Novel Ni-Ce-Zr/Al2O3 Cellular Structure for the Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Ethane

A novel γ-alumina-supported Ni-Ce-Zr catalyst with cellular structure was developed for oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane (ODHE). First, powdered samples were synthesized to study the effect of both the total metal content and the Ce/Zr ratio on the physicochemical properties and performance of these catalysts. All synthesized powdered samples were highly active and selective for ODHE with a maximum ethylene productivity of 6.94 µmolethylene gact cat−1 s−1. According to the results, cerium addition increased the most reducible nickel species population, which would benefit ethane conversion, whereas zirconium incorporation would enhance ethylene selectivity through the generation of higher amounts of the least reducible nickel species. Therefore, the modification of active site properties by addition of both promoters synergistically increases the productivity of the Ni-based catalysts. The most efficient formulation, in terms of ethylene productivity per active phase amount, contained 15 wt% of the mixed oxide with Ni0.85Ce0.075Zr0.075 composition. This formulation was selected to synthesize a Ni-Ce-Zr/Al2O3 structured body by deposition of the active phase onto a homemade γ-alumina monolith. The structured support was manufactured by extrusion of boehmite-containing dough. The main properties of the Ni0.85Ce0.075Zr0.075 powder were successfully preserved after the shaping procedure. In addition, the catalytic performance of the monolithic sample was comparable in terms of ethylene productivity to that of the powdered counterpart