On the dynamics of the catalytic surface of a bimetallic mixed-oxide formulation during the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane

Abstract This work aims to evaluate the dynamic performance of a highly selective Ni-based surface during the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane (ODH-C2). The catalyst comprises an in-house bimetallic mixed-oxide formulation with a Ni/Sn atomic ratio of 10. To corroborate its proper synthesis, it is characterized by TGA, AES, XRD, physisorption of N2 and TEM. The catalytic evaluation of the mixed oxide under dynamic conditions allows the proposition of a redox surface mechanism whose reliability is evaluated through a rigorous analysis, which is based on the development of a kinetic model and a robust experimentation program using a fully-automated micro-reaction unit and registering in-situ surface temperatures and continuous inline monitoring of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Experiments are carried out using a mixture of ethane or ethylene, oxygen and nitrogen as feedstock, at temperatures from 360 to 480 °C, total pressures from 100 to 500 kPa, and space-time values from 8.1 to 133.1 kgcat s molC2H6−1. Oxygen conversion ranges from 5% to 100% while the one for ethane varies from 5% to 60%. Besides, the selectivity and yield to ethylene vary from 30% to 90% and from 2% to 40%, respectively. The suitability of the redox mechanism is here assessed by evaluating statistical and phenomenological foundations, including Boudart’s criteria. Kinetic parameters, estimated by non-linear regression and using the reparametrized form of the Arrhenius and van’t Hoff equations, are phenomenologically well founded, such that changes of entropy and enthalpy of adsorption correctly describe the loss of mobility due to adsorption and the exothermic nature of the adsorption processes. Ethylene formation is the reaction demanding the lowest activation energy (Ea1 = 61.94 kJ mol−1), while the total oxidation of ethane is the path requiring the largest activation energy (Ea2 = 132.6 kJ mol−1). Concerning the adsorption enthalpy, ethylene exhibits the largest value ( − Δ H C 2 H 4 ° = 123.39 kJ mol−1), while carbon dioxide presents the lowest one ( − Δ H C O 2 ° = 42.00 kJ mol−1). Additional findings can be summarized as follows: activity and selectivity are recovered after the dynamic operation under oxidative conditions of the catalytic surface; carbon dioxide is identified as the only no desired byproduct; and hydroxyl surface species lead to the formation of water which affects the selectivity to ethylene, as well as the reaction rates. These findings are of interest for future studies directed at elucidating the performance of the Ni-based catalyst at larger scales, paving the way for the efficient design of the industrial reactor for the ODH-C2.