Effects of reaction temperature and water vapor content on the heterogeneous photocatalytic oxidation of ethylene

• Published in: Journal of photochemistry and photobiology. A, Chemistry. Vol. 97; no. 3; pp. 181 - 186
• Main Authors: Fu, Xianzhi, Clark, Louis A., Zeltner, Walter A., Anderson, Marc A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 12.07.1996; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Chemistry; Ethylene; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Heterogeneous catalysis; Photocatalysis; Photocatalytic oxidation; Photochemistry; Physical chemistry of induced reactions (with radiations, particles and ultrasonics); Titania; Water vapour; Heterogeneous catalysis; Water vapour; Titania; Photocatalysis; Photocatalytic oxidation; Ethylene; Binary compound; Hydrocarbon; Transition metal Compounds; Steam; Temperature effect; Oxidation; Experimental study; Titanium Oxides
• ISSN: 1010-6030; 1873-2666
• DOI: 10.1016/1010-6030(95)04269-5

The photocatalytic degradation of ethylene in airstreams has been studied over the temperature range 30–110 °C using a packed bed reactor containing sol-gel-derived TiO 2 or platinized TiO 2 particulates. Results of this study indicate that the reactivity of ethylene is greatly enhanced at increased temperatures and that the fraction of ethylene that reacts is stoichiometrically oxidized to CO 2 under all operating conditions. The effect of raising the temperature has been ascribed to decreasing adsorption of water for both types of catalysts, as well as an increase in conventional heterogeneous catalytic reactions occurring on the Pt/TiO 2 catalyst. In addition, platinizing the TiO 2 photocatalyst and increasing the content of water vapor in the gaseous feed streams both decrease the rate of photocatalytic oxidation of ethylene. The activation energies for the photocatalytic and heterogenous catalytic oxidation of ethylene were determined to be 13.9–16.0 kJ mol −1 and 82.8 kJ mol −1 respectively.