Zeolite Support Channels for Catalyst Aggregation Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Catalyst particles in petroleum refining processes tend to aggregate due to heat and fluid forces, leading to reduced catalytic activity and shorter catalyst life, making frequent replacement necessary and complicating maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A functional structure with a porous zeolite-type compound support and metal elements, where the metal elements are partially substituted within the support, creating channels for the functional material to reside, preventing aggregation and maintaining catalytic activity over time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If catalyst particles are used in petroleum refining processes, then catalytic activity is achieved, but the particles aggregate due to heat and fluid forces, leading to reduced catalytic activity and shorter catalyst life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds catalyst particles within the porous structure of a support material, nesting them inside channels and cavities. This prevents particle aggregation by confining each particle within the support matrix, thereby extending catalyst life while maintaining catalytic activity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes a porous support material with a three-dimensional network structure that accommodates catalyst particles. The porous structure provides physical confinement and stabilization, preventing particle aggregation while allowing reactant access to catalytic sites.
2Productivity
If catalyst particles are supported on the surface of the support, then catalytic function is provided, but the particles easily move and aggregate due to fluid material forces
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of placing particles on the external surface, the patent nests them within the internal porous structure of the support. This internal placement provides better stability against fluid forces while maintaining catalytic function through the supported particles' active sites.
Solution Approach 2:
The porous support structure acts as an intermediary between the catalyst particles and the fluid environment. It provides a stable matrix that holds particles in place while allowing the catalytic reaction to proceed, mediating between particle stability and catalytic activity.
3Reliability
If catalyst particles are aggregated, then the effective surface area decreases, but this leads to reduced catalytic activity and shorter catalyst life
Solution Approach 1:
The porous support structure provides a large internal surface area for dispersing catalyst particles. This prevents aggregation by providing numerous separate confinement sites, thereby maintaining high effective surface area while extending catalyst life through stabilized particle distribution.
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 functional structure exhibits high catalytic ability, resists function decline, and extends catalyst life, reducing replacement frequency and promoting resource-saving by stabilizing the catalytic material within the support channels.
Implementation Method 1
each of the supports has channels communicating with one another, the functional material is present at least in the channel of each of the supports
Implementation Method 2
supports each having a porous structure and including a zeolite-type compound
Data Source
AI summary
A functional structure which can suppress functional degradation of a functional material to achieve longer life, which can save resources without complicated replacement operations, and which, used for example as a catalyst, exhibits excellent catalytic activity. The functional structure includes supports each having a porous structure and including a zeolite-type compound, and at least one functional material present in the supports and including a metal element (M), in which each of the supports has channels communicating with one another, the functional material is present at least in the channel of each of the supports, and the metal element (M) having constituted the functional material is partially substituted with an element having constituted the supports.