Obtaining porous spherical catalysts by Spray Pyrolysis.

• Grant number: 25/00721-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2029
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Rodrigo Fernando Costa Marques
• Grantee: Vítor Mattos Visoná
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 23/01953-3 - Materials applied to transformation of biomass in green diesel: from laboratory to pilot, AP.BIOEN.TEM

Abstract

The proposal is based on using the spray pyrolysis (SP) method to prepare catalysts to be employed in the hydrotreatment process of vegetable oils for the production of green diesel. The SP method is widely used for producing materials such as metals, metal oxides, and ceramics in powder form. It is a flexible and versatile technique that allows for the production of materials in a single step with controlled morphology. A solution containing the precursor salt is used, and a porogenic agent can be employed, which is subsequently removed during the washing step. This process results in the formation of pores and maximizes the material's surface area. Thus, the prepared materials exhibit thermal and chemical stability, high surface area, interconnected pores, and morphology suitable for heterogeneous catalysis applications. In the SP method, an aerosol is formed from the precursor solution with the assistance of an ultrasonic source, due to the cavitation effects in the liquid. The average droplet and particle diameters can be estimated through calculations. The droplet mist of the precursor solution is transported by a carrier gas, which, in this case, is atmospheric air, passing through a drying zone and a heating zone. The resulting material is collected in an electrostatic chamber equipped, the filter, operating at 10 kV. Thus, the spray pyrolysis method will be used to obtain MgO-supported catalysts for conducting hydrocracking, decarboxylation, hydroisomerization, and hydrodeoxygenation reactions in the context of the hydrotreatment process of vegetable oils for green diesel production. (AU)