Nano-Structured Ceramic Oxide Catalyst for Syn Gas Conversion to Light Olefins

Syed      Tajammul Hussain; Nisar      Ahmad; Bakhtiar      Muhammad

Abstract

Ruthenium manganese and cobalt manganese nano ceramic catalysts were synthesized using a new synthesis procedure at relatively low temperature by thermal decomposition of co-precipitated [Mn(Bipy)2]Cl2 and, [Ru(Bipy)3]Cl2 in an inert ambient of dry argon gas and also by Co precipitation method and studied for the syngas reaction. Three composition of ceramic catalysts synthesized were Ru:Mn (1:5), Ru:Mn (1:20) Mn:Co (50%:50%).

The synthesized catalysts were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDX) and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). The characterization data indicates the presence of different oxidation states of metal/metals oxides multiple metallic active sites having rough surfaces with edges and corners. These sites are crystalline/amorphous in nature having large pore volume.

The activity and selectivity of prepared ceramic catalysts have been studied in a fixed bed micro catalytic reactor using syngas with H2:CO (4:1) ratio at different temperatures. The results showed that catalyst containing 50% Co, 50% Mn enhances the selective production of ethylene along with methane and propyne, Ru:Mn (1:5) and (1:20) system showed higher ethylene selectivity along with higher hydrocarbons fragments in low percentage.

Keywords: Bipyridyl decomposition, Nanocatalyst, Fischer Tropsch synthesis, Ethylene, synthesis gas, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, oxygenates, petroleum, metals, cobalt, Iron, ruthenium, methane, Cobalt Nitrate