Hexagonal boron nitride catalyst in a fixed-bed reactor for exothermic propane oxidation dehydrogenation

Journal Article · Tue Apr 17 00:00:00 UTC 2018 · Chemical Engineering Science

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ces.2018.04.029 · OSTI ID:1434653

Tian, Jinshu ^[1]; Lin, Jinhan ^[1]; Xu, Mingliang ^[1]; Wan, Shaolong ^[1]; Lin, Jingdong ^[1]; Wang, Yong ^[2]

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1. Xiamen Univ. (China). Dept. of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, National Engineering Lab. for Green Chemical Productions of Alcohols-Ethers-Esters and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials
2. Xiamen Univ. (China). Dept. of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, National Engineering Lab. for Green Chemical Productions of Alcohols-Ethers-Esters and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials; Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States). Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering; Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Inst. for Interfacial Catalysis

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) with high thermal conductivity is potentially an effective catalyst for highly exothermic propane oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) reaction. Here, we report our experimental and theoretic studies of such a catalyst for propane ODH in a fixed-bed reactor. Based on the computational fluid dynamics calculation (CFD) results, the catalyst bed temperature increases by less than 1°C in the h-BN catalyst bed which is much smaller than that (8°C) in the VO_x/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst bed at a similar propane conversion (25%) using a micro-tubular reactor with a diameter of 6 mm. Even in an industrially relevant reactor with an inner diameter of 60 mm, a uniform temperature profile can still be maintained using the h-BN catalyst bed due to its excellent thermal conductivity as opposed to a temperature gradient of 47°C in the VO_x/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst bed. The results reported here provide useful information for potential application of h-BN catalyst in propane ODH.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Univ. (China); National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC); Thousand Talents Program (China); USDOE
• Grant/Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1434653
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-138093; PII: S0009250918302355
• Journal Information: Chemical Engineering Science, Journal Name: Chemical Engineering Science Journal Issue: C Vol. 186; ISSN 0009-2509
• Publisher: ElsevierCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
03 NATURAL GAS
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
CFD simulation
Heat transfer
Temperature profile
h-BN
propane ODH