Catalytic properties of heteropolyacids supported on MCM-41 mesoporous silica for hydrocarbon cracting reactions

It is known that MCM-41 structures have very weak acid sites because of the lack of the bridging hydroxyl groups present in zeolites. Strong acidity however is required for the potential use of these materials in some specific applications such as: cracking and hydrotreating of heavy residue molecules, cracking of waste plastic, etc. The acidity enhancement of the MCM-41 materials was assessed using the n-hexane and polyethylene cracking reactions. MCM-41 samples were impregnated using heteropolyacid (HPA) such as tungestophospheric acid. The catalyst samples were characterized also by x-ray diffraction and benzene adsorption.

Improvement of the Derjaguin-Broekhoff-de Boer theory for capillary condensation/evaporation of nitrogen in mesoporous systems and its implications for pore size analysis of MCM-41 silicas and related materials

In this work, we propose an improvement of the classical Derjaguin-Broekhoff-de Boer (DBdB) theory for capillary condensation/evaporation in mesoporous systems. The primary idea of this improvement is to employ the Gibbs-Tolman-Koenig-Buff equation to predict the surface tension changes in mesopores. In addition, the statistical film thickness (so-called t-curve) evaluated accurately on the basis of the adsorption isotherms measured for the MCM-41 materials is used instead of the originally proposed t-curve (to take into account the excess of the chemical potential due to the surface forces). It is shown that the aforementioned modifications of the original DBdB theory have significant implications for the pore size analysis of mesoporous solids. To verify our improvement of the DBdB pore size analysis method (IDBdB), a series of the calcined MCM-41 samples, which are well-defined materials with hexagonally ordered cylindrical mesopores, were used for the evaluation of the pore size distributions. The correlation of the IDBdB method with the empirically calibrated Kruk-Jaroniec-Sayari (KJS) relationship is very good in the range of small mesopores. So, a major advantage of the IDBdB method is its applicability for small mesopores as well as for the mesopore range beyond that established by the KJS calibration, i.e., for mesopore radii greater than similar to4.5 nm. The comparison of the IDBdB results with experimental data reported by Kruk and Jaroniec for capillary condensation/evaporation as well as with the results from nonlocal density functional theory developed by Neimark et al. clearly justifies our approach. Note that the proposed improvement of the classical DBdB method preserves its original simplicity and simultaneously ensures a significant improvement of the pore size analysis, which is confirmed by the independent estimation of the mean pore size by the powder X-ray diffraction method.

Immobilization of aluminum chloride on MCM-41 as a new catalyst system for liquid-phase isopropylation of naphthalene

A great deal of effort has been made at searching for alternative catalysts to replace conventional Lewis acid catalyst aluminum trichloride (AlCl3). In this paper, immobilization of AlCl3 on mesoporous MCM-41 silica with and without modification was carried out. The catalytic properties of the immobilized catalyst systems for liquid-phase isopropylation of naphthalene were studied and compared with those of H/MCM-41 and H/mordenite. The structures of the surface-immobilized aluminum chloride catalysts were studied and identified by using solid-state magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), nitrogen adsorption, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The catalytic activity of the immobilized catalysts was found to be similar to that of acidic mordenite zeolite. A significant enhancement in the selectivity of 2,6-diisopropylnaphthalene (2,6-DIPN) was observed over the immobilized aluminum chloride catalysts. Immobilization of aluminum chloride on mesoporous silica coupled with surface silylation is a promising way of developing alternative catalyst system for liquid-phase Friedel-Crafts alkylation reactions. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Study of hexane adsorption in nanoporous MCM-41 silica

We study here the adsorption of hexane on nanoporous MCM-41 silica at 303, 313, and 323 K, for various pore diameters between 2.40 and 4.24 nm. Adsorption equilibria, measured thermogravimetrically, show that all the isotherms, that are somewhat akin to those of type V, exhibit remarkably sharp capillary adsorption phase transition steps and are reversible. The position of the phase transition step gradually shifts from low to high relative pressure with an increase in the temperature as well as the pore sizes. The isosteric heats of adsorption derived from the equilibrium information using the Clapeyron equation reveal a gradual decrease with increasing adsorbed amount because of the surface heterogeneity but approach a constant value near the phase transition. A decrease in the pore size results in an increase in the isosteric heat of adsorption because of the increased dispersion forces. A simple strategy, based on the Broekhoff and De Boer adsorption theory, successfully interprets the hexane adsorption isotherms for the different pore size MCM-41 samples. The parameters of an empirical expression, used to represent the potential of interaction between the adsorbate and adsorbent, are obtained by fitting the monolayer region prior to capillary condensation and the experimental phase transition simultaneously, for some pore sizes. Subsequently, the parameters are used to predict the adsorption isotherm on other pore size samples, which showed good agreement with experimental data.

Diffusion of n-decane in mesoporous MCM-41 silicas

We investigate here the diffusion of n-decane in nanoporous MCM-41 silicas with pore diameters between 3.0 and 4.3 nm, and at various temperatures and purge flow rates, by the Zero Length Column method. A complete-time-range analysis of desorption curves is used to derive the diffusion coefficient, and the effect of pore size, purge flow rate and temperature on the diffusion character is systematically studied. The results show that the calculated low-coverage diffusivity values are strongly dependent on temperature but only weakly dependent on pore size. The study reveals that transport is controlled by intracrystalline diffusion and dominated by sorbate-sorbent interaction, with the experimental isosteric heat matching the potential energy of flat-lying n-decane molecules on the surface, determined using a united atom model. The diffusion activation energy and adsorption isosteric heat at zero loading for the different pore size MCM-41 samples vary in a narrow range respectively, and their ratio is essentially constant over the pore size range studied. The study shows that the ZLC method is an effective tool to investigate the diffusion kinetics of hydrocarbons in mesoporous MCM-41 materials. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adsorption of argon and nitrogen in cylindrical pores of MCM-41 materials: application of density functional theory

Adsorption of argon and nitrogen at their respective boiling points in cylindrical pores of MCM-41 type silica-like adsorbents is studied by means of a non-local density functional theory (NLDFT), which is modified to deal with amorphous solids. By matching the theoretical results of the pore filling pressure versus pore diameter against the experimental data, we arrive at a conclusion that the adsorption branch (rather than desorption) corresponds to the true thermodynamic equilibrium. If this is accepted, we derive the optimal values for the solid–fluid molecular parameters for the system amorphous silica–Ar and amorphous silica–N2, and at the same time we could derive reliably the specific surface area of non-porous and mesoporous silica-like adsorbents, without a recourse to the BET method. This method is then logically extended to describe the local adsorption isotherms of argon and nitrogen in silica-like pores, which are then used as the bases (kernel) to determine the pore size distribution. We test this with a number of adsorption isotherms on the MCM-41 samples, and the results are quite realistic and in excellent agreement with the XRD results, justifying the approach adopted in this paper.

Comparison of nitrogen adsorption at 77 K on non-porous silica and pore wall of MCM-41 materials by means of density functional theory

Nitrogen adsorption on a surface of a non-porous reference material is widely used in the characterization. Traditionally, the enhancement of solid-fluid potential in a porous solid is accounted for by incorporating the surface curvature into the solid-fluid Potential of the flat reference surface. However, this calculation procedure has not been justified experimentally. In this paper, we derive the solid-fluid potential of mesoporous MCM-41 solid by using solely the adsorption isotherm of that solid. This solid-fluid potential is then compared with that of the non-porous reference surface. In derivation of the solid-fluid potential for both reference surface and mesoporous MCM-41 silica (diameter ranging front 3 to 6.5 nm) we employ the nonlocal density functional theory developed for amorphous solids. It is found that, to out, surprise, the solid-fluid potential of a porous solid is practically the same as that for the reference surface, indicating that there is no enhancement due to Surface curvature. This requires further investigations to explain this unusual departure from our conventional wisdom of curvature-induced enhancement. Accepting the curvature-independent solid-fluid potential derived from the non-porous reference surface, we analyze the hysteresis features of a series of MCM-41 samples. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Light alloy castings for automotive applications: The case of Al vs Mg

The economical and environmental effects of mass reduction through Al and Mg primary alloys substitutions for cast iron and steel in automotive components are discussed using MF. Ashby's penalty functions method The viability of Mg alloy substitutions for existing Al alloy cast components is also considered. The cost analysis shows that direct, equal-volume, Al alloy substitutions for cast iron and steel are the most feasible in terms of the CAFE liability, followed by substitutions involving flat panels of prescribed stiffness. When the creation of CO2 associated to the production of Al and Mg is considered, the potential gasoline savings over the lifespan of the car compensate for the intrinsic environmental burden of Al in all applications, while electrolytic Mg substitutions for cast iron and steel are feasible for equal volume and panels only. Magnesium produced by the Pidgeon thermal process appears to be too primary energy intensive to be competitive in structural applications. Magnesium substitutions for existing Al alloy beams and panels are generally unviable. The current higher recycling efficiency of Al casting alloys confers Al a significant advantage over Mg alloys.

Application of density functional theory to capillary phenomena in cylindrical mesopores with radial and longitudinal density distributions

In this paper, we applied a version of the nonlocal density functional theory (NLDFT) accounting radial and longitudinal density distributions to study the adsorption and desorption of argon in finite as well as infinite cylindrical nanopores at 87.3 K. Features that have not been observed before with one-dimensional NLDFT are observed in the analysis of an inhomogeneous fluid along the axis of a finite cylindrical pore using the two-dimensional version of the NLDFT. The phase transition in pore is not strictly vapor-liquid transition as assumed and observed in the conventional version, but rather it exhibits a much elaborated feature with phase transition being complicated by the formation of solid phase. Depending on the pore size, there are more than one phase transition in the adsorption-desorption isotherm. The solid formation in finite pore has been found to be initiated by the presence of the meniscus. Details of the analysis of the extended version of NLDFT will be discussed in the paper. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.

Diffusion of linear paraffins in nanoporous silica

The diffusion of hexane, heptane, octane, and decane in nanoporous MCM-41 silica at various temperatures is investigated by the zero-length-column method. The diffusion coefficients are derived by a complete-time-range analysis of desorption curves at different purge flow rates and temperatures. The results show that the calculated low-coverage diffusivity values decrease monotonically, and the derived Henry's law constants increase, as the carbon number of paraffins increases. The study reveals that transport is strongly influenced by intracrystalline diffusion and dominated by the sorbate-sorbent interaction. The diffusion activation energy and adsorption isosteric heat at zero loading increase monotonically with the carbon number of linear paraffins, but their ratio is essentially constant for each adsorbate compound.

Application of density functional theory to equilibrium adsorption of argon and nitrogen on amorphous silica surface

We present a new version of non-local density functional theory (NL-DFT) adapted to description of vapor adsorption isotherms on amorphous materials like non-porous silica. The novel feature of this approach is that it accounts for the roughness of adsorbent surface. The solid–fluid interaction is described in the same framework as in the case of fluid–fluid interactions, using the Weeks–Chandler–Andersen (WCA) scheme and the Carnahan–Starling (CS) equation for attractive and repulsive parts of the Helmholtz free energy, respectively. Application to nitrogen and argon adsorption isotherms on non-porous silica LiChrospher Si-1000 at their boiling points, recently published by Jaroniec and co-workers, has shown an excellent correlative ability of our approach over the complete range of pressures, which suggests that the surface roughness is mostly the reason for the observed behavior of adsorption isotherms. From the analysis of these data, we found that in the case of nitrogen adsorption short-range interactions between oxygen atoms on the silica surface and quadrupole of nitrogen molecules play an important role. The approach presented in this paper may be further used in quantitative analysis of adsorption and desorption isotherms in cylindrical pores such as MCM-41 and carbon nanotubes.

Capillary phenomena in the framework of the two-dimensional density functional theory

We present results of application of the density functional theory (DFT) to adsorption and desorption in finite and infinite cylindrical pores accounting for the density distribution in radial and axial directions. Capillary condensation via formation of bridges is considered using canonical and grand canonical versions of the 2D DFT. The potential barrier of nucleation is determined as a function of the bulk pressure and the pore diameter. In the framework of the conventional assumptions on intermolecular interactions both 1D and 2D DFT versions lead to the same results and confirm the classical scenario of condensation and evaporation: the condensation occurs at the vapor-like spinodal point, and the evaporation corresponds to the equilibrium transition pressure. The analysis of experimental data on argon and nitrogen adsorption on MCM-41 samples seems to not completely corroborate this scenario, with adsorption branch being better described by the equilibrium pressure - diameter dependence. This points to the necessity of the further development of basic representations on the hysteresis phenomena.

Modeling nitrogen adsorption in spherical pores of siliceous materials by density functional theory

Adsorption of nitrogen in spherical pores of FDU-1 silica at 77 K is considered by means of a nonlocal density functional theory (NLDFT) accounting for a disordered structure of pore walls. Pore size distribution analysis of various FDU-1 samples subject to different temperatures of calcination revealed three distinct groups of pores. The principal group of pores is identified as ordered spherical mesopores connected with each other by smaller interconnecting pores and irregular micropores present in the mesopore walls. To account for the entrances (connecting pores) into spherical mesopores, a concept of solid mass distribution with respect to the apparent density was introduced. It is shown that the introduction of the aforementioned distribution was sufficient to quantitatively describe experimental adsorption isotherms over the entire range of relative pressures spanning six decades.

Pore size characterization of mesoporous materials by a thermodynamic approach: A curvature-dependent solid-fluid potential

A thermodynamic analysis of nitrogen adsorption in cylindrical pores of MCM-41 and SBA-15 samples at 77 K is presented within the framework of the Broekhoff and de Boer (BdB) theory. We accounted for the effect of the solid surface curvature on the potential exerted by the pore walls. The developed model is in quantitative agreement with the non-local density functional theory (NLDFT) for pores larger than 2 tun. This modified BdB theory accounting for the Curvature Dependent Potential (CDP-BdB) was applied to determine the pore size distribution (PSD) of a number of MCM-41 and SBA-15 samples on the basis of matching the equilibrium theoretical isotherm against the adsorption branch of the experimental isotherm. In all cases investigated the PSDs determined with the new approach are very similar to those determined with the non-local density functional theory also using the same basis of matching of theoretical isotherm against the experimental adsorption branch. The developed continuum theory is very simple in its utilization, suggesting that CDP-BdB could be used as an alternative tool to obtain PSD for mesoporous solids from the analysis of adsorption branch of adsorption isotherms of any sub-critical fluids.