New catalysts for coal processing: Metal carbides and nitrides

Technical Report · Fri Dec 03 04:00:00 EST 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/754428· OSTI ID:754428

Oyama, S Ted; Cox, David F

The subject of this research project was to investigate the catalytic properties of a new class of materials, transition metal carbides and nitrides, for treatment of coal liquid and petroleum feedstocks. The main objectives were: (1) preparation of catalysts in unsupported and supported form; (2) characterization of the materials; (3) evaluation of their catalytic properties in HDS and HDN; (4) measurement of the surface properties; and (5) observation of adsorbed species. All of the objectives were substantially carried out and the results will be described in detail below. The catalysts were transition metal carbides and nitrides spanning Groups 4--6 in the Periodic Table. They were chosen for study because initial work had shown they were promising materials for hydrotreating. The basic strategy was first to prepare the materials in unsupported form to identify the most promising catalyst, and then to synthesize a supported form of the material. Already work had been carried out on the synthesis of the Group VI compounds Mo{sub 2}C, Mo{sub 2}N, and WC, and new methods were developed for the Group V compounds VC and NbC. All the catalysts were then evaluated in a hydrotreating test at realistic conditions. It was found that the most active catalyst was Mo{sub 2}C, and further investigations of the material were carried out in supported form. A new technique was employed for the study of the bulk and surface properties of the catalysts, near edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy (NEXAFS), that fingerprinted the electronic structure of the materials. Finally, two new research direction were explored. Bimetallic alloys formed between two transition metals were prepared, resulting in catalysts having even higher activity than Mo{sub 2}C. The performance of the catalysts in hydrodechloration was also investigated.

• Research Organization: Federal Energy Technology Center, Morgantown, WV (US); Federal Energy Technology Center, Pittsburgh, PA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy (US)
• DOE Contract Number: FG22-95PC95207
• OSTI ID: 754428
• Report Number(s): DE--FG22-95PC95207-06
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CATALYSTS
CATALYTIC EFFECTS
COAL LIQUIDS
DENITRIFICATION
DESULFURIZATION
ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE
HYDROGENATION
MOLYBDENUM CARBIDES
MOLYBDENUM NITRIDES
NIOBIUM CARBIDES
PERFORMANCE TESTING
TUNGSTEN CARBIDES
VANADIUM CARBIDES