Acid-Modified Titania Extrudates for Fischer-Tropsch Catalysts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Titania-based extrudates used in Fischer-Tropsch catalysts suffer from poor mechanical crush strength, making them difficult to handle and prone to fracture in fixed reactor conditions, especially when porosity is increased with the introduction of macropores.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating one or more acids during the extrusion process of titania-based materials to enhance their crush strength, while maintaining or minimizing the impact on porosity, and using a process involving mixing titanium dioxide with acids and optional porogens to form a homogenous paste, extruding, and then drying and calcining to achieve improved mechanical properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If porosity is increased by introducing macropores in titania-based extrudates, then catalytic performance is improved, but crush strength decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a composite material system consisting of titania particles bound with a binder material to form extrudates that incorporate both mesopores and macropores. The binder material holds the titania particles together while allowing the porous structure to be maintained, thus achieving both high porosity for catalytic performance and sufficient mechanical strength for handling.
2Productivity
If extrudate size is reduced to increase catalyst bed surface area, then catalytic activity is improved, but pressure drop through the bed increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the size parameters of the extrudates (diameter and length) to achieve a balance between catalytic activity and pressure drop. By carefully controlling the extrusion process parameters, extrudates are formed with dimensions that provide sufficient surface area for catalysis while maintaining low enough pressure drop across the catalyst bed for efficient operation.
3Stress or pressure
If extrudate particles are made larger to reduce pressure drop, then pressure drop decreases, but attrition and handling difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the size parameters of the extrudates (diameter and length) to achieve a balance between pressure drop and handling ease. By carefully controlling the extrusion process parameters, extrudates are formed with dimensions that are large enough to minimize pressure drop but not so large as to cause excessive attrition or handling difficulties.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The resulting porous, extruded titania-based materials exhibit significantly increased crush strength, with values greater than 3.0 lbf, even when macropores are introduced, improving their durability and performance as catalyst supports in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.
Implementation Method 1
Incorporating one or more acids during the extrusion process of titania-based materials to enhance their crush strength, while maintaining or minimizing the impact on porosity
Implementation Method 2
a process involving mixing titanium dioxide with acids and optional porogens to form a homogenous paste, extruding, and then drying and calcining
Implementation Method 3
drying and calcining to achieve improved mechanical properties
Implementation Method 4
drying and calcining to achieve improved mechanical properties
Data Source
AI summary
Porous, extruded titania-based materials further comprising one or more acids and/or prepared using one or more acids, Fischer-tropsch catalysts comprising them, uses of the foregoing, processes for making and using the same and products obtained from such processes.