Chinese Journal of Catalysis ›› 2023, Vol. 46: 11-27.DOI: 10.1016/S1872-2067(22)64194-9

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Hydrogen transfer reaction contributes to the dynamic evolution of zeolite-catalyzed methanol and dimethyl ether conversions: Insight into formaldehyde

Shanfan Lina,c, Yuchun Zhia, Wenna Zhanga, Xiaoshuai Yuand, Chengwei Zhanga,c, Mao Yea, Shutao Xua, Yingxu Weia,*(), Zhongmin Liua,b,c,*()   

  1. aNational Engineering Research Center of Lower-Carbon Catalysis Technology, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, iChEM (Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials), Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, Liaoning, China
    bState Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, Liaoning, China
    cUniversity of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
    dResearch Center for Energy Strategy, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, Liaoning, China
  • Received:2022-09-26 Accepted:2022-11-10 Online:2023-03-18 Published:2023-02-21
  • Contact: *E-mail: liuzm@dicp.ac.cn (Z. Liu), weiyx@dicp.ac.cn (Y. Wei)
  • About author:Yingxu Wei received her PhD in Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in 2001. During her service at the Applied Catalysis Laboratory of DICP since graduation, she conducted the postdoctoral study at University of Namur (Belgium) from 2003 to 2004. She has been the group leader of Catalysis and New Catalytic Reactions in National Engineering Laboratory of Methanol to Olefins since 2009 and was promoted to professor in 2011. Over the years, Prof. Wei has undertaken a number of key academic research projects commissioned by NSFC, CAS, MOST, PetroChina and other organizations. She has been involved in the researches on heterogeneous catalysis, methanol to olefins, catalysts and processes of hydrocarbon conversion, and catalytic conversion of methanol and methane derivatives. Over 110 academic papers authored by Prof. Wei have been published in scientific journals home and abroad and more than 60 patents have been applied and granted. She gained the national special support plan for high level talents. She is on the editorial board of the Chinese Journal of Catalysis and works as the editor of Microporous and Mesoporous Materials.
    Prof. Zhongmin Liu is the Director of Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) and Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); Director of National Engineering Laboratory for Methanol to Olefins and National Energy Low-carbon Catalysis and Engineering R&D Center.
    Prof. Liu has long been working with the catalysis research, process development, and technology transfer in energy conversion and utilization, and made significant achievements. In 2006, as a leading scientist, Professor Liu, together with partners and his colleagues, finished the first industrial demonstration test of methanol to olefin process, named as DMTO. Based on DMTO technology the world’s first commercial unit of MTO process was constructed and started to operate by Shenhua group in 2010, which was an important progress for coal to chemicals, and provides a new chance for the substitution of oil by coal. So far, DMTO technology has been licensed to 31 units with a total olefins production capacity of 20.25 Mt/a. And 16 commercial DMTO units have been put into stream with olefins production capacity of 9.30 Mt/a. This breakthrough leads coal to olefins to a new industrial sector in China, greatly changes Chinese light olefins supply, and impacts the light olefins market worldwide. Professor Liu also developed coal-based ethanol production technology, via carbonylation of dimethylether and further hydrogenation, and finished its commercialization by construction of a world’s first plant (100KTA) in 2017, which demonstrates a new way for the clean utilization of coal. Up to now, eight DMTE units have been licensed with the ethanol production capacity of 2.25 Mt/a. As DMTE technology can turn the relatively abundant coal resources not food into ethanol, it can safeguard China’s food supply while reduce air pollution.
    Prof. Liu has published more than 430 research papers and got 600 authorized patents or more. He also received many awards in his scientific career, including The First Class of the National Technological Invention Awards (2014), The First Class of the National Scientific and Technological Progress Award (2017), Chinese Catalytic Achievement Award (2017), AIChE Professional Achievement Award for Innovations in Green Process Engineering (2018), Highest Science and Technology Awards of Liaoning Province (2019), etc.
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(21991092);National Natural Science Foundation of China(21991090);National Natural Science Foundation of China(22072148);National Natural Science Foundation of China(21703239);National Natural Science Foundation of China(22002157);The Innovation Research Foundation of Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics(DICP I202121);The National Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province(2022-MS-029);The Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences(QYZDY-SSW-SC024)

Abstract:

Formaldehyde (HCHO), generating from hydrogen transfer (HT) of reactant, is significant for autocatalysis initiation and deactivation in methanol-to-olefins (MTO), but hitherto, its evolution throughout the reaction has not been thoroughly revealed. Herein, by the established colorimetric analysis method, HCHO in the MTO and dimethyl ether (DME)-to-olefins (DTO) reactions over SAPO-34 was in situ quantitatively monitored, where HCHO was detected in slight and conspicuous amounts at initial and deactivation stages with semi-conversion, also when co-fed with water or high-pressure H2. We reveal the weak HT ability of DME relative to methanol, which enables prominent olefins-based cycle and suppresses reactant-induced HT and deactivation in DTO (which is critical for MTO). A complete dynamic reaction network is disclosed, constituting two simultaneous and interplaying pathways: the main reactions for olefin generation as the open-line and HT reactions as the hidden-line. Especially, co-feeding high-pressure H2 with DME capacitating a long-term and highly efficient operation of DTO by modulating the dynamic reaction network to a more moderate autocatalysis evolution, has great potential in industry application.

Key words: Methanol-to-Olefins, Dimethyl ether, Hydrogen transfer, Formaldehyde, Deactivation