Characterization and evaluation in process of nano-structured and SACs catalysts of Ni and Fe type supported on zeolites for the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process

Abstract

The growth of the airline industry in recent years has stimulated the search for the production of aviation fuel from alternative energy sources. Thus, the 4AirCRAFT project was proposed and approved, an international partnership between seven universities, with the objective of developing an unprecedented technology for the synthesis of aviation fuel from the direct conversion of CO2 in a multi-catalytic process, in which one of the stages consists of performing the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS). However, this synthesis is not selective for the production of C8 + chains due to the reaction conditions and the catalyst used. Despite this, studies show good results in the use of Fe and Ni catalysts, economically more attractive, in FTS under different supports. Recently, single atom catalysts (SACs) have gained prominence in research due to their different catalytic properties, especially SACs in zeolitic supports. Currently, studies on the use of these materials in the FTS process are rare. Thus, faced with the challenge of developing selective catalysts for this synthesis, this master's research project is part of the general context of the 4AirCRAFT project with the aim of characterizing and evaluating the performance of Fe and Ni catalysts supported on type Y zeolites. , ZSM-5 and HMCM-22, as well as developing the kinetic modeling of the FTS process in these materials. With this, it is expected to optimize and understand the relationships between structure and performance, and to understand the size distribution of the active particles, deposited as clusters and SACs on the surface of the supports during the synthesis. Thus, it is believed that the results of this proposal will be of great contribution to the scientific community, since the study of these catalysts in the FTS process is unprecedented.