Highly selective hydrodechlorination of 1,2-dichloroethane to ethylene over Ag-Pd/ZrO sub(2) catalysts with trace Pd

• Published in: Applied catalysis. A, General Vol. 519; pp. 1 - 6
• Main Authors: Han, Yuxiang, Sun, Jingya, Fu, Heyun, Qu, Xiaolei, Wan, Haiqin, Xu, Zhaoyi, Zheng, Shourong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 05.06.2016
• Subjects: Catalysis; Catalysts; Ethylene; Hydrodechlorination; Palladium; Selectivity; Silver; Zirconium dioxide
• ISSN: 0926-860X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apcata.2016.03.017

Gas-phase catalytic hydrodechlorination is one of the most efficient and economic methods for the removal of volatile chlorinated alkanes. Novel Ag-based bimetallic catalysts with high ethylene selectivities were prepared using the co-impregnation method. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and IR spectroscopy of CO adsorption. The catalytic performance, in particular the selectivities of the catalysts was examined on hydrodechlorination of 1,2-dichloroethane. Two supported monometallic catalysts (Ag/ZrO sub(2) and Pd/ZrO sub(2)) were included as comparative catalysts. Ag/ZrO sub(2) exhibited a low 1,2-dichloroethane coversion and high chloroethylene selectivity for the gas-phase hydrodechlorination of 1,2-dichloroethane, while Pd/ZrO sub(2) had a high conversion and ethane selectivity. In contrast to monometallic catalysts, Ag-Pd/ZrO sub(2) with trace Pd had substantially enhanced ethylene selectivity, and the bimetallic catalyst with a Pd loading amount of 0.099 wt.% (denoted as Ag(1.99)-Pd(0.099)/ZrO sub(2)) exhibited nearly 100% ethylene selectivity. The excellent ethylene selectivity can be attributed to the highly dispersed metallic Pd in Ag particles of Ag(1.99)-Pd(0.099)/ZrO sub(2) as evidenced by the IR spectra of CO adsorption. The findings in this study indicate that Ag-Pd/ZrO sub(2) with trace Pd can be used as promising catalyts for highly effective and selective hydrodechlorination of volatile chlorinated alkanes.