Multilayered catalysts for fatty acid ester hydrotreatment into fuel range hydrocarbons

Reduction of Oxygen Production by Algal Cells in the Presence of O-Chlorobenzylidene Malononitrile

Chemical compounds, such as the CS gas employed in military operations, have a number of characteristics that impact the ecosystem by upsetting its natural balance. In this work, the toxicity limit and microorganism's reaction to the oxidative stress induced by O-chlorobenzylidenemalonitrile, a chemical found in CS gas, were assessed in relation to the green algae Chlorella pyrenoidosa. A number of parameters, including the cell growth curve, the percent inhibition in yield, the dry cell weight, the percentage viability and productivity of algal biomass flocculation activity, and the change in oxygen production, were analyzed in order to comprehend the toxicological mechanisms of O-chlorobenzylidenemalonitrile on algal culture. Using fluorescence and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), the content of chlorophyll pigments was determined. The values obtained for pH during the adaptation period of the C. pyrenoidosa culture were between 6.0 and 6.8, O2 had values between 6.5 and 7.0 mg/L, and the conductivity was 165-210 µS/cm. For the 20 µg/mL O-chlorobenzylidenemalonitrile concentration, the cell viability percentage was over 97.4%, and for the 150 µg/mL O-chlorobenzylidenemalonitrile concentration was 74%. The ECb50 value for C. pyrenoidosa was determined from the slope of the calibration curve; it was estimated by extrapolation to the value of 298.24 µg/mL. With the help of this study, basic information on the toxicity of O-chlorobenzylidenemalonitrile to aquatic creatures will be available, which will serve as a foundation for evaluating the possible effects on aquatic ecosystems. The management of the decontamination of the impacted areas could take the results into consideration.

Dehydrocyclization-cracking of methyl oleate by Pt catalysts supported on a ZnZSM-5-Al2O3 hierarchical composite

The dehydrocyclization–cracking of methyl oleate was performed by ZnZSM-5–Al₂O₃ hierarchical composite-supported Pt catalysts in the range of 450–550 °C under 0.5 MPa hydrogen pressure. Most catalysts converted methyl oleate completely and produced aromatics with more than 10 wt% yield as well as valuable fuels even at 450 °C. The reactivity of catalysts changed remarkably depending on the addition method of Pt, while supporting Pt of 0–0.16 wt% did not affect the pore structure of each catalyst. When Pt was introduced into the composite support by the conventional impregnation method, remarkable hydrocracking proceeded through the decarboxylation and decarbonylation of methyl oleate and the successive conversion of C17 fragments and gave the significant amounts of gaseous products. Nevertheless, the selectivity for the aromatics of the gasoline fraction was relatively high and the yields of aromatics reached maximum 19% at 500 °C under 0.5 MPa, suggesting that gaseous olefins would be cyclized through the Diels–Alder reaction on ZnZSM-5 in the composite support. In contrast, when Pt was introduced into catalysts by ion-exchange with ZnZSM-5, the significant conversion of methyl oleate was inhibited and produced liquid fuels in a wide range.

The ideal reaction route in the dehydrocyclization–cracking of methyl oleate catalyzed by Pt/ZnZSM-5–Al₂O₃ is to produce xylene, toluene, and hydrogen through decarboxylation.

Effects of Zn Addition into ZSM-5 Zeolite on Dehydrocyclization-Cracking of Soybean Oil Using Hierarchical Zeolite-Al2O3 Composite-Supported Pt/NiMo Sulfided Catalysts

Zn-exchanged ZSM-5-Al₂O₃ (ZA) composite-supported Pt/NiMo (NM) sulfided catalysts were prepared using the conventional kneading method and were tested for dehydrocyclization-cracking of soybean oil. The effects of Zn addition on the activity and selectivity of products were investigated under moderate-pressure conditions of 0.5 and 1.0 MPa H₂ in the temperature range of 420-580 °C. At the temperature 500 °C and higher, most of the sample soybean oil was converted at both the pressures of 0.5 and 1.0 MPa. At 1.0 MPa and 500 °C, the effects of Zn addition appeared and increased the yields of aromatics, while the catalyst without Zn produced larger amounts of products with more than C18. Further, at 0.5 MPa and 580 °C, the gas formation was inhibited in comparison to the cases of 1.0 MPa and the effects of the Zn addition also appeared and increased the yields of aromatics, while the catalyst without Zn produced larger amounts of products with more than C18. The Pt/NM/Zn(122)ZA test catalyst produced more than 63% of liquid fuels in the range C5-C18, and the yield of aromatics was 13%, the maximum value in the present study. The following reaction routes were proposed. The structure of triglyceride is converted by hydrocracking to three molecules of aliphatic acids and propane on the surface PtNiMo sulfide on Al₂O₃ support. The converted aliphatic acids are decomposed through decarboxylation to hydrocarbon fragments, which are further decomposed by cracking on the acid sites of the catalyst, the surface of NiMo sulfide, Al₂O₃, or ZSM-5. Finally, the formed C3 and C4 olefins are transformed to aromatics through the Diels-Alder reaction on the Zn species of ZnZSM-5. On the other hand, although gases were relatively small in amount, aromatic compounds were formed significantly, suggesting that cyclization might directly occur without conversion to gaseous hydrocarbons to some extent.

Influence of the Reduction Temperature and the Nature of the Support on the Performance of Zirconia and Alumina-Supported Pt Catalysts for n-Dodecane Hydroisomerization

Catalysts based on zirconia- and alumina-supported tungsten oxides (15 wt % W) with a small loading of platinum (0.3 wt % Pt) were selected to study the influence of the reduction temperature and the nature of the support on the hydroisomerization of n-dodecane. The reduction temperature has a major influence on metal dispersion, which impacts the catalytic activity. In addition, alumina and zirconia supports show different catalytic properties (mainly acid site strength and surface area), which play an important role in the conversion. The NH3-TPD profiles indicate that the acidity in alumina-based catalysts is clearly higher than that in their zirconia counterparts; this acidity can be attributed to a stronger interaction of the WOx species with alumina. The PtW/Al catalyst was found to exhibit the best catalytic performance for the hydroisomerization of n-dodecane based on its higher acidity, which was ascribed to its larger surface area relative to that of its zirconia counterparts. The selectivity for different hydrocarbons (C7–10, C11 and i-C12) was very similar for all the catalysts studied, with branched C12 hydrocarbons being the main products obtained (~80%). The temperature of 350 °C was clearly the best reduction temperature for all the catalysts studied in a trickled-bed-mode reactor.