International Journal of Petroleum and Gas Engineering

International Journal of Petroleum and Gas Engineering ISSN 5675-0715 Vol. 3 (5), pp. 001-010, May, 2016. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Dehyrogenation catalysts of higher normal paraffins on a nanocrystalline -Al2O3 support: Different impregnation sequences

Mandana Akia1,2,3*, Seyed Mahdi Alavi1, and Zi-Feng Yan3

1Chemical Engineering Department, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran.

2Chemical Engineering Department, Kermanshah University of Technology, Kermanshah, Iran.

3State Key Laboratory for Heavy Oil Processing, Key Laboratory of Catalysis, CNPC, China University of Petroleum, Dongying 257061, China.

Accepted November, 2015

Abstract

In this paper, high surface area nanocrystalline gamma alumina was synthesized by the sol-gel method using cationic surfactant. The Pt-based dehydrogenation catalysts consisting of promoters and support modifiers (Sn, In, Li and Fe) were prepared using the synthesized gamma alumina and employed in the dehydrogenation reaction of n- dodecane. The effects of different successive impregnation methods for Pt, Sn and In elements were investigated in dehydrogenation of normal dodecane. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption (BET), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Temperature programmed reduction (TPR) techniques. The catalytic performances of the prepared samples showed the best catalytic results for the catalyst which was prepared by the co -impregnation of In, Sn and Fe in the first step followed by Pt and Li impregnation in the second and third step, respectively. The synthesized support also performed well as an efficient carrier for the dehydrogenation catalyst of higher normal paraffins.a

Key words: Nanomaterials, sol–gel preparation, -Al2O3, dehydrogenation catalyst, catalyst modifiers, successive impregnation