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| Author(s): |
Robson da Silva Rocha
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | Campinas, SP. |
| Institution: | Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Engenharia Mecânica |
| Defense date: | 2010-05-18 |
| Examining board members: |
Rodnei Bertazzoli;
Paulo Olivi;
Nerilso Bocchi;
Meuris Gurgel Carlos da Silva;
Edson Tomaz
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| Advisor: | Rodnei Bertazzoli |
| Abstract | |
Ethyleneglycol is an organic compound with large application in various areas of the chemical industry. Although its most known applications are anti freezing liquid and hydraulic fluids, its major consumption is in the manufacture of saturated and unsaturated polyester resins and polymers. The ethylene glycol (ethane-1,2-diol) production is manufactured by the reaction of ethylene oxide (1,2 epoxyethane) with water in the presence of a catalyst, at temperature of 60 °C. Furthermore, ethylene oxide manufacturing is carried out at 300°C and 20 atm to reach high yields. In this work, an alternative method to the conventional synthesis of ethylene oxide/ethyleneglycol is proposed. Electro-oxidation of in aqueous medium is performed using gas diffusion electrodes (GDE). GDE were produced by pressing and sintering powder of titanium and ruthenium oxides, catalyzed by vanadium, palladium or silver, with PTFE. The electrodes were physically and electrochemically characterized. The gas diffusion electrodes of Ti/Ru and Ti/Ru/V2O5 were preliminarily tested using the methane as reactant and the results demonstrated that the GDE of metallic oxides have the property of to oxidize methane to methanol, formaldehyde and formic acid. When used the GDE with 20 % vanadium oxide, (TiO2)0,661(RuO2)0,283(V2O5)0,056, higher methanol generation rate was observed, with the formation of 340 mg L-1 of the alcohol in 1 hour of experiment. It was also observed an improvement of 75% and 38% in the chemical and electrical efficiencies, respectively. A decreasing in the energy consumption was also observed when compared to the performance of the GDE with TiO2/RuO2. During the experiments of ethylene oxidation the TiO2/RuO2 GDE showed a fair performance in the electrosynthesis of ethylene glycol and ethanol, with 161 mg L-1 and 41 mg L-1 respectively, in the experiments of one hour. The ethyleneglycol formation without catalyst reached 36% of chemical efficiency, 18% of electrical efficiency and an energy consumption of 9 kWh kg-1. The experiments that used the electrodes with 20% of vanadium oxide has showed best results to the ethanol formation when compared to the experiments without oxide vanadium. 47 mg L-1 of ethyleneglycol and 98 mg L-1 of ethanol concentrations were reached when vanadium oxide was incorporated to the electrode mass. Furthermore, 9% of chemical efficiency and 14% electrical efficiency in the ethyleneglycol formation reaction. The addition of 20% of silver oxide has showed a good improvement in the results of ethyleneglycol formation compared to the experiments carried out with the GDE catalyzed with vanadium oxide. The results have shown that the ethyleneglycol formation reached 195 mg L-1 and the ethanol, 16 mg L-1. Observed chemical efficiency and current efficiency were 37% and 34%, respectively. Palladium oxide was also tested as a catalyst. With 20% catalyst, a 209 mg L-1 and 12 mg L-1 of ethanol to ethanol her formation of ethyleneglycol, reaching. The addition of palladium oxide also promoted a higher efficiency to the reaction formation of ethyleneglycol, 42% of chemical efficiency and 37% electrical efficiency. During the experiments at constant current, electrode with palladium oxide also showed a best performance in the experiments for the generation of ethyleneglycol, with better selectivity for ethyleneglycol (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 06/06382-9 - Electrosynthesis of ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol using ethylene diffusion electrodes |
| Grantee: | Robson da Silva Rocha |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate |