Improvements in Production of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

A continuing program of research and development has been directed toward improvement of a prior batch process in which single-walled carbon nanotubes are formed by catalytic disproportionation of carbon monoxide in a fluidized-bed reactor. The overall effect of the improvements has been to make progress toward converting the process from a batch mode to a continuous mode and to scaling of production to larger quantities. Efforts have also been made to optimize associated purification and dispersion post processes to make them effective at large scales and to investigate means of incorporating the purified products into composite materials. The ultimate purpose of the program is to enable the production of high-quality single-walled carbon nanotubes in quantities large enough and at costs low enough to foster the further development of practical applications. The fluidized bed used in this process contains mixed-metal catalyst particles. The choice of the catalyst and the operating conditions is such that the yield of single-walled carbon nanotubes, relative to all forms of carbon (including carbon fibers, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and graphite) produced in the disproportionation reaction is more than 90 weight percent. After the reaction, the nanotubes are dispersed in various solvents in preparation for end use, which typically involves blending into a plastic, ceramic, or other matrix to form a composite material. Notwithstanding the batch nature of the unmodified prior fluidized-bed process, the fluidized-bed reactor operates in a continuous mode during the process. The operation is almost entirely automated, utilizing mass flow controllers, a control computer running software specific to the process, and other equipment. Moreover, an important inherent advantage of fluidized- bed reactors in general is that solid particles can be added to and removed from fluidized beds during operation. For these reasons, the process and equipment were amenable to modification for conversion from batch to continuous production

SULFUR TOLERANT BIMETALLIC ZEOLITIC REFORMING CATALYSTS

New compositions of matter comprise a metal from the group consisting of platinum, rhodium and palladium, a metal from the first row of Group VIII of the Periodic Table and a nonacidic L-zeolite. A preferred composition is Pt-Ni/KL-zeolite. Such catalysts are prepared by coim pregnation of the zeolite with the metals. Methods of using the catalysts in reforming, aromatization or dehydrogenation are provided

Sulfated zirconia and tungstated zirconia as effective supports for Pd-based SCR catalysts

Abstract It is now well established that even though Pd supported on acidic zeolites is highly selective for CH 4 -SCR, zeolitic structures are susceptible to dealumination under hydrothermal environments. In this contribution, we have investigated the ability of non-zeolitic acidic materials to promote the SCR selectivity and stability in the presence of H 2 O and SO 2 . The results of catalytic activity measurements and characterization tests indicate that sulfated zirconia and tungstated zirconia are supports as effective as the zeolites for the promotion of SCR activity. The high SCR activity of these catalysts can be ascribed to the formation of isolated Pd 2+ ions on acid sites. It is proposed that the stabilization of Pd 2+ on these supports is similar to the stabilization previously reported for acidic zeolites. The remarkable characteristic of these Pd catalysts supported on sulfated zirconia and tungstated zirconia is that when they were tested over a 40 h reaction period in the presence of H 2 O and SO 2 , they appeared to be significantly more resistant than zeolite-based catalysts

CO Adsorption on Noble Metal Clusters: Local Environment Effects

Article on CO adsorption on noble metal clusters and local environmental effects

A comparison of the reactivities of propanal and propylene on HZSM-5

a b s t r a c t The reactivities of propanal and propylene have been compared over HSZM-5 zeolites (Si/Al = 45 and 25). Propanal is found to be much more reactive than propylene and to form mostly 2-methyl-2-pentenal and C 9 aromatics as early products in the reaction network. Propylene, in contrast, requires more severe conditions to form C 6 and C 7 aromatics. It is proposed that propanal undergoes acid-catalyzed aldol condensation to form 2-methyl-2-pentenal. This dimer undergoes further condensation to form the aldol trimer, which subsequently dehydrates and cyclizes into C 9 aromatics. In contrast, it is well known that propylene, like other olefins, undergoes aromatization via oligomerization and formation of a hydrocarbon pool. While in the conversion of propanal, propylene is also produced, it appears that it does not play a major role in the formation of aromatics under conditions of shorter space times and lower temperatures, at which propanal produces aromatics in significant amounts

Understanding the mechanism of nanotube synthesis for controlled production of specific (n,m) structures

This report shows the extensive research on the mechanism responsible for the formation of single walled carbon nanotubes in order to get control over their structural parameters (diameter and chirality). Catalyst formulations, pre-treatment conditions, and reaction conditions are described in detail as well as mechanisms to produce nanotubes structures of specific arrays (vertical forest, nanotube pillars). Applications of SWNT in different fields are also described in this report. In relation to this project five students have graduated (3 PhD and 2 MS) and 35 papers have been published