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Life and death of a single catalytic cracking particle.

ABSTRACT: Fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) particles account for 40 to 45% of worldwide gasoline production. The hierarchical complex particle pore structure allows access of long-chain feedstock molecules into active catalyst domains where they are cracked into smaller, more valuable hydrocarbon products (for example, gasoline). In this process, metal deposition and intrusion is a major cause for irreversible catalyst deactivation and shifts in product distribution. We used x-ray nanotomography of industrial FCC particles at differing degrees of deactivation to quantify changes in single-particle macroporosity and pore connectivity, correlated to iron and nickel deposition. Our study reveals that these metals are incorporated almost exclusively in near-surface regions, severely limiting macropore accessibility as metal concentrations increase. Because macropore channels are "highways" of the pore network, blocking them prevents feedstock molecules from reaching the catalytically active domains. Consequently, metal deposition reduces conversion with time on stream because the internal pore volume, although itself unobstructed, becomes largely inaccessible.

SUBMITTER: Meirer F

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4640619 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Life and death of a single catalytic cracking particle.

Meirer Florian F Kalirai Sam S Morris Darius D Soparawalla Santosh S Liu Yijin Y Mesu Gerbrand G Andrews Joy C JC Weckhuysen Bert M BM

Science advances 20150403 3

Fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) particles account for 40 to 45% of worldwide gasoline production. The hierarchical complex particle pore structure allows access of long-chain feedstock molecules into active catalyst domains where they are cracked into smaller, more valuable hydrocarbon products (for example, gasoline). In this process, metal deposition and intrusion is a major cause for irreversible catalyst deactivation and shifts in product distribution. We used x-ray nanotomography of industri ...[more]

PMID: 26601160

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Project description:The overall performance of a catalyst particle strongly depends on the ability of mass transport through its pore space. Characterizing the three-dimensional structure of the macro- and mesopore space of a catalyst particle and establishing a correlation with transport efficiency is an essential step toward designing highly effective catalyst particles. In this work, a generally applicable workflow is presented to characterize the transport efficiency of individual catalyst particles. The developed workflow involves a multiscale characterization approach making use of a focused ion beam-scanning electron microscope (FIB-SEM). SEM imaging is performed on cross sections of 10.000 ?m2, visualizing a set of catalyst particles, while FIB-SEM tomography visualized the pore space of a large number of 8 ?m3 cubes (subvolumes) of individual catalyst particles. Geometrical parameters (porosity, pore connectivity, and heterogeneity) of the material were used to generate large numbers of virtual 3D volumes resembling the sample's pore space characteristics, while being suitable for computationally demanding transport simulations. The transport ability, defined as the ratio of unhindered flow over hindered flow, is then determined via transport simulations through the virtual volumes. The simulation results are used as input for an upscaling routine based on an analogy with electrical networks, taking into account the spatial heterogeneity of the pore space over greater length scales. This novel approach is demonstrated for two distinct types of industrially manufactured fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) particles with zeolite Y as the active cracking component. Differences in physicochemical and catalytic properties were found to relate to differences in heterogeneities in the spatial porosity distribution. In addition to the characterization of existing FCC particles, our method of correlating pore space with transport efficiency does also allow for an up-front evaluation of the transport efficiency of new designs of FCC catalyst particles.

Dataset Information

Life and death of a single catalytic cracking particle.

Publications

Life and death of a single catalytic cracking particle.

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