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Thermal reactions of aromatics with CaO. Technical progress report, September 1, 1982-March 31, 1983. [l-methylnaphthalene]

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6087045

The effect of calcining temperature and calcining time on the activity of CaO for the cracking of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, as determined by the cracking of l-methylnaphthalene, was examined. In-situ calcination and cracking experiments were performed on fresh Ca(OH)/sub 2/-quartz mixtures for calcining temperatures between 500 and 900/sup 0/C and calcining time between 0 and 8 h. Activity of CaO, which is measured by the extent of cracking of the aromatic, was determined at a reaction temperature of 550/sup 0/C and a contact time of 1 s. Vapor-phase concentration of the aromatic in helium carrier was 2.5 mole percent. Maximum activity of the oxide was obtained at a calcining temperature between 700 and 800/sup 0/C and a calcining time of at least 3 h. Prolonged heating up to 8 h did not change the activity significantly. The cracking of 9-methylanthracene at temperatures between 300 and 700/sup 0/C was studied over both CaO and quartz. Below 600/sup 0/C, this compound did not undergo any noticeable cracking over quartz but yielded a more than 80% conversion over CaO. Although coke, anthracene and CH/sub 4/ were the major products for both cases, the CH/sub 4/ to anthracene ratio revealed that the mechanism for the cracking of this aromatic over CaO was different from that over quartz. In addition, cracking performed at temperatures below 400/sup 0/C suggested that chemisorption probably plays an important role in the cracking chemistry of CaO. This behavior will be further investigated in the next reporting period. 14 references, 9 figures.

Research Organization:
Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
FG22-80PC30229
OSTI ID:
6087045
Report Number(s):
FE-MIT-30229-5; ON: DE85008530
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English