Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.15255/KUI.2021.078

Study of n-Butane Isomerization on Acid Catalysts Niobium and Lanthanum Promoted Tungstated Zirconia: n-Butane Isomerization Activity

Zahira Mohamed Seghir ; Laboratory of Structure, Elaboration and Application of Molecular Materials, SEA2M Department of Process Engineering, University Abdelhamid Ibn Badis, Mostaganem, Algeria
Mhamed Djennad ; Laboratory of Structure, Elaboration and Application of Molecular Materials, SEA2M Department of Process Engineering, University Abdelhamid Ibn Badis, Mostaganem, Algeria
Reinhard Schomäcker ; Department of Chemistry, Technical University Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 124, 10 623 Berlin, Germany
Mouffok Redouane Ghezzar ; Laboratory of Science and Technical Environment and Valorization, Department of Process Engineering, University Abdelhamid Ibn Badis, Mostaganem, Algeria

Abstract

The requirement for environmentally friendly catalysts for the isomerization of alkanes has prompted research on the tungstate-zirconia (WZ) system. The present work examines the activity and selectivity of lanthanum (La) promoted tungstate-zirconia (LWZ) and niobium (Nb) promoted tungstate-zirconia (NWZ) catalysts. In this study, 1 % La promoted WZ (1 % LWZ) and 1 % Nb promoted WZ (1 % NWZ) catalysts were investigated in isomerization of n-butane in the presence of hydrogen. The studied catalysts were characterized by different methods: nitrogen physisorption, temperature programmed desorption of NH₃, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray diffraction. The catalytic activity and selectivity were significantly improved by the addition of 1 % Nb. The redox process in the Nb-containing catalyst (1 % NWZ) played a central role by providing the highest acidic sites (283.53 µmol g–1) with appropriate activation energies for the skeletal rearrangement of the reactant (n-butane). Furthermore, this study highlights the determining role of the transfer process of adsorbed species from ZrO₂ to W as well as to the Nb environment. The conversion of n-butane (27.34 %) and the selectivity to i-butane (92.34 %) for NWZ were significantly higher than WZ and LWZ catalysts. The experimental results revealed that Nb was a more effective promoter than La.

Keywords

tungstated zirconia; n-butane isomerization; niobium; lanthanum; acidity

Hrčak ID:

280607

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/280607

Publication date:

18.7.2022.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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