Calcium Phosphate Catalysts for Ethanol Coupling to Butanol and Butadiene

The catalytic conversion of ethanol to butanol and butadiene at 633 K and atmospheric pressure (7 vol% ethanol) was studied over calcium phosphate materials pretreated over a wide temperature range. For calcium phosphate pretreated at or below 923 K, the resulting solid had an apatite structure identified by X-ray diffraction and strong acid sites probed by triethylamine (TEA) adsorption microcalorimetry. The low temperature pretreated materials were not effective at ethanol coupling reactions but instead were highly selective to acid-catalyzed products ethene and diethyl ether. Pretreatment of calcium phosphate at 973 K transformed the apatite structure to beta-tricalcium phosphate, which exposed both acid and base sites evaluated by TEA and CO(2)adsorption microcalorimetry. High temperature pretreated calcium phosphate catalysts formed the coupling products butanol and butadiene during ethanol reaction. The butadiene selectivity was improved by supporting calcium phosphate on zirconia. [GRAPHICS] .

Automated summary

The study investigated the catalytic conversion of ethanol to butanol and butadiene using calcium phosphate materials pretreated at different temperatures. Low temperature pretreatment resulted in high selectivity for acid-catalyzed products, while high temperature pretreatment led to the formation of coupling products.