Kunhao Li

Mesostructured zeolite Y—high hydrothermal stability and superior FCC catalytic performance

Controlled mesoporosity is successfully introduced into zeolite Y crystals through a surfactant templating approach. The mesoporous zeolite shows superb hydrothermal stability in the resulting mesostructure, while retaining strong acidity. Fluid catalytic cracking catalysts made from the mesostructured Y zeolites demonstrate significant improvement in product selectivity as a result of reduced limitation in reactant and product diffusion.

Evidence of Intracrystalline Mesostructured Porosity in Zeolites by Advanced Gas Sorption, Electron Tomography and Rotation Electron Diffraction

The small size of micropores (typically <1 nm) in zeolites causes slow diffusion of reactant and product molecules in and out of the pores and negatively impacts the product selectivity of zeolite based catalysts, for example, fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalysts. Size‐tailored mesoporosity was introduced into commercial zeolite Y crystals by a simple surfactant‐templating post‐synthetic mesostructuring process. The resulting mesoporous zeolite Y showed significantly improved product selectivity in both laboratory testing and refinery trials. Advanced characterization techniques such as electron tomography, three‐dimensional rotation electron diffraction, and high resolution gas adsorption coupled with hysteresis scanning and density functional theory, unambiguously revealed the intracystalline nature and connectivity of the introduced mesopores. They can be considered as molecular highways that help reactant and product molecules diffuse quickly to and away from the catalytically active sites within the zeolite crystals and, thus, shift the selectivity to favor the production of more of the valuable liquid fuels at reduced yields of coke and unconverted feed.

Mesoporous zeolites : preparation, characterization and applications

“Mesoporous Zeolites” is a comprehensive book published by Wiley in 2015. The book describes mesoporous materials, their synthesis, characterisation and applications. In addition to mesoporous materials, several chapters of the book review nanoporous materials. The book was edited by Professor Javier GarciaMartinez of Universidad de Alicante, Spain, and Kunhao Li, Project Leader at Rive Technology, USA. The two have broad experience of zeolites and in particular mesoporous zeolites. It is the fi rst in a series and aims to bring to light the fast emerging fi eld of mesoporous materials and their applications. To expand on this, various examples are included which demonstrate that mesoporous materials eliminate diffusion limitations. The book successfully fulfi ls these aims. It is composed of 16 chapters that can be divided into six general topics: accessing micropores; nanozeolites and nanomaterials; mesoporous aluminosilicates; hierarchical zeolites; characterisation of mesoporous or hierarchical zeolites; and industrial applications of mesoporous zeolites.

Advanced Nanostructured Molecular Sieves for Energy Efficient Industrial Separations

Project Objective: The objective of this project is to explore the application of the companys proprietary mesoporous zeolite technology to large-scale, energy-intensive separations in the chemical industry, specifically propane and propylene separation. Rive Technology proposes to achieve these objectives by producing zeolitic materials with different degrees of mesoporosity and testing these materials in a bench-scale unit to generate kinetic and equilibrium separation data. Upon completion of the project, Rive will have demonstrated applicability of the technology in the process with sufficient experimental results and modeling data to interest partners in working with us to translate the technology into commercial use. Reports are available to DOE employees, DOE contractors, Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDE) representatives and Informational Nuclear Information System (INIS) representatives from the following source: Disclaimer: Any findings, opinions, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Energy.