La dégradation catalytique du PMMA a été réalisée avec succès à des températures inférieures à 300°C. L’utilisation de zéolithe comme catalyseur a permis de réduire la température de réaction par rapport aux procédés classiques de dégradation thermique. On a montré que la distribution des produits de réaction obtenus en réacteur discontinu dépend des propriétés acides du catalyseur, tandis que la composition de la fraction liquide est directement liée à la sélectivité de forme du catalyseur. Un procédé continu à lit fixe a été développé qui a permis d’obtenir le monomère MMA comme produit principal. L’augmentation de la température de réaction de 200 à 270°C a montré un effet positif sur le rendement en produit liquide. Cependant, des températures de réaction supérieures ont favorisé le craquage du monomère en produits gazeux. Une désactivation significative de la zéolithe ZSM-5 a été observée après 120 heures d’opération, entraînant une diminution du rendement en produit liquide. La régénération des extrudés de ZSM-5 cokés a pu être réalisée par ozonation à basse température - inférieure à 150°C. On a étudié les effets de la température, du débit de gaz et de la concentration en ozone sur l’élimination de carbone. Le décokage par l’ozone a débuté dès 50°C et montré un optimum à 100°C (avec une conversion de 80%). Des températures plus élevées ne se sont pas avérées bénéfiques, en raison de la forte limitation de la diffusion interne de l’ozone qui confine en surface la production de radicaux et donc le processus de régénération. Dans les conditions optimales, l’ozonation a presque complètement restauré l’activité de la zéolithe sans en endommager la texture et les sites actifs, comme le montrent les résultats de craquage du PMMA obtenus avec le catalyseur ainsi régénéré. / Catalytic degradation of PMMA was successfully performed at temperatures below 300°C. The use of zeolite catalyst could reduce reaction temperature in comparison with an ordinary thermal degradation process. It was found that the product distribution obtained from batch experiment depends on zeolite acid properties whereas the composition of the liquid fraction is directly related to the shape selectivity of the catalyst. A continuous fixed bed process was designed that allowed to obtain MMA monomer as main product. The increase of reaction temperature from 200 to 270°C showed a positive effect on the liquid product yield. However, at higher temperatures, the light product was further cracked into gaseous products. Significant deactivation of ZSM-5 catalyst was observed after 120 hours of operation, resulting in a decrease in liquid product yield. Regeneration of the coked ZSM-5 extrudates was achieved by oxidation with ozone at low temperatures, below 150°C. The effects of temperature, GHSV and inlet concentration of ozone on carbon removal efficiency were studied. Carbon removal with ozone started at 50°C and reached a maximum of 80% at 100°C. Higher temperatures were not beneficial due to the strong limitation of ozone diffusion which confines radical production then the regeneration process to the outer surface. In optimal conditions, ozonation almost fully restored the zeolite activity without damaging the texture and active sites of zeolite, as shown from the results of regenerated catalyst in PMMA cracking

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The petrochemical industry is currently strongly based on the production of light olefins ethylene and propylene, which are mainly produced by hydrocarbons from oil. Due to the environmental appeal and unstable oil market scenario, alternative routes to the production of these olefins are being developed, meanly regarding the use of alcohol as raw material. In this context, ethanol is highlighted with Ethanol to Olefins Process (ETO), in which there is catalytic conversion via reactions of dehydration, oligomerization, cracking, isomerization, among others. This work aims to obtain ethylene and propylene from ethanol using ZSM-5 zeolite as catalyst in its acid form. The synthesis of this material was performed using non-conventional sources of silicon and aluminum, kaolin and silica extracted from rice husk ash, and in the absence of nitrogenous templates. The use of seeds was employed together with ethanol, which acts as cotemplate of the zeolitic structure, in different quantities, and in different silica/alumina ratios and crystallisation times. The influence of each of these variables was evaluated with the support of a full factorial experimental design on the final characteristics of the synthesized samples, such as relative crystallinity, chemical composition and textural properties. All samples presented the characteristic crystal structure of ZSM-5 as verified by both X-ray diffractograms and infrared spectra. However, samples with small amounts of seed and ethanol added to short periods of crystallization presented lower crystallinities and specific areas in comparison to other samples. On the other hand, the use of high quantities of seed can lead to the formation of quartz when the crystallization time is extended. With the catalytic tests of ethanol conversion into olefins it was possible to evaluate the influence of synthesis variables, the residence time and the concentration of ethanol in feed, proving the importance of all synthesis variables in the distribution of the reaction products The total conversion of ethanol was observed in all tests made, evidencing the high activity of hZSM-5 in the dehydration of ethanol to ethylene, being the propylene yield strongly influenced by the reaction temperature and characteristics of the catalitic material, with a maximum yield of 27% at 500 °C. The HZSM-5 presented high stability under reaction conditions while maintaining the production of ethylene for more than 40 hours of reaction, whereas the coke formation drastically reduces the production of propylene still in the early hours of reaction. / A indústria petroquímica atualmente está fortemente baseada na produção das olefinas leves eteno e propeno, que são principalmente produzidas através de hidrocarbonetos oriundos do petróleo. Em virtude do apelo ambiental e do instável cenário do mercado de petróleo, rotas alternativas para a produção destas olefinas estão sendo desenvolvidas, principalmente no que tange a utilização de álcoois como matéria-prima. Neste contexto, o etanol ganha destaque com o processo Ethanol to Olefins (ETO), no qual se tem conversão catalítica via reações de desidratação, oligomerização, craqueamento, isomerização, entre outras. O presente trabalho tem por objetivo a obtenção de eteno e propeno através de etanol empregando como catalisador a zeólita do tipo ZSM-5 na forma ácida. A síntese deste material foi realizada utilizando fontes não convencionais de silício e alumínio, o caulim e a sílica extraída da cinza da casca de arroz, e na ausência de direcionadores de estrutura nitrogenados. O emprego de sementes foi adotado juntamente com etanol, que atua como codirecionador da estrutura zeolítica, em diferentes quantidades, assim como em diferentes razões sílica/alumina e tempos de cristalização. A influência de cada uma destas variáveis foi avaliada com o auxílio do planejamento experimental fatorial completo nas características finais das amostras sintetizadas, como cristalinidade relativa, composição química e propriedades texturais. Todas as amostras obtidas apresentaram estrutura cristalina característica da ZSM-5, comprovada tanto nos difratogramas de Raios-X como nos espectros de absorção na região do Infravermelho. Entretanto, as amostras com pequenas quantidades de sementes e de etanol somadas a curtos períodos de cristalização apresentaram cristalinidades e áreas específicas reduzidas em relação às demais amostras. Em contrapartida, o emprego de elevadas quantidades de sementes pode levar a formação de quartzo quando o tempo de cristalização é prolongado. Com os testes catalíticos de conversão de etanol em olefinas foi possível avaliar a influência das variáveis de síntese, do tempo de residência e a concentração de etanol na alimentação, comprovando a importância de todas as variáveis de síntese na distribuição dos produtos da reação. A conversão total de etanol foi observada em todos os testes realizados, evidenciando a elevada atividade da HZSM-5 na desidratação de etanol a eteno, sendo o rendimento a propeno fortemente influenciado pela temperatura de reação e características do material catalítico, com máximo rendimento igual a 27% na temperatura de 500°C. A HZSM-5 apresentou elevada estabilidade nas condições de reação, mantendo a produção de eteno por mais de 40 horas de reação, enquanto que a formação de coque reduz drasticamente a produção de propeno ainda nas primeiras horas de reação.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:56:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 3706.pdf: 2821060 bytes, checksum: 5975ad59eeeedfbd6e16578292306171 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-08-01 / Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos / The objective of this study was to verify the influence of the Si/Al ratio (11.5, 15.0, 25.0, 40.0 and 140.0) in zeolite ZSM-5 in the conversion, activity, selectivity and stability as bifunctional catalysts (Pt/H-ZSM-5) applied to the isomerization reaction of n-hexane. To prepare the bifunctional catalysts, initially the zeolites were submitted, successively, to ion exchange with ammonium cations, ion exchange cations with platinum, calcination and activation process. From the results of the isomerization of n-hexane, it was observed that with the increase of the Si/Al ratio, that is, decreasing the amount of aluminum, there was a reduction in activity and conversion. This is due to decrease the number of acid sites present, responsible to isomerize the carbocation generated in these sites. In contrast, the increase of the Si/Al ratio leads to a better selectivity to the formation of isomers. Among the catalysts, the Pt/H-ZSM-5 (15.0) showed the best result of conversion and activity. In order to compare the Pt/H-ZSM-5 catalysts, the reaction was carried out using the isomerization catalyst Pt/H-Beta (9.0). This catalyst had the best result that all the others, this result may possibly be due to increased acidity of the material and its morphological characteristics, such as type and diameter of pores etc. and/or the crystallite size of zeolites used. / O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar a influência da razão Si/Al (11,5, 15,0, 25,0, 40,0 e 140,0) na zeólita ZSM-5 através da conversão, atividade, seletividade e estabilidade de catalisadores bifuncionais (Pt/H-ZSM-5) aplicados a reação de isomerização do n-hexano. Para preparar os catalisadores bifuncionais, inicialmente as zeólitas foram submetidas, sucessivamente, a troca iônica das zeólitas com cátions amônio, troca iônica com cátions platina, processos de calcinação e ativação. A partir dos resultados da isomerização do nhexano observou que com o aumento da razão Si/Al, isto é, diminuição da quantidade de alumínio, obteve-se uma redução na atividade e conversão. Tal fato se deve a diminuição do número de sítios ácidos presentes, sendo que os mesmos são responsáveis por isomerizar os carbocátions gerados nos sítios. Em contrapartida, o aumento da razão Si/Al acarreta em uma melhor seletividade a formação dos isômeros. Dentre os catalisadores Pt/H-ZSM-5, o catalisador Pt/H-ZSM-5 (15,0) foi o que apresentou melhor resultado de atividade e conversão. A fim de comparar os catalisadores Pt/H-ZSM-5, a reação de isomerização do nhexano foi realizada utilizando o catalisador Pt/H-Beta (9,0). O mesmo obteve melhor resultado que todos os outros, podendo tal resultado ser, possivelmente, devido a maior acidez do material e suas características morfológicas, como tipo e diâmetro de poros etc. e/ou pelo tamanho do cristalito das zeólitas utilizadas.

<p>The expanded production of shale gas has increased the desire for developing methods for converting light alkanes, especially propane and ethane, into aromatic species (i.e., benzene, toluene, and xylene). A multi-step process for conversion of light alkanes to aromatics may be developed, where the first stage converts light alkanes into olefins and hydrogen, and the second stage converts olefins to aromatics. However, to determine the viability of this process, better understanding of the performance of olefin aromatization in the presence of equimolar hydrogen is necessary. </p> <p><br></p> <p>Previous studies on the conversion of olefins to aromatics with bifunctional ZSM-5 catalysts have concluded that benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX) yields are significantly higher than for ZSM-5 alone. These results were attributed to the presence of a dehydrogenation function of Ga or Zn leading to higher rates of aromatics formation. In this study, a highly active, bifunctional PtZn/SiO2 (1.3 wt% Pt, 2.6 wt% Zn) with H-ZSM-5 (Si/Al = 40) catalyst is investigated for propene aromatization at 723 K and 823 K. At low to moderate propene conversions, in addition to BTX, light alkanes and olefins are produced. Many of these may also be converted to aromatics at higher propene conversion while others are not, for example, light alkanes. When compared at equivalent space velocity and propylene conversion, the bifunctional catalyst has a much higher selectivity to aromatics than ZSM-5; however, when compared at equivalent conversion of all reactive intermediates, the bifunctional catalyst exhibits very similar BTX selectivity. At 723 K, for both ZSM-5 and the bifunctional catalyst, the primary non-reactive by-products are propane and butane. At 823 K, both ZSM-5 and the bifunctional catalyst convert propane and butane to aromatics increasing the aromatic yields, and the by-products are methane and ethane.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Additionally, previous studies have investigated the H-ZSM-5 and Ga/H-ZSM-5 in the absence of H2, which is necessary to understand in order to develop a process for the conversion of light alkanes to aromatics. Herein, proton-form ZSM-5 and Ga modified H-ZSM-5 are compared for propylene aromatization in the presence and absence of equimolar hydrogen at 1.9 kPa and 50 kPa partial pressures. At 1.9 kPa, the presence of H2 is shown to have no impact on the product distribution on H-ZSM-5 or Ga/H-ZSM-5. At 50 kPa, H2 is shown to have no significant impact on H-ZSM-5 and has no impact on Ga/H-ZSM-5 at conversions <80%. Additionally, the addition of Ga to H-ZSM-5 is shown to have no impact on the product distribution in the presence or absence of H2, contrary to previous reports. The disagreement with previous literature stems from previous literature comparing H-ZSM-5 and Ga/H-ZSM-5 at equivalent space velocity rather than equivalent propylene conversion despite previous studies showing that the presence of Ga increases the conversion at equivalent space velocity for olefin aromatization. </p>

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Due to the problems presented with the use of photo-Fenton homogeneous system, for the decomposition of recalcitrant organic compounds, several studies have been conducted in order to replace it with heterogeneous processes. The heterogeneous reaction of photo-Fenton catalysts using iron oxide base (Fe2O3) is viable and reputable to overcome the problems presented by the homogeneous system. However, when used pure Fe2O3 has low efficiency due to the large size of the agglomerates formed, so deposition techniques on substrates used are seeking to reduce the size of the iron oxide agglomerates. Thus this study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of iron oxide nanoparticle supported on zeolite ZSM-5 mesoporous in removing organic pollutants contained in wastewater using photo-Fenton reaction system. The synthesis of zeolites ZSM-5, which served as a support, was performed using nucleating gel as driver structure and different amounts of carbon nanoparticles as mesoporosity agent. On the particles of hierarchical zeolites ZSM-5 were deposited iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe2O3). Supporters and materials after impregnation were characterized by diffraction of X-ray (DRX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and analysis of the adsorption / desorption of nitrogen (BET). The evaluation of different catalysts was carried out in photo-Fenton system employing different conditions reaction. From the characterization using x-ray diffraction, it was found that the only crystalline phase was formed from ZSM-5 with high crystallinity, which was adversely affected with increasing carbon content in the gel nanoparticles of crystallization. In the analysis of the BET was found that the formation of type IV isotherms, indicating the presence of mesoporosity in the ZSM-5 zeolites. It was found that with increasing content of carbon nanoparticles in the reaction medium resulted in an increase in the average size of the mesoporous formed. In the catalytic evaluation in the photo-Fenton reaction it was found that under the same reaction conditions, the iron oxide supported on hierarchical zeolite ZSM-5 showed higher activity for decomposition of dyes than pure iron oxide. It was also found that, the higher the degree of mesoporosity of support of iron oxide supported higher activity. The higher activity of supported iron oxide was attributed to the synergistic effect with the ZSM-5 zeolite, which has polar character, making the dye concentration in the catalyst system surface is high, providing conditions for the smooth progress of the reaction. / Devido aos problemas apresentados com a utilização do sistema foto-Fenton homogêneo, para a decomposição de compostos orgânicos recalcitrantes, diversos estudos tem sido realizados com a finalidade de substituí-lo por processos heterogêneos. A reação heterogênea de foto-Fenton empregando catalisadores a base de óxido de ferro (Fe2O3) é alternativa viável e bem conceituada para superar os problemas apresentados pelo sistema homogêneo. No entanto, o Fe2O3 quando utilizado puro em suspensão apresenta baixa efetividade devido ao grande tamanho dos aglomerados formados, fazendo com que técnicas de deposição sobre suportes sejam utilizadas buscando reduzir o tamanho dos aglomerados de óxido de ferro. Desta forma, este estudo objetivou avaliar a eficiência do óxido de ferro nanoparticulado suportado sobre zeólitas ZSM-5 mesoporosas na remoção de poluentes orgânicos contidos em efluentes aquosos empregando sistema foto-Fenton de reação. A síntese das zeólitas ZSM-5, que serviram de suporte, foi realizada utilizando gel nucleante como direcionador de estrutura e diferentes teores de nanopartículas de carbono como agente de mesoporosidade. Sobre as partículas das zeólitas ZSM-5 hierárquicas, foram depositadas nanopartículas de óxido de ferro (Fe2O3). Os suportes e os materiais após impregnação foram caracterizados por difração de raios-X (DRX), microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) e análise de adsorção/dessorção de nitrogênio (BET). A avaliação dos diferentes catalisadores foi realizada em sistema foto-Fenton empregando diferentes condições de reação. Da caracterização por difração de raios-X constatou-se que a única fase cristalina formada foi da zeólita ZSM-5 com elevado grau de cristalinidade, que foi afetada de forma negativa com a elevação do teor de nanopartículas de carbono no gel de cristalização. Na análise de BET constatou-se a formação de isotermas do tipo IV, indicando que a presença de mesoporosidade nas zeólitas ZSM-5. Constatou-se que com a elevação do teor de nanopartículas de carbono no meio reacional acarretou em aumento no tamanho médio dos mesoporosos formados. Na avaliação catalítica na reação de foto-Fenton constatou-se que, nas mesmas condições de reação, o óxido de ferro suportado sobre as zeólitas ZSM-5 hierárquicas apresentou maior atividade para decomposição de corantes que o óxido de ferro puro em suspensão. Também se constatou que, quanto mais elevado o grau de mesoporosidade do suporte maior a atividade do óxido de ferro suportado. A maior atividade do óxido de ferro suportado foi atribuído ao efeito sinérgico com a zeólita ZSM-5, que possui caráter polar, fazendo com que a concentração do corante na superfície do sistema catalítico seja elevado, propiciando condições para o bom andamento da reação.

Submitted by Alison Vanceto (alison-vanceto@hotmail.com) on 2017-02-09T10:54:21Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DissHRAD.pdf: 15161052 bytes, checksum: e10c4924acc9cc8afc5ecbec12ee85aa (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ronildo Prado (ronisp@ufscar.br) on 2017-03-20T17:16:45Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissHRAD.pdf: 15161052 bytes, checksum: e10c4924acc9cc8afc5ecbec12ee85aa (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ronildo Prado (ronisp@ufscar.br) on 2017-03-20T17:16:55Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissHRAD.pdf: 15161052 bytes, checksum: e10c4924acc9cc8afc5ecbec12ee85aa (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-20T17:24:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DissHRAD.pdf: 15161052 bytes, checksum: e10c4924acc9cc8afc5ecbec12ee85aa (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-13 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Nowadays, the Brazilian petroleum is extracted from very deep fields and possesses a high naphthenic hydrocarbons composition, which imposes new challenges to refineries and specially to the catalytic cracking process. In that process, the catalyst must act maximizing the production of the highly demanded gasoline, diesel and light olefins from heavy fractions. Taking into consideration the above discussed context, this work aimed to evaluate the effect of basic or acid treatments applied on ZSM-5 zeolites (Si/Al=12 or 23) in the activity to cyclohexane or methylcyclohexane transformation. XRD and 27Al-NMR showed that the dealuminated zeolites presented an increase in their crystallinity due to the extra-framework aluminum lixiviation. On the other hand, in the desilicated zeolites occurred a decrease in their crystallinity as a consequence of the extra-framework aluminum generation. MEV images do not evidence any morphological change that could have been produced by the acid or basic treatments, however, the desilicated ZSM-5 zeolites treated under harder conditions presented significant textural modifications. As expected, the chemical ICP analyses showed a decrease in the Si/Al ratio in the desilicated zeolites and an increase of that ratio for those dealuminated ones, being the last variation more significative in the external surface of the zeolite crystals, as was evidenced by XPS analyses. Data from NH3-TPD showed that the acid treatment resulted in a higher ratio of strong acid sites, which suffered more deactivation during reaction. N2 fisisorption analyses of the ZSM-5 zeolites, showed that the desilication done at higher temperature was more efficient to mesopore generation. In the cyclohexane and methylcyclohexane transformation, the dealuminated zeolites were less active due to their lower aluminum content, nevertheless were more stable and presented a small increase to light olefins selectivity. The desilicated ZSM-5 zeolites presented higher activity and higher yield to light olefins that were supported by their lower Si/Al ratio and mainly by the presence of mesoporosity that enhanced the reagents and products internal diffusivity. / A produção nacional de petróleo, extraído de jazidas cada vez mais profundas, possui um elevado teor de hidrocarbonetos naftênicos, o que impõe novos desafios às refinarias brasileiras e, em particular, ao processo de craqueamento catalítico. Nesse processo, o catalisador deve maximizar a transformação das frações pesadas em produtos de alta demanda como gasolina, diesel e olefinas leves. Nesse contexto, esta dissertação objetivou avaliar o efeito de tratamentos de lixiviação ácida ou básica em zeólitas ZSM-5 (Si/Al=12 ou 23), na atividade para a transformação de cicloexano ou metilcicloexano. Dados de DRX e 27Al-RMN mostraram que as zeólitas desaluminizadas apresentaram um aumento da sua cristalinidade devido à remoção de átomos de alumínio extra-rede, por outro lado, nas zeólitas dessilicalizadas ocorreu uma redução da cristalinidade devido à geração de alumínio extra rede. As micrografias de MEV não evidenciaram modificação morfológica devido aos tratamentos, entretanto nas amostras dessilicalizadas sob condições mais severas, houve significativa mudança das propriedades texturais. Como esperado, as análises químicas por ICP mostraram uma redução na razão Si/Al para as amostras dessilicalizadas e um aumento dessa razão para as zeólitas desaluminizadas, sendo essa variação mais significativa na superfície externa dos cristais, como mostraram resultados de XPS. As análises de DTP-NH3 mostraram que o tratamento ácido resultou numa maior proporção de sítios ácidos fortes, os quais sofreram maior desativação durante a reação. Dados de fisissorção de N2 das zeólitas mostraram que a dessilicalização em temperatura mais elevada foi mais eficiente na geração de mesoporos. Na transformação do cicloexano e do metilcicloexano, as zeólitas desaluminizadas apresentaram menor conversão como resultado da diminuição do teor de alumínio, entretanto tiveram maior estabilidade e apresentaram um ligeiro aumento na seletividade a olefinas leves. As amostras dessilicalizadas apresentaram maiores conversões e rendimentos a olefinas leves, que se justificaram em função da diminuição da razão Si/Al, mas principalmente, como resultado da presença de mesoporosidade, que melhorou a difusão interna de reagentes e produtos.

Die Nutzung von Kraftstoffen auf der Basis von Biodiesel erlaubt es, konventionelle, etablierte Antriebstechniken mit Nachhaltigkeit zu kombinieren. Daher kann in den nächsten Jahren mit einer weiteren weltweiten Steigerung der Biodieselproduktion gerechnet werden. Damit verbunden ist jedoch auch ein Anstieg der anfallenden Menge an Glycerol, das bei der Herstellung von Biodiesel als Koppelprodukt entsteht. Da traditionelle Märkte für Glycerol kaum mehr Wachstum zeigen, müssen neue Wege zur effizienten Verwertung von Glycerol gefunden werden. Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der heterogen-katalysierten Umsetzung von Glycerol zu Acrolein. Unter Verwendung von ZSM-5-Katalysatorproben mit unterschiedlichem Si/Al-Verhältnis und phosphorsäure-modifizierten Katalysatorproben konnte die Existenz von Synergieeffekten zwischen den texturellen, strukturellen und aciden Eigenschaften in der heterogen-katalysierten Glyceroldehydratisierung zu Gunsten der Acroleinselektivität eindeutig nachgewiesen werden. Eine selektive Umsetzung von Glycerol zu Acrolein wird daher an solchen Katalysatorproben ermöglicht, die ausgewogene texturelle, strukturelle und acide Eigenschaften aufweisen.

The combustion of fossil fuels has for a long time been a problem from an environmental and sustainability point of view, especially when it comes to the emissions of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The environmental concern has for instance shifted the attention towards finding new sustainable alternatives for producing chemicals and fuels, as a substitute to today’s dependence on fossil based crude oil. Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis of biomass is an excellent way to produce valuable chemicals and fuels using renewable resources. However, the process has some drawbacks, for example rapid deactivation of catalysts due to coke formation. Little is known about the characteristics of the formation of catalytic coke from pyrolysis processes, which should be a vital concern in future industrial processes. This thesis is dedicated to investigate the chemical coke characteristics found on zeolitic catalysts. Four zeolites of the type ZSM-5 were chosen for this thesis to deduce any chemical differences in the coke: HZSM-5, Fe/ZSM-5, Ni/ZSM-5, and Fe-Ni/ZSM-5. The coke were characterized by TGA, GC/MS, and FTIR. The results show that Fe/ZSM-5 produced the highest amount of coke compared to the other zeolites, where HZSM-5 had the lowest amount of coke formation. The coke consisted mainly of aromatic and cyclic hydrocarbons, dominated by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The content of ketones and alcohols in the coke found on HZSM-5 was higher compared to the metal-doped zeolites, while the formation of naphthalenes was lower. The FTIR results also show that coke was mainly comprised of aromatic hydrocarbons. However, traces of alkanes and alkenes reveal that the coke may have a greater variety than the GC/MS analysis suggests. The results show interesting features when metals are introduced to the zeolitic structure, at least when it comes to coke formation. The metal-doping of zeolites certainly seems to alter the chemistry of the catalytic reactions, compared to the parent zeolite. The differences in the chemical characteristics found in the coke are certainly interesting, and it could mean that the chemistry of the bio-oil also varies depending on the metals chosen for the ZSM-5. The new properties that metals introduce to the parent catalyst may open up new possibilities in industrial catalytic processes, and allow industries to take more advantage of the great benefits that biomass has to offer. / Förbränning av fossila bränslen har under lång tid utgjort ett problem ur miljö- och hållbarhetssynpunkt, i synnerhet gällande utsläppen av koldioxid. En större miljömedvetenhet har gett upphov till sökandet efter nya råvaror för att framställa bränslen och kemikalier, utan att förlita sig på fossil råolja. Katalytisk pyrolys av biomassa är ett utmärkt sätt att framställa värdefulla kemikalier från förnybara källor. Processen står dock inför en del tekniska utmaningar, bland annat en snabb deaktivering av använda katalysatorer genom koksning. Målet med detta examensarbete är att undersöka den kemiska sammansättningen av koks, som bildats på zeolitkatalysatorerna. Mer specifikt, att försöka undersöka huruvida den kemiska sammansättningen av koks skiljer sig mellan katalysatorn HZSM-5 och metalldopad HZSM-5. Fyra katalysatorer valdes för detta examensarbete, nämligen HZSM-5, Fe/ZSM-5, Ni/ZSM-5 och Fe-Ni/ZSM-5. Kokset har analyserats genom termogravimetrisk analys (TGA), gaskromatograf kopplad med en masspektrometer (GC/MS), samt Fourier-transform-infraröd-spektroskopi (FTIR). Resultaten visar att Fe/ZSM-5 bildade en större mängd koks jämfört med de andra zeoliterna, varpå HZSM-5 hade lägst halt koks. Utöver detta bestod kokset till största del av aromatiska- och cykliska kolväten, speciellt polycykliska aromatiska kolväten. Innehållet av ketoner och alkoholer i kokset var störst för HZSM-5, medan bildandet av naftalenföreningar ökade för de metalldopade zeoliterna. FTIR-analysen gav även upphov till signaler som är signifikanta för både alkaner och alkener. Därför kan det innebära att kokset innehar en större kemisk variation än vad GC/MS-analysen påvisade. Resultaten visar intressanta egenskaper hos metallmodifierade zeoliter, i synnerhet gällande koksbildning. Det verkar som att de metalldopade zeoliterna påverkar de katalytiska reaktionerna som sker i katalysatorn, jämfört med den obehandlade katalysatorn. Skillnaderna i den kemiska sammansättningen hos kokset för de olika katalysatorerna är definitivt intressant och kan indikera att det även kan föreligga skillnader i den kemiska sammansättningen hos bio-olja, beroende på vilken metall ZSM-5 har behandlas med. De nya egenskaperna som metaller bidrar med till ZSM-5 kan öppna upp nya möjligheter i industriella katalytiska processer, vilket även kan medföra att industrier bättre kan ta tillvara på de fantastiska egenskaper biomassa innehar.

Hydrothermal synthesis of ZSM-5 is an often applied but incompletely understood procedure. In comparison to current research efforts that aim to produce complex micro-mesoporous catalysts for the conversion of biogenic and bulky hydrocarbons, this work focuses on the dependency between Si/Al ratio and zeolite morphology of microporous ZSM-5 to understand and to control the synthesis process. In two series of time dependent crystallization, kinetics were analyzed at Si/Al ratio 20 and 100 to optimize the crystallization time. Subsequently, zeolites with different Si/Al ratio were obtained and characterized. The results show a transition from a slow dissolutionrecrystallization process to a fast solid-state-transformation with increasing Si/Al ratio. This is followed by a switching morphology from clusters of small agglomerates to bigger spherical particles. Respective acid site density and zeolite morphology determine local residence time, hydride transfer behavior and finally selectivity towards aromatics and higher hydrocarbons during methanol conversion. This background should provide control of even more complex syntheses of porous catalysts.

ZSM-5 is an aluminosilicate zeolite with high Si/Al ratio with suitable properties for catalysis, ion exchange, adsorption and membrane applications. The main goal of this thesis was to study the growth of ZSM-5 zeolite crystals from inexpensive natural sources of silica and alumina, as well as n-butylamine (NBA) as a low-cost structure directing agent. The first objective of this work was to develop pathways to synthesize ZSM-5 crystals from kaolin clay or diatomaceous earth, two inexpensive natural sources of silica and alumina (Paper I). In the case of kaolin, a heat treatment was used in order to form amorphous metakaolinite. Subsequently, dealumination of the raw materials by acid leaching made it possible to reach appropriate Si/Al ratios and to reduce the amount of impurities. Finally, leached metakaolinite or diatomaceous earth was reacted with sodium hydroxide and NBA. After synthesis optimization, both sources of aluminosilicates were found to behave differently during the course of synthesis and to lead to slightly different reaction products. The final products exhibited Si/Al ratios in the range 10-20. The use of leached diatomaceous earth allowed to reach higher yield of ZSM-5 crystals within comparable synthesis times. However, low amounts of mordenite were inevitably formed as a by-product, which was related to the high calcium content of diatomaceous earth. Therefore, the rest of the thesis focused on the kaolin system. In order to study the growth mechanism of ZSM-5 from leached metakaolinite, a proper methodology to gain local compositional data by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) on aluminosilicates was developed (Paper II). Zeolite A was used as a model system that could be ion-exchanged with various elements. In order to evaluate the reliability of the measurements, inductively coupled plasma-sector field mass spectrometry (ICP-SFMS) and EDS were compared. The EDS method developed in this work resulted in molar ratios very close to theoretical values and was therefore found more reliable than ICP-SFMS. Therefore, the method developed for zeolite A was applied in the rest of the thesis work to study the formation and growth of ZSM-5 crystals. The second part of this work focused on the kaolin system in order to understand the nucleation and growth processes of the ZSM-5 crystals. This system was heterogeneous, due to the formation of a gel upon heating of the synthesis mixture. First, the internal structure of the gel was investigated (Paper III). Second, a kinetic study was performed and compared with microstructural observations (Paper IV). Finally, the mechanisms leading to Al-zoning and dendritical growth of the zeolite crystals were investigated (Paper V). The characterization of the intermediate phases during the different stages of the hydrothermal synthesis were analyzed by different analytical techniques, such as inductively coupled plasma-sector field mass spectrometry (ICP-SFMS), dynamic light scattering (DLS), extreme high resolution-scanning electron microscopy (XHR-SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), high resolution-transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and nitrogen gas adsorption. These investigations led to several important conclusions: 1) The walls of the gel were shown for the first time to be inhomogeneous and to possess a biphasic internal structure consisting of a mesoporous skeleton of aluminosilicate nanoparticles embedded in a silicate-rich soluble matrix of soft matter. 2) The kinetic study and microstructural evidences indicated that the early crystals were fully embedded inside the gel phase and that crystal growth was retarded, as the formation of the gel occurred simultaneously with the early growth of the crystals. Hence, nucleation and growth appeared to be solution mediated.  3) Finally, the Al zoning of the crystals was related to the biphasic internal structure of the gel, since the silicate-rich matrix was preferentially consumed first. 4) The dendrites present at the surface of the crystals during most of the growth process were shown to be caused by the presence of a web of nanoparticles, most likely originating from the mesoporous skeleton inside the gel. In the future, these findings are expected to lead to optimized synthesis pathways of catalysts with homogeneous properties and to contribute to the development of poor regions in Bolivia.