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Title: IMPROVED CATALYSTS FOR HEAVY OIL UPGRADING BASED ON ZEOLITE Y NANOPARTICLES ENCAPSULATED IN STABLE NANOPOROUS HOSTS

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/828311· OSTI ID:828311

The focus of this project is to improve the catalytic performance of zeolite Y for heavy petroleum hydrocracking by synthesizing nanoparticles of the zeolite ({approx}20-30 nm) inside nanoporous silicate or aluminosilicate hosts of similar pore diameters. The encapsulated zeolite nanoparticles are expected to possess pores of reduced diffusional path lengths, hence hydrocarbon substrates will diffuse in, are converted and the products quickly diffused out. This is expected to prevent over-reaction, hence minimizing pore blockage and active sites deactivation. In this phase of the project, research activities were focused on refining procedures to: (a) improve the synthesis of ordered, high surface area nanoporous silica, such as SBA-15, with expanded pore size using trimethylbenzene as additive to the parent SBA-15 synthesis mixture; and (b) reduce the particle size of zeolite Y such that they can be effectively incorporated into the nanoporous silicas. The synthesis of high surface ordered nanoporous silica containing enlarged pores of diameter of 25 nm (larger than the standard size of 8.4 nm) using trimethylbenzene as a pore size expander was accomplished. The synthesis of zeolite Y nanoparticles with median pore size of approximately 50 nm (smaller than the 80 nm typically obtained with TMAOH) using combined TMABr/TMAOH as organic additives was also accomplished.

Research Organization:
Clark Atlanta University (US)
Sponsoring Organization:
(US)
DOE Contract Number:
FG26-02NT41676
OSTI ID:
828311
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: 30 Jun 2004
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English