-alternative technique with development potential among all processes for separation of ethylene/ethane currently. In this approach, zeolite 5 A with different particle sizes ranging from 3 340 nm to 440 nm was prepared by hydrothermal synthesis. The effect of particle size on the adsorptive separation performance of zeolite 5 A was investigated. The results show that the particle size has a significant effect on the ethylene IAST(Ideal Adsorbed Solution Theory) selectivity of zeolite 5 A. The zeolite 5 A with a particle size of 710 nm demonstrated the highest ethylene selectivity(5.6). The relatively high crystallinity of zeolite 5 A is in favor of massive adsorption capacities of ethylene and ethane.

Ca_(2)MnO_(4)-layered perovskite modified by NaNO_(3)for chemical-looping oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene

Chemical-looping oxidative dehydrogenation(CL-ODH)is a process designed for the conversion of alkanes into olefins through cyclic redox reactions,eliminating the need for gaseous O_(2).In this work,we investigated the use of Ca_(2)MnO_(4)-layered perovskites modified with NaNO_(3) dopants,serving as redox catalysts(also known as oxygen carriers),for the CL-ODH of ethane within a temperature range of 700-780℃.Our findings revealed that the incorporation of NaNO_(3) as a modifier significantly-nhanced the selectivity for-thylene generation from Ca_(2)MnO_(4).At 750℃and a gas hourly space velocity of 1300 h^(-1),we achieved an-thane conversion up to 68.17%,accompanied by a corresponding-thylene yield of 57.39%.X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis unveiled that the doping NaNO_(3) onto Ca_(2)MnO_(4) not only played a role in reducing the oxidation state of Mn ions but also increased the lattice oxygen content of the redox catalyst.Furthermore,formation of NaNO_(3) shell on the surface of Ca_(2)MnO_(4) led to a reduction in the concentration of manganese sites and modulated the oxygen-releasing behavior in a step-wise manner.This modulation contributed significantly to the enhanced selectivity for ethylene of the NaNO_(3)-doped Ca_(2)MnO_(4) catalyst.These findings provide compelling evidence for the potential of Ca_(2)MnO_(4)-layered perovskites as promising redox catalysts in the context of CL-ODH reactions.

Boosting kinetic separation of ethylene and ethane on microporous materials via crystal size control

The adsorptive separation of C_(2)H_(4)and C_(2)H_(6),as an alternative to distillation units consuming high energy,is a promising yet challenging research.The great similarity in the molecular size of C_(2)H_(4)and C_(2)H_(6)brings challenges to the regulation of adsorbents to realize efficient dynamic separation.Herein,we reported the enhancement of the kinetic separation of C_(2)H_(4)/C_(2)H_(6)by controlling the crystal size of ZnAtzPO_(4)(Atz=3-amino-1,2,4-triazole)to amplify the diffusion difference of C_(2)H_(4)and C_(2)H_(6).Through adjusting the synthesis temperature,reactant concentration,and ligands/metal ions molar ratio,ZnAtzPO4 crystals with different sizes were obtained.Both single-component kinetic adsorption tests and binary-component dynamic breakthrough experiments confirmed the enhancement of the dynamic separation of C_(2)H_(4)/C_(2)H_(6)with the increase in the crystal size of ZnAtzPO_(4).The separation selectivity of C_(2)H_(4)/C_(2)H_(6)increased from 1.3 to 98.5 with the increase in the crystal size of ZnAtzPO_(4).This work demonstrated the role of morphology and size control of adsorbent crystals in the improvement of the C_(2)H_(4)/C_(2)H_(6)kinetic separation performance.

Selective oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene over a hydroxylated boron nitride catalyst

Boron nitride containing hydroxyl groups efficiently catalysed oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene,offering rather high selectivity（95%） but only small amount of CO2 formation（0.4%） at a given ethane conversion of 11%.Even at high conversion level of 63%,the selectivity of ethylene retained at 80%,which is competitive with the energy-demanding industrialized steam cracking route.A long-term test for 200 h resulted in stable conversion and product selectivity,showing the excellent catalytic stability.Both experimental and computational studies have identified that the hydrogen abstraction of B-OH groups by molecular oxygen dynamically generated the active sites and triggered ethane dehydrogenation.

Reaction pathways and selectivity in the chemo-catalytic conversion of cellulose and its derivatives to ethylene glycol:A review

Biomass-to-ethylene glycol is an effective means to achieve high-value utilisation of cellulose but is hindered by low conversion efficiency and poor catalyst activity and stability.Glucose and cellobiose are derivatives of cellulose conversion to ethylene glycol,and it is found that studying the reaction process of both can help to understand the reaction mechanism of cellulose.It is desirable to develop a reusable,highly active catalyst to convert cellulose into ethylene glycol.This ideal catalyst might have one or more active sites described the conversion steps above.Here,we discuss the catalyst development of celluloseto-ethylene glycol,including tungsten,tin,lanthanide,and other transition metal catalysts,and special attention is given to the reaction mechanism and kinetics for preparing ethylene glycol from cellulose,and the economic advantages of biomass-to-ethylene glycol are briefly introduced.The insights given in this review will facilitate further development of efficient catalysts,for addressing the global energy crisis and climate change related to the use of fossil fuels.

Enhanced Ethylene Production from Electrocatalytic Acetylene Semi-hydrogenation Over Porous Carbon-Supported Cu Nanoparticles

Electrocatalytic semi-hydrogenation of acetylene(C_(2)H_(2))over copper nanoparticles(Cu NPs)offers a promising non-petroleum alternative for the green production of ethylene(C2H4).However,server hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)competition in this process prominently decreases C2H4 selectivity,thereby hindering its practical application.Herein,a Cu-based composite catalyst,wherein porous carbon with nanoscale pores was used as a support,is constructed to gather the C_(2)H_(2) feedstocks for suppressing the undesirable HER.As a result,the as-prepared catalyst exhibited C_(2)H_(2) conversion of 27.1%and C_(2)H_(4) selectivity of 88.4%at a C2H4 partial current density of 0.25 A/cm^(2) under optimal−1.0 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode(RHE)under the simulated coal-derived C_(2)H_(2) atmosphere,significantly outperforming the single Cu NPs counterparts.In addition,a series of in situ and ex situ experimental results show that not only the porous nature of the carbon support but also the stabilized Cu^(0)–Cu^(+) dual active sites through the strong metal–support interactions enhance the adsorption capacity of C_(2)H_(2),leading to high C_(2)H_(2) partial pressure,restraining the HER and thus improving the C2H4 selectivity.

B-COPNA resin formation from ethylene tar light fractions:Process development and mechanical exploration by molecular simulation

An efficient utilization strategy of ethylene tar(ET),the main by-product of the ethylene cracking unit,is urgently required to meet demands for modern petrochemical industry.On the other hand,condensed polynuclear aromatic resin of moderate condensation degree(B-COPNA)is a widely used carbon material due to its superb processability,the production of which is,however,seriously limited by the high cost of raw materials.Under such context,an interesting strategy was proposed in this study for producing B-COPNA resin using crosslinked light fractions of ethylene tar(ETLF,boiling point<260℃)facilitated by molecular simulation.1,4-Benzenedimethanol(PXG)was first selected as the crosslinking agent according to the findings of molecular simulation.The effects of operating conditions,including reactions temperature,crosslinking agent,and catalyst content on the softening point and yield of B-COPNA resin products were then investigated to optimize the process.The reaction mechanism of resin production was studied by analyzing the molecular structure and transition state of ETLF and crosslinking agents.It was shown that PXG exhibited a superior capacity of withdrawing electrons and a higher electrophilic reactivity than other crosslinking agents.In addition to the highest yield and greatest heat properties,PXG-prepared resin contained the most condensed aromatics.The corresponding optimized conditions of resin preparation were 180℃,1:1.9(PXG:ETLF),and 3%(mass)of catalyst content with a resin yield of 78.57%.It was the electrophilic substitution reaction that occurred between the ETLF and crosslinking agent molecules that were responsible for the resin formation,according to the experimental characterization and molecular simulation.Hence,it was confirmed that the proposed strategy and demonstrated process can achieve a clean and high value-added utilization of ETLF via B-COPNA resin preparation,bringing huge economic value to the current petrochemical industry.

Unraveling the incompatibility mechanism of ethylene carbonate-based electrolytes in sodium metal anodes

Ethylene carbonate(EC)is widely used in lithium-ion batteries due to its optimal overall performance with satisfactory conductivity,relatively stable solid electrolyte interphase(SEI),and wide electrochemical window.EC is also the most widely used electrolyte solvent in sodium ion batteries.However,compared to lithium metal,sodium metal(Na)shows higher activity and reacts violently with EC-based electrolyte(NaPF_(6)as solute),which leads to the failure of sodium metal batteries(SMBs).Herein,we reveal the electrochemical instability mechanism of EC on sodium metal battery,and find that the com-bination of EC and NaPF_(6) is electrically reduced in sodium metal anode during charging,resulting in the reduction of the first coulombic efficiency,and the continuous consumption of electrolyte leads to the cell failure.To address the above issues,an additive modified linear carbonate-based electrolyte is provided as a substitute for EC based electrolytes.Specifically,ethyl methyl carbonate(EMC)and dimethyl carbon-ate(DMC)as solvents and fluoroethylene carbonate(FEC)as SEI-forming additive have been identified as the optimal solvent for NaFP_(6)based electrolyte and used in Na_(4)Fe_(3)(PO_(4))_(2)(P_(2)O_(7))/Na batteries.The batter-ies exhibit excellent capacity retention rate of about 80%over 1000 cycles at a cut-off voltage of 4.3 V.

Synthesis of Branched Polyethylene via Bulky α-Diimine Nickel(II)-Catalyzed Ethylene Chain-Walking Polymerization

The catalysis of olefin polymerization through the chain-walking process is a subject of great interest. In this contribution, the successful synthesis of a Brookhart-type unsymmetrical α-diimine nickel catalyst Ni, which contains both dibenzhydryl and phenyl groups, was determined by X-ray crystallography. The compound has a pseudo-tetrahedral geometry at the Ni center, showing pseudo-C2-symmetry. Upon activation with modified methylaluminoxane (MMAO), Ni1 exhibits high catalytic activity up to 1.02 × 107 g PE (mol Ni h)−1 toward ethylene polymerization, enabling the synthesis of high molecular weight branched polyethylene. The molecular weights and branching densities could be tuned over a very wide range. The polymerization results indicated the possibility of precise microstructure control, depending on the polymerization temperature. The branching densities were decreased with increasing the polymerization temperature.

Stoichiometry and Stability Constant Values for Copper (II) Chelates with Ethylene Diamine in Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES) (Ethaline) Solutions

In this study we used the deep eutectic solvents (ionic liquids) to investigate the reaction between copper (II) with ethylene diamine (en). Two of the existing methods for analyzing spectrophotometric measurements have been applied for establishing, the stoichiometry and whenever possible, the stability constants of the chelates formed. The method of continuous variations was necessary to determine first whether, the metal ion and the ligand ethylene diamine form one or more than one chelate, when more than one chelate formed, the results obtained depend on the wavelength and for meaningful conclusions the wavelengths were carefully selected. The empirical formulae of the chelates were further substantiated by the molar ratio method. The effect of time and temperature on the formation and stability of these chelates in solution is also studied. The stability constants, K1 and K2 for the copper (II) chelates were calculated, though reliable, and are comparable to literature values.

Novel sandwich structured glass fiber Cloth/Poly(ethylene oxide)-MXene composite electrolyte

Recently,poly(ethylene oxide)(PEO)-based solid polymer electrolytes have been attracting great attention,and efforts are currently underway to develop PEO-based composite electrolytes for next generation high performance all-solid-state lithium metal batteries.In this article,a novel sandwich structured solid-state PEO composite electrolyte is developed for high performance all-solid-state lithium metal batteries.The PEO-based composite electrolyte is fabricated by hot-pressing PEO,LiTFSI and Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) MXene nanosheets into glass fiber cloth(GFC).The as-prepared GFC@PEO-MXene electrolyte shows high mechanical properties,good electrochemical stability,and high lithium-ion migration number,which indicates an obvious synergistic effect from the microscale GFC and the nanoscale MXene.Such as,the GFC@PEO-1 wt%MXene electrolyte shows a high tensile strength of 43.43 MPa and an impressive Young's modulus of 496 MPa,which are increased by 1205%and 6048%over those of PEO.Meanwhile,the ionic conductivity of GFC@PEO-1 wt%MXene at 60℃ reaches 5.01×10^(-2) S m^(-1),which is increased by around 200%compared with that of GFC@PEO electrolyte.In addition,the Li/Li symmetric battery based on GFC@PEO-1 wt%MXene electrolyte shows an excellent cycling stability over 800 h(0.3 mA cm^(-2),0.3 mAh cm^(-2)),which is obviously longer than that based on PEO and GFC@PEO electrolytes due to the better compatibility of GFC@PEO-1 wt%MXene electrolyte with Li anode.Furthermore,the solid-state Li/LiFePO_(4) battery with GFC@PEO-1 wt%MXene as electrolyte demonstrates a high capacity of 110.2–166.1 mAh g^(-1) in a wide temperature range of 25–60C,and an excellent capacity retention rate.The developed sandwich structured GFC@PEO-1 wt%MXene electrolyte with the excellent overall performance is promising for next generation high performance all-solid-state lithium metal batteries.

Surface Acidity/Basicity and Catalytic Reactivity of CeO2/7-Al2O3 Catalysts for the Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Ethane with Carbon Dioxide to Ethylene

Dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene in CO_2 was investigated overCeO_2/γ-Al_2O_3 catalysts at 700℃ in a conventional flow reactor operating at atmosphericpressure. XRD, BET and microcalori-metric adsorption techniques were used to characterize thestructure and surface acidity/basicity of the CeO_2/γ-Al_2O_3 catalysts. The results show that thesurface acidity decreased while the surface basicity increased after the addition of CeO_2 toγ-Al_2O_3. Accordingly, the activity of the hydrogenation reaction of CO_2 increased, which mightbe responsible for the enhanced conversion in the dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene. The highestethane conversion obtained was about 15% for the 25%CeO_2/γ-Al_2O_3. The selectivity to ethylenewas high for all the CeO_2, γ-Al_2O_3 and CeO2/γ-Al_2O_3 catalysts.

Promoted catalytic performances of highly dispersed V-doped SBA-16 catalysts for oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene

V-doped SBA-16 catalysts (V-SBA-16) with 3D nanocage mesopores have been successfully synthesized by a modified one-pot method under weak acid condition. The obtained materials were characterized by means of small angle XRD, N2adsorption–desorption, TEM, UV–Vis and UV-Raman spectroscopy. These characterization results indicated that well-order mesoporous structures were maintained even at higher vanadium loadings and high concentration of VOxspecies were incorporated into the framework of SBA-16 support. The catalytic performances of V-SBA-16, V/SBA-16 and V/SiO2catalysts were comparatively investigated for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene. The highest selectivity to ethylene of 63.3% and ethylene yield of 25.6% were obtained over 1.0V-SBA-16 catalyst. The superior catalytic performance of V-SBA-16 catalysts could be attributed to the presence of isolated framework VOxspecies, the unique structure of SBA-16 support and weak acidity. Moreover, V/SiO2catalyst exhibited relatively poor catalytic activity duo to the formation of V2O5nanoparticles on the surface of SiO2support and the low dispersion of VOxspecies. These results indicated that the catalytic performances of the studied catalysts were strongly dependent on the vanadium loading, the nature and neighboring environment of VOxspecies and the structure of support. © 2016

Polyvinyl Acetate and Vinyl Acetate-Ethylene Hybrid Adhesive: Synthesis, Characterization, and Properties

The goal is to develop a hybrid IPN network of polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) and ethylene-vinyl acetate (VAE). In this research work, the vinyl acetate (VAc)/ VAE hybrid emulsion and polyvinyl acetate emulsion (PVAc) were effectively synthesized. Emulsions with various characteristics have been developed by adjusting the weight ratios between the vinyl acetate monomer and the VAE component. The impacts on the mechanical, thermal, and physical properties of the films were investigated using tests for pencil hardness, tensile shear strength, pH, contact angle measurement, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and viscosity. When 5.0 weight percent VAE was added, the tensile shear strength in dry conditions decreased by 18.75% after a 24-hour bonding period, the heat resistance decreased by 26.29% (as per WATT 91) and the tensile shear strength decreased by approximately 36.52% in wet conditions (per EN 204). The pristine sample’s results were also confirmed by the contact angle test. The interpenetrating network (IPN) formation in hybrid PVAc emulsion as primary bonds does not directly attach to PVAc and VAE chains. The addition of VAE reduced the mechanical properties (at dry conditions) and heat resistance as per WATT 91. Contact angle analysis demonstrated that PVAc adhesives containing VAE had increased water resistance when compared to conventional PVA stabilised PVAc homopolymer-based adhesives. When compared to virgin PVAc Homo, the water resistance of the PVAc emulsion polymerization was enhanced by the addition of VAE.

π-Complexation Mesoporous Adsorbents Cu-MCM-48 for Ethylene-Ethane Separation

Copper incorporated MCM-48 molecular sieve adsorbents with different Cu content have been hydrothermally synthesized. The samples have been characterized by various physicochemical methods, including X-ray diffraction （XRD）, nitrogen adsorption （N2） and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）. The results reveal that Cu-MCM-48 with mass fraction of copper up to 10 % can still retain the uniform mesoporous framework of MCM-48. The copper in the framework of MCM-48 was easily auto-reduced to Cu（I） in N2 at high temperature, which did not alter the mesoporous structure of MCM-48. The adsorption equilibrium isotherms of ethylene and ethane on these molecular sieve adsorbents have been measured at 30℃. At 100 kPa, the adsorption capacities of ethylene on 5Cu-MCM-48 and 10Cu-MCM-48 are higher than those on MCM-48. The 10Cu-MCM-48 molecular sieve adsorbent has a higher selective adsorption ratio of ethylene to ethane, the separation factor is 3.8, and the amount of ethylene adsorbed is 11.1 ml·g ^-1.

Reversed ethane/ethylene adsorption in a metal–organic framework via introduction of oxygen

Separation of ethane from ethylene is a very important but challenging process in the petrochemical industry.Finding an alternative method would reduce the energy needed to make 170 million tons of ethylene manufactured worldwide each year.Adsorptive separation using C2H6-selective porous materials to directly produce high-purity C2H4 is more energy-efficient.We herein report the"reversed C2H6/C2H4 adsorption"in a metal–organic framework Cr-BTC via the introduction of oxygen on its open metal sites.The oxidized Cr-BTC(O2)can bind C2H6 over C2H4 through the active Cr-superoxo sites,which was elucidated by the gas sorption isotherms and density functional theory calculations.This material thus exhibits a good performance for the separation of 50/50 C2H6/C2H4 mixtures to produce 99.99%pure C2H4 in a single separation operation.

Synergistic Effects of Nitrogen Amendments and Ethylene on Atmospheric Methane Uptake under a Temperate Old-growth Forest

An increase in atmospheric nitrogen （N） deposition can promote soil acidification, which may increase the release of ethylene （C2H4） under forest floors. Unfortunately, knowledge of whether increasing N deposition and C2H4 releases have synergistic effects on soil methane （CH4） uptake is limited and certainly deserves to be examined. We conducted some field measurements and laboratory experiments to examine this issue. The addition of （NH4）2SO4 or NH4Cl at a rate of 45 kg N ha-1 yr-1 reduced the soil CH4 uptake under a temperate old-growth forest in northeast China, and there were synergistic effects of N amendments in the presence of C2H4 concentrations equal to atmospheric CH4 concentration on the soil CH4 uptake, particularly in the NH4Cl-treated plots. Effective concentrations of added C2H4 on the soil CH4 uptake were smaller in NH＋4 -treated plots than in KNO3-treated plots. The concentration of ca 0.3 μl C2H4 L-1 in the headspace gases reduced by 20% soil atmospheric CH4 uptake in the NH4Cl-treated plots, and this concentration was easily produced in temperate forest topsoils under short-term anoxic conditions. Together with short-term stimulating effects of N amendments and soil acidification on C2H4 production from forest soils, our observations suggest that knowledge of synergistic effects of NH＋4 , rather than NO3- , amendments and C2H4 on the in situ soil CH4 uptake is critical for understanding the role of atmospheric N deposition and cycling of C2H4 under forest floors in reducing global atmospheric CH4 uptake by forests. Synergistic functions of NH4＋ -N deposition and C2H4 release due to soil acidification in reducing atmospheric CH4 uptake by forests are discussed.

Effect of methane co-feeding on the selectivity of ethylene produced from oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane with CO_2 over a Ni-La/SiO_2 catalyst

A Ni-La/SiO2 catalyst was prepared through the incipient wetness impregnation method and tested in the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane （ODHE） with CO2. The fresh and used catalysts were characterized by XRD and SEM techniques. The Ni-La/SiO2 catalyst exhibited catalytic activity for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane, but with low ethylene selectivity in the absence of methane. The selectivity to ethylene increased with increasing molar ratio of methane in the feed. The carbon deposited on the catalyst surface in the sole ODHE with CO2 was mainly inert carbon, while much more filamentous carbon was formed in the presence of methane. The filamentous carbon was easy to be removed by CO2, which might play a role in improving the conversion of ethane to ethylene. The introduction of methane might affect the equilibrium of the CO2 reforming of ethane and the ODHE with CO2. As a consequence, the synthesis gas produced from CO2 reforming of methane partly inhibited the reaction of ethane and promoted the ODHE with CO2, thus increasing the selectivity of ethylene.

A Green Process for High-Concentration Ethylene and Hydrogen Production from Methane in a Plasma-Followed-by-Catalyst Reactor

A green process for the oxygen-free conversion of methane to high-concentration ethylene and hydrogen in a plasma-followed-by-catalyst （PFC） reactor is presented. Without any catalysts and with pure methane used as the feed gas, a stable kilohertz spark discharge leads to an acetylene yield of 64.1%, ethylene yield of 2.5% and hydrogen yield of 59.0% with 80.0% of methane conversion at a methane flow rate of 50 cm^3/min and a specific input energy of 38.4 kJ/L. In the effluent gas from a stable kilohertz spark discharge reactor, the concentrations of acetylene, ethylene and hydrogen were 18.1%, 0.7% and 66.9%, respectively. When catalysts Pd-Ag/SiO2 were employed in the second stage with discharge conditions same as in the case of plasma alone, the PFC reactor provides an ethylene yield of 52.1% and hydrogen yield of 43.4%. The concentrations of ethylene and hydrogen in the effluent gas from the PFC reactor were found to be as high as 17.1% and 62.6%, respectively. Moreover, no acetylene was detected in the effluent gas. This means that a high concentration of ethylene and oxygen-free hydrogen can be co-produced directly from methane in the PFC reactor.