Study of metal catalysts supported on pillared clays for the production of dimethyl ether from synthesis gas.

• Grant number: 12/17957-3
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): December 01, 2012
• Effective date (End): May 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Technology
• Principal researcher: Elisabete Moreira Assaf
• Grantee: Francielle Candian Firmino Marcos
• Home Institution: Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 09/15984-0 - Bioenergy production from wastewaters and environmental fitting of liquid and solid wastes generated, AP.TEM

Abstract

Due to considerable growth in the search for energy sources that use renewable fuels, the use of biogas (mixture of CH4, CO2) from the anaerobic treatment of wastewater and sewage, emerges as a promising process for production of synthesis gas (mixture of CO and H2). This synthesis gas can be used to generate products of higher added value, for example, dimethyl ether (DME), indicated as a substitute for diesel fuel. The DME has advantages such as flame with low NOx and particulate emissions. The traditional route DME production involves a two step process: first, the synthesis gas is converted to methanol and, subsequently, this is dehydrated to DME process known as GTL (gas to liquid). But, the DME can also be produced by direct conversion of synthesis gas in DME (STD-syngas process to DME). For the STD process are used bifunctional catalysts, and the catalyst must be active for the reaction of conversion of synthesis gas to methanol and to the reaction of dehydration of methanol to DME. CuO-ZnO-Al2O3 catalyst is used industrially for the synthesis of methanol and solid acids catalysts are used for the dehydration of methanol. However, these materials exhibit deactivation due to sintering of copper and deactivation by carbon deposition, necessitating the search for active and stable catalysts for the reaction of several steps in the process of STD. Thus, this work aims to study bifunctional catalysts from metals (Cu-Zn, Co-Zn and Ni, Zn) supported on natural clays pillared with Al, Nb and Ce for the direct conversion of syngas to DME, seeking to optimize catalysts for the process of STD.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MARCOS, FRANCIELLE C. F.; ASSAF, JOSE M.; ASSAF, ELISABETE M. CuFe and CuCo supported on pillared clay as catalysts for CO2 hydrogenation into value-added products in one-step. MOLECULAR CATALYSIS, v. 458, n. B, SI, p. 297-306, OCT 2018. Web of Science Citations: 6.

MARCOS, F. C. F.; LUCREDIO, A. F.; ASSAF, J. M.; ASSAF, E. M. Methanol to C-2 and C-4 fuels over (Nb/Al)-pillared clay catalysts. RSC ADVANCES, v. 6, n. 33, p. 27915-27921, 2016. Web of Science Citations: 2.