Environmental catalysis and catalyst design

Whitehurst, Isoda, and Mochida write about catalytic hydrodesulfurization of fossil fuels, one of the important applications of catalysis for environmental protection. They focus on the relatively unreactive substituted di-benzothiophenes, the most difficult to convert organosulfur compounds, which now must be removed if fuels are to meet the stringent emerging standards for sulfur content. On the basis of an in-depth examination of the reaction networks, kinetics, and mechanisms of hydrodesulfurization of these compounds, the authors draw conclusions that are important for catalyst and process design. 

We have our work divided into process engineering, process chemistry, catalysis, and support technology. As an example, one of the indirect liquefaction projects, tube wall reactor, deals with the design and operation of high thermal efficiency catalytic reactors for syn-gas conversion. Other activities are coal liquefaction properties of coal minerals, the role of catalysts, coal liquid product stability, and environmental impact—to name a few. 

Virginie, M., Courson, C., Niznansky, D. et al. (2010) Characterization and reactivity in toluene reforming of a Fe/olivine catalyst designed for gas cleanup in biomass gasification. Applied Catalysis B Environmental, 101, 90-100. 

A continuing role for catalysis in pollution prevention programs is in new synthetic pathways that do not pollute. With catalysis, reactions can be more efficient and selective (thus eliminating large amounts of by-products and other waste components). The challenge for the field of industrial catalysis in the 2V century is to create innovations in catalyst design that will be environmentally responsible, economical, and applicable to industrial syntheses. 

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