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Investigation of the problems with using gas adsorption to probe catalyst pore structure evolution during coking
Navin Gopinathan1, Malcolm Greaves, Joseph Wood
1Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK.
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
|November 13, 2012
Summary
This study reveals that conventional pore analysis of coking catalysts is flawed. A new serial adsorption technique accurately assesses pore structure changes during catalytic coking, accounting for cooperative adsorption effects.
Area of Science:
- Catalysis
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Understanding catalyst deactivation via coking is crucial for industrial processes.
- Standard gas adsorption analysis assumes independent pores, neglecting cooperative adsorption phenomena.
- This assumption limits accurate pore structure evolution analysis in coking catalysts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and validate the serial adsorption technique for analyzing cooperative adsorption in coking catalysts.
- To assess the impact of cooperative adsorption on pore-size distribution during catalytic coking.
- To investigate the spatial location of coking within catalyst pellets.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the serial adsorption technique to detect and quantify cooperative adsorption effects.
- Employed gas adsorption analysis on discharged pellets from decane hydroprocessing over a catalyst.
- Studied adsorption kinetics to infer the spatial distribution of coking.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated that conventional pore analysis provides a flawed representation of pore structure changes during coking.
- Quantified that cooperative adsorption effects can lead to misinterpretation of pore sizes, with 26% of adsorption occurring in pores up to three times larger than conventionally presumed.
- Identified the serial adsorption technique as essential for accurate pore structure evolution monitoring.
Conclusions:
- The serial adsorption technique offers critical insights into pore structure evolution during catalytic coking, overcoming limitations of conventional methods.
- Cooperative adsorption significantly influences gas adsorption measurements in coking catalysts, necessitating advanced analytical approaches.
- Kinetic analysis provides valuable information on the spatial localization of the coking process within catalyst pellets.
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