Activated Carbon Catalyst Support

One of important application of Activated Carbon is as catalyst support and promoter, also can be directly as catalyst. As a support, mainly used to support catalyst, lets catalyst load on its surface and makes it possesses certain physical and chemical property, support itself generally does not have catalytic activity. Common supports include activated alumina, activated carbon, molecular sieve, clay, honeycomb ceramics, monox, kaolin, diatomite, etc. Usually used “active component-support name” to indicate supported catalyst composition, for example, Pd-activated carbon catalyst for hydrogenation, Pt-honeycomb ceramics catalyst for automotive exhaust purification.

Activated carbon impregnated with metal salts solution can make the catalyst load on the surface of activated carbon, activated carbon’s surface oxidation, acidic functional groups, electron accepting ability, free radicals, pore structure, chemical structure can affect the performance of the active component.

Activated carbon has the irregular graphite structure, in which includes traces of ash, nitrogen, sulfur, hydrogen, oxygen and so on, these ingredients can have the influence to the catalyst performance; Ash is an important indicator of support activated carbon; C-O structure on the surface of activated carbon will affect oxidizing reaction, halogenating response, adsorption performance and electricity performance.

Due to Yuanying activated carbon has abundant pore structure, special electronic properties, easy to regulate surface groups, high specific surface area, strong acid-resistant, alkali-resistant and heat-resistant properties, when used as a catalyst support, the precursor of active component is fully dispersed. Activated carbon itself has catalytic activity, interaction with active component can affect the activity and selectivity of the catalyst, and can save the quantity of active substance. Compare with using metal alone, when activated carbon supports trace amounts of transition metals, hydrogen shows obvious reversible adsorption phenomenon, this called overflow spillover phenomenon.

Activated carbon includes powder and granule, in the process of gas-solid reaction, all used granule activated carbon as catalyst support. Although activated carbon’s specific surface area is very high, but compare with activated alumina support, honeycomb ceramics support and molecular sieve support, its mechanical strength is lower. Therefore, in the production process, commonly activated carbon’s strength is controlled above 95%.

Precious metal catalyst includes Pd catalyst, Ru catalyst, rhodium catalyst, Pt catalyst, etc. As precious metal support, activated carbon shape can be powder, cylinder, sphere and granule.

Application

(1) Isomerization: Ni-Carbon catalyst can let plant oil isomerization (cottonseed oil, linseed oil, rapeseed oil, etc.), from non-conjugated oil into conjugated forms;

(2) Hydrogenation, dehydrogenation and dehydrogenation of aromatization, cyclization and isomerization: Pd-activated carbon catalyst or Pt-activated carbon catalyst can play this catalytic role;

(3) Low pressure polymerization of olefins: Activated carbon loads on Ni, Co or their oxide can let olefin polymerization;

(4) Synthetic fibre: In the production of vinylon, activated carbon impregnated zinc acetate can let acetylene and acetic acid synthetise vinyl acetate;

(5) Gum Rosin reprocessing: Activated carbon loads on Pd can produce hydrogenated rosin and disproportionated rosin;

(6) Synthesis of vinyl chloride: Activated carbon loads on mercuric chloride can let acetylene and hydrogen chloride synthetise vinyl chloride.