Potential applications of metal-organic frameworks

Liquid hydrocarbon fuels play an essential part in the global energy chain, owing to their high energy density and easy transportability. Olefins play a similar role in the production of consumer goods. In a post-oil society, fuel and olefin production will rely on alternative carbon sources, such as biomass, coal, natural gas, and CO(2). The methanol-to-hydrocarbons (MTH) process is a key step in such routes, and can be tuned into production of gasoline-rich (methanol to gasoline; MTG) or olefin-rich (methanol to olefins; MTO) product mixtures by proper choice of catalyst and reaction conditions. This Review presents several commercial MTH projects that have recently been realized, and also fundamental research into the synthesis of microporous materials for the targeted variation of selectivity and lifetime of the catalysts.

Conversion of Methanol to Hydrocarbons: How Zeolite Cavity and Pore Size Controls Product Selectivity

Methanol-to-hydrocarbons: catalytic materials and their behavior

The methanol-to-olefins (MTO) reaction is an interesting and important reaction for both fundamental research and industrial application. The Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) has developed a MTO technology that led to the successful construction and operation of the world’s first coal to olefin plant in 2010. This historical perspective gives a brief summary on the key issues for the process development, including studies on the reaction mechanism, molecular sieve synthesis and crystallization mechanism, catalyst and its manufacturing scale-up, reactor selection and reactor scale-up, process demonstration, and commercialization. Further challenges on the fundamental research and the directions for future catalyst improvement are also suggested.

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acscatal.5b00007

Methanol to Olefins (MTO): From Fundamentals to Commercialization

A zinc-based metal-organic framework (MOF) can be transformed reversibly from an open (a) to a dense (b) configuration. The microporous solid is the first example of a MOF that is highly selective in the gas-chromatographic separation of alkanes.

A Microporous Metal–Organic Framework for Gas-Chromatographic Separation of Alkanes†

Relation between zeolite structure and it catalytic activity principal methods of achieving molecular shape selectivity shape selective catalysis applications in petroleum processing applications in aromatics processing applications in alternate fuels and light olefins new opportunities in shape selective catalysis.

Shape Selective Catalysis in Industrial Applications

In the 26 years since the term “shape-selective catalysis” was coined by P. B. Weisz and V. J. Frilette [1] to describe the unique catalytic properties of small pore molecular sieve zeolites, great strides in the use of shape-selective zeolites have been made, both scientifically and technologically. Since then, in addition to small pore zeolites, synthetic medium pore zeolites, such as ZSM-5 [2], ZSM-11 [3], ZSM-22 [4], ZSM-23 [5], ZSM-35 [6], ZSM-38 [7], ZSM-48 [8], etc., have been discovered. The availability of these synthetic medium pore zeolites has expanded the realm of “shape selectivity” beyond the original discovery of selective conversion of straight chain molecules to include certain branched molecules, single-ring aromatics, naphthenes, and nonhydrocarbons with a critical molecular dimension smaller than about 6 A.

Industrial application of shape-selective catalysis

Evidence of autocatalysis in methanol to hydrocarbon reactions over zeolite catalysts

Some catalytic properties of ZSM-5, a new shape-selective zeolite

STRAIGHT-CHAIN HYDROCARBONS AND SLIGHTLY BRANCHEDCHAIN HYDROCARBONS ARE SELECTIVELY CONVERTED UTILIZING NOVEL CRYSTALLINE ZEOLITES HAVING UNIQUE MOLECULAR SIEVING PROPERTIES. THE CATALYST PREFERABLY CONTAINS ACIDIC CATIONS AND CAN ALSO CONTAINS A COMPONENT HAVING A HYDROGENATION/DEHYDROGENATION FUNCTION. THE PROCESS OF THIS INVENTION IS PARTICULARLY USEFUL FOR THE DEWAXING OF HYDROCARBON OILS INCLUDING REMOVAL OF HIGH FREEZING POINT PARAFFINS FROM JET FUEL TO LOWER FREEZING, AS WELL AS IMPROVING THE OCTANE RATING OF NAPHTHA FRACTIONS..

Nai Y. Chen

Papers

Shape Selective Catalysis in Industrial Applications

Industrial application of shape-selective catalysis

Evidence of autocatalysis in methanol to hydrocarbon reactions over zeolite catalysts

Some catalytic properties of ZSM-5, a new shape-selective zeolite

Dewaxing of oils by shape selective cracking and hydrocracking over zeolites zsm-5 and zsm-8