Ethanol-to-ethylene dehydration on acid-modified ring-shaped alumina catalyst in a tubular reactor

New results of endothermic dehydration of undiluted ethanol on alumina catalyst in pilot wall-heated tubular reactor are presented. Activity and physicochemical characteristics of the proprietary acid-modified alumina (AMA) prepared by gibbsite flash calcination in TSEFLAR (TM) reactor were compared to the properties of commercially available alumina samples prepared by precipitation (CS1) or flash calcination of gibbsite in a flue gas (CS2). The samples differed in phase composition, which corresponds to gamma-Al2O3 in CS1, mixed gamma- and chi-Al2O3 in AMA and CS2; sodium content and concentration of Lewis acid sites (LAS) were different as well. Acid modification resulted in AMA catalyst with improved acidic properties and catalytic activity higher than that of CS2, despite the lower sodium content in the latter. Ethanol-to-ethylene dehydration in the wall-heated tubular reactor proceeded at the catalyst bed temperatures mainly below 385 degrees C, where AMA catalyst is the most active due to the highest content of strong LAS. The heat-agent temperature favors yield of ethylene rather than that of by-products. Higher linear velocity and porosity contribute to a flatter axial temperature profile in the bed; a higher average integral temperature gives a quantitative estimate. This ensures higher ethylene yield with a lower ethanol consumption even at a reduced heat-agent temperature. On the ring-shaped AMA catalyst, the greater ethylene yield, catalyst productivity and sharply reduced hydraulic resistance are reached compared to CS2 cylinders. For the first time we showed that use of AMA ring-shaped catalyst in wall-heated tubular reactor in contrast to the SynDol alumina based catalyst in adiabatic reactor can improve the catalyst productivity by 5-8 times and WHSV by 5-12 times.