Distribution of alkaline promoters within the structure of iron oxide catalyst for dehydrogenation

Abstract

Along with potassium, cesium is an efficient promoter of catalytic activity of iron oxide catalysts for dehydrogenation of olefins and alkylaromatic hydrocarbons. In the reaction medium, a catalyst is a ferrite system consisting of potassium β″-polyferrite, potassium and cesium monoferrites, and magnetite. The character of the distribution of alkaline promoters within the catalyst structure is studied to provide the theoretically substantiated calculation of the optimal composition of this type of catalysts. The preferred location of cesium ions is shown to be the structure of β″-polyferrite of K_{2 − z} Cs _z Fe²⁺Fe ³⁺₁₀ O₁₇ composition. The catalytic activity of this system with different contents of cesium in the dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene (flow-type reactor; 0.1 MPa; 600°C; hourly space velocity of ethylbenzene, 1 h⁻¹; ethylbenzene : steam weight ratio, 1 : 3) was tested. The maximum specific rate of styrene formation is attained at a Cs : Fe ratio in the interval 0.023–0.027, corresponding to the coefficient z = 0.26–0.30. It is impractical to introduce more cesium. Theoretical propositions for targeted transporting of a promoting agent to a given phase of a catalytically active ferrite system are developed. The content of expensive cesium compounds in iron oxide catalyst is optimized.