Oscar W. Perez-Lopez

Conversion of methane to benzene via oxidative coupling and dehydroaromatization

The combination of methane oxidative coupling and dehydroaromatization processes by catalysts arranged in a double-layer bed leads to an increase in the benzene productivity under inert atmosphere. This effect is ascribed to an increase in the ethylene production, which plays a role of intermediary.

Dry Reforming of Methane over Mg-Co-Al Mixed-Oxides Catalysts: Effect of Mg Content and Reduction Conditions

Mg-Co-Al mixed oxides were synthesized by the precipitation method and evaluated for dry reforming of methane. The samples were characterized by thermal techniques (TGA/DTA, NH3-TPD, H2-TPR, and TPO), specific surface area, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Activity runs were conducted at atmospheric pressure, temperatures between 400 and 550°C, a CH4/CO2 molar ratio of 1, and a space velocity of 6000 NmL CH4/g/h. The partial substitution of Co with Mg increased the surface area and thermal stability and changed the reducibility and acid-base properties of the samples. These modifications led to a higher activity for dry reforming of methane for the catalyst with Mg/Co = 0.5, primarily due to its enhanced thermal stability. However, its higher activity was followed by higher amounts of coke. The different activation procedures highlighted Co3O4 as the main active phase rather than the Co-mixed oxides. Therefore, milder activation temperatures are required to properly reduce the Co3O4 phase and avoid sintering.

Sistema de alimentação gás-líquido para medidas de atividade catalítica

This note has as objective to present the advantages of the use of syringe-type pumps for the feeding of liquid reactants, together with mass flow controllers for gases, instead of the saturators, as it is generally accomplished. Among the advantages, the system with syringe pumps presents a greater flexibility in flow control as well as in composition compared with the system that uses saturator. In addition, the flow of the liquid reactants is known with precision in the syringe pump system.