Catalytic direct conversion of ethane to value-added chemicals under microwave irradiation

• Published in: Catalysis today Vol. 356; pp. 3 - 10
• Main Authors: Robinson, Brandon, Caiola, Ashley, Bai, Xinwei, Abdelsayed, Victor, Shekhawat, Dushyant, Hu, Jianli
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier B.V 01.10.2020; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aromatization; Ethane; INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; Microwave; Mo-Fe/ZSM-5; Microwave; Mo-Fe/ZSM-5; Aromatization; Ethane
• ISSN: 0920-5861; 1873-4308
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cattod.2020.03.001

[Display omitted] •Over 80 % of ethane conversion was achieved under microwave irradiation at 375 °C.•The conventional reactor required a temperature of 660 °C to achieve 80 % conversion.•The microwave selectivity to ethylene was higher than the conventional reactor.•The conventional fixed bed had a higher aromatic yield then the microwave reactor.•The spent microwave sample resulted in less total coke formation. The reaction mechanism of ethane conversion over 4 % Mo-0.5 % Fe/ZSM-5 catalyst was investigated using two different reactors with different heating modes. A microwave fixed-bed reactor (MWFB) was used and its performance was compared to a conventional thermal fixed-bed reactor (CTFB). Over 80 % ethane conversion was achieved under microwave irradiation mode at 375 °C. To achieve the same ethane conversion conventionally, the reaction temperature had to be elevated to 660 °C in the CTFB. The formation rates and selectivity of the products were compared under these two heating methods. The CTFB products had a higher selectivity towards aromatic compounds; whereas, the MWFB products had a higher selectivity towards ethylene; 26.5 % higher than the CTFB. Carbon analysis over spent catalysts of CTFB showed three distinct types of coke, whereas the microwave resulted in a single higher temperature coke type.