<p>Hydrodesulfurization is an important part of the hydrotreating process. More stringent regulations on the quality of fuels bring new requirements to the catalytic processes. The removal of sulfur has become a key issue in the oil refining and this work aims to address several aspects of the process.</p><p>Kinetic studies of the hydrodesulfurization reaction over conventional (molybdenum-based) and new (Pt/Y-zeolite) catalysts are reported. The hydrodesulfurization of both the real oil (light gas oil from Statoil Mongstad refinery) and model compounds (thiophene and dibenzothiophene) over a NiMo/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst were studied. In a high-pressure study of the light gas oil, substituted alkyl-DBTs were found to be the most difficult to desulfurize and the order of reactivity was found to be DBT > 4-MDBT > 4,6-DMDBT. Steric hindrance together with electronic effects were identified as possible reasons for this behavior. The difference in reactivities of the individual compounds was found to decrease with the increasing reaction temperature. A gas chromatograph equipped with the atomic emission detector (GC-AED) was used for the analysis of the individual components of the oil.</p><p>The initial deactivation and the steady-state kinetics were studied during the HDS of thiophene at atmospheric pressure. Unpromoted Mo/γ-Al₂O₃, CoMo/γ-Al₂O₃, NiMo/γ-Al₂O₃, and phosphorus modified NiMo/γ-Al₂O₃ were used for the deactivation study, while NiMo/γ-Al₂O₃,CoMo/γ-Al₂O₃, and Pt/Y-zeolite (with three different pretreatments) were used for the steadystate study. Several experiments related to the deactivation of Mo/γ-Al₂O₃ and NiMo/γ-Al₂O₃catalysts prepared with the chelating agent (NTA) were also performed and NTA was found to have no significant effect on the activity of the catalysts.</p><p>In the deactivation study, a fast initial decrease in the activity was observed on all the catalysts. However, nickel promoted catalysts were found to be more resistant to deactivation than unpromoted ones. The presence of phosphorus slightly increased the activity of the catalyst towards the thiophene HDS, but had no effect on the deactivation behavior. Several methods to regenerate the catalyst were investigated. During the resulfiding experiments, a difference between Mo/γ-Al₂O₃ and NiMo/γ-Al₂O₃ was observed. Deactivation of the Mo catalyst was more severe with increasing temperature, while for the NiMo catalyst the opposite behavior was observed. Carbon deposition on catalysts followed the similar trend: More carbon was observed on the Mo catalyst at higher temperatures, while the opposite is true for NiMo. The restoration of the activity of NiMo was complete, while the reactivation of the Mo catalyst was only partial. The results from the reactivation experiments with pure H₂ and inert gas (helium) suggest that several mechanisms of the restoration of activity exist: Resulfiding of the desulfided active sites, hydrogenation and removal of the deposited carbonaceous species, and the desorption of the reactants and products from the active sites of the catalyst. Based on the observed results, the higher hydrogenation activity of nickel is assumed to be the reason for the behavior. Hydrogenation causes the faster removal of the deposited carbonaceous species and this leads to the conclusion that the desulfiding of the active sites and the adsorption of the reaction species is significantly less pronounced on the NiMo/γ-Al₂O₃catalyst.</p><p>Characterization studies show differences between standard and NTA-based catalysts. The higher amount of carbon on the NTA catalysts is attributed to the presence of the carboncontaining precursor - NTA. The changes in the surface area and the pore volume were observed only during the sulfiding process. In the case of standard catalysts the surface area and the pore volume decreased, while for the NTA-based catalysts the opposite is true. No change in the surface area and the pore volume with the increasing time on stream indicates that the deactivation is not due to structural changes of the catalyst. The amount of sulfur was found to be constant during the time on stream for all the catalysts.</p><p>In the steady-state study of the HDS of thiophene, CoMo and NiMo catalysts were found to be equally active. The activity of the Pt/Y-zeolite catalyst was found to be comparable to conventional catalysts when based on the amount of active material, but a fast deactivation was observed. The product selectivities during the HDS of thiophene were found to be the same for all standard catalysts, but slightly different for the Pt/Y-zeolite catalyst. This was attributed to a higher hydrogenation activity of the Pt/Y-zeolite catalyst. </p><p>The inhibition effect of other sulfur compounds and aromatics on the high-pressure hydrodesulfurization of dibenzothiophene (DBT), the so-called “matrix effect” was studied. Thiophene and DMDS have the same inhibiting effect on the total conversion of DBT, but differences exist in the effect on the selectivities of the products at low concentrations. The results indicate that the inhibiting effect of H₂S on the direct desulfurization route is stronger than the effect of thiophene on the hydrogenation pathway. In the study of aromatics, both toluene and naphthalene affect the total conversion of DBT. Naphthalene was found to be a much stronger inhibitor and inhibits mainly the direct desulfurization pathway, while the hydrogenation route is more affected by the presence of toluene.</p>

Hydrodesulfurization is an important part of the hydrotreating process. More stringent regulations on the quality of fuels bring new requirements to the catalytic processes. The removal of sulfur has become a key issue in the oil refining and this work aims to address several aspects of the process. Kinetic studies of the hydrodesulfurization reaction over conventional (molybdenum-based) and new (Pt/Y-zeolite) catalysts are reported. The hydrodesulfurization of both the real oil (light gas oil from Statoil Mongstad refinery) and model compounds (thiophene and dibenzothiophene) over a NiMo/γ-Al2O3 catalyst were studied. In a high-pressure study of the light gas oil, substituted alkyl-DBTs were found to be the most difficult to desulfurize and the order of reactivity was found to be DBT &gt; 4-MDBT &gt; 4,6-DMDBT. Steric hindrance together with electronic effects were identified as possible reasons for this behavior. The difference in reactivities of the individual compounds was found to decrease with the increasing reaction temperature. A gas chromatograph equipped with the atomic emission detector (GC-AED) was used for the analysis of the individual components of the oil. The initial deactivation and the steady-state kinetics were studied during the HDS of thiophene at atmospheric pressure. Unpromoted Mo/γ-Al2O3, CoMo/γ-Al2O3, NiMo/γ-Al2O3, and phosphorus modified NiMo/γ-Al2O3 were used for the deactivation study, while NiMo/γ-Al2O3,CoMo/γ-Al2O3, and Pt/Y-zeolite (with three different pretreatments) were used for the steadystate study. Several experiments related to the deactivation of Mo/γ-Al2O3 and NiMo/γ-Al2O3 catalysts prepared with the chelating agent (NTA) were also performed and NTA was found to have no significant effect on the activity of the catalysts. In the deactivation study, a fast initial decrease in the activity was observed on all the catalysts. However, nickel promoted catalysts were found to be more resistant to deactivation than unpromoted ones. The presence of phosphorus slightly increased the activity of the catalyst towards the thiophene HDS, but had no effect on the deactivation behavior. Several methods to regenerate the catalyst were investigated. During the resulfiding experiments, a difference between Mo/γ-Al2O3 and NiMo/γ-Al2O3 was observed. Deactivation of the Mo catalyst was more severe with increasing temperature, while for the NiMo catalyst the opposite behavior was observed. Carbon deposition on catalysts followed the similar trend: More carbon was observed on the Mo catalyst at higher temperatures, while the opposite is true for NiMo. The restoration of the activity of NiMo was complete, while the reactivation of the Mo catalyst was only partial. The results from the reactivation experiments with pure H2 and inert gas (helium) suggest that several mechanisms of the restoration of activity exist: Resulfiding of the desulfided active sites, hydrogenation and removal of the deposited carbonaceous species, and the desorption of the reactants and products from the active sites of the catalyst. Based on the observed results, the higher hydrogenation activity of nickel is assumed to be the reason for the behavior. Hydrogenation causes the faster removal of the deposited carbonaceous species and this leads to the conclusion that the desulfiding of the active sites and the adsorption of the reaction species is significantly less pronounced on the NiMo/γ-Al2O3 catalyst. Characterization studies show differences between standard and NTA-based catalysts. The higher amount of carbon on the NTA catalysts is attributed to the presence of the carboncontaining precursor - NTA. The changes in the surface area and the pore volume were observed only during the sulfiding process. In the case of standard catalysts the surface area and the pore volume decreased, while for the NTA-based catalysts the opposite is true. No change in the surface area and the pore volume with the increasing time on stream indicates that the deactivation is not due to structural changes of the catalyst. The amount of sulfur was found to be constant during the time on stream for all the catalysts. In the steady-state study of the HDS of thiophene, CoMo and NiMo catalysts were found to be equally active. The activity of the Pt/Y-zeolite catalyst was found to be comparable to conventional catalysts when based on the amount of active material, but a fast deactivation was observed. The product selectivities during the HDS of thiophene were found to be the same for all standard catalysts, but slightly different for the Pt/Y-zeolite catalyst. This was attributed to a higher hydrogenation activity of the Pt/Y-zeolite catalyst. The inhibition effect of other sulfur compounds and aromatics on the high-pressure hydrodesulfurization of dibenzothiophene (DBT), the so-called “matrix effect” was studied. Thiophene and DMDS have the same inhibiting effect on the total conversion of DBT, but differences exist in the effect on the selectivities of the products at low concentrations. The results indicate that the inhibiting effect of H2S on the direct desulfurization route is stronger than the effect of thiophene on the hydrogenation pathway. In the study of aromatics, both toluene and naphthalene affect the total conversion of DBT. Naphthalene was found to be a much stronger inhibitor and inhibits mainly the direct desulfurization pathway, while the hydrogenation route is more affected by the presence of toluene.

This thesis concerns catalytic combustion for gas turbineapplication using a low heating-value (LHV) gas, derived fromgasified waste. The main research in catalytic combustionfocuses on methane as fuel, but an increasing interest isdirected towards catalytic combustion of LHV fuels. This thesisshows that it is possible to catalytically combust a LHV gasand to oxidize fuel-bound nitrogen (NH3) directly into N2without forming NOX. The first part of the thesis gives abackground to the system. It defines waste, shortly describesgasification and more thoroughly catalytic combustion. The second part of the present thesis, paper I, concerns thedevelopment and testing of potential catalysts for catalyticcombustion of LHV gases. The objective of this work was toinvestigate the possibility to use a stable metal oxide insteadof noble metals as ignition catalyst and at the same timereduce the formation of NOX. In paper II pilot-scale tests werecarried out to prove the potential of catalytic combustionusing real gasified waste and to compare with the resultsobtained in laboratory scale using a synthetic gas simulatinggasified waste. In paper III, selective catalytic oxidation fordecreasing the NOX formation from fuel-bound nitrogen wasexamined using two different approaches: fuel-lean andfuel-rich conditions. Finally, the last part of the thesis deals with deactivationof catalysts. The various deactivation processes which mayaffect high-temperature catalytic combustion are reviewed inpaper IV. In paper V the poisoning effect of low amounts ofsulfur was studied; various metal oxides as well as supportedpalladium and platinum catalysts were used as catalysts forcombustion of a synthetic gas. In conclusion, with the results obtained in this thesis itwould be possible to compose a working catalytic system for gasturbine application using a LHV gas. <b>Keywords:</b>Catalytic combustion; Gasified waste; LHVfuel; RDF; Biomass; Selective catalytic oxidation; NH3; NOX;Palladium; Platinum; Hexaaluminate; Garnet; Spinel;Deactivation; Sulfur; Poisoning

<p>This thesis concerns catalytic combustion for gas turbineapplication using a low heating-value (LHV) gas, derived fromgasified waste. The main research in catalytic combustionfocuses on methane as fuel, but an increasing interest isdirected towards catalytic combustion of LHV fuels. This thesisshows that it is possible to catalytically combust a LHV gasand to oxidize fuel-bound nitrogen (NH3) directly into N2without forming NOX. The first part of the thesis gives abackground to the system. It defines waste, shortly describesgasification and more thoroughly catalytic combustion.</p><p>The second part of the present thesis, paper I, concerns thedevelopment and testing of potential catalysts for catalyticcombustion of LHV gases. The objective of this work was toinvestigate the possibility to use a stable metal oxide insteadof noble metals as ignition catalyst and at the same timereduce the formation of NOX. In paper II pilot-scale tests werecarried out to prove the potential of catalytic combustionusing real gasified waste and to compare with the resultsobtained in laboratory scale using a synthetic gas simulatinggasified waste. In paper III, selective catalytic oxidation fordecreasing the NOX formation from fuel-bound nitrogen wasexamined using two different approaches: fuel-lean andfuel-rich conditions.</p><p>Finally, the last part of the thesis deals with deactivationof catalysts. The various deactivation processes which mayaffect high-temperature catalytic combustion are reviewed inpaper IV. In paper V the poisoning effect of low amounts ofsulfur was studied; various metal oxides as well as supportedpalladium and platinum catalysts were used as catalysts forcombustion of a synthetic gas.</p><p>In conclusion, with the results obtained in this thesis itwould be possible to compose a working catalytic system for gasturbine application using a LHV gas.</p><p><b>Keywords:</b>Catalytic combustion; Gasified waste; LHVfuel; RDF; Biomass; Selective catalytic oxidation; NH3; NOX;Palladium; Platinum; Hexaaluminate; Garnet; Spinel;Deactivation; Sulfur; Poisoning</p>

<p>Car exhaust catalysts were introduced in the early 1980’s, to limit the release of pollutants such as hydrocarbons, carbon monoxides and nitrogen oxides. These catalysts contain noble metals such as palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt) and rhodium (Rh) and are able to simultaneously abate all three of the above-mentioned pollutants, hence the name three-way catalyst (TWC). The exposure to high temperatures (800-1000 °C) during operation and the presence of additives in petrol such as lead, calcium, silicon, magnesium, manganese, chromium, sulphur and phosphorus will after a certain time start to lower the overall effectiveness of the catalyst. These effects are either of a mechanical or a chemical nature. High temperatures reduce the active area by causing the noble metals to agglomerate and sinter whereas the additives alter the activity by either fouling the pores of the support material (phosphorus) or by interacting with the metals (sulphur and lead).</p><p>The main objective of this work was to develop a method to redisperse the catalytically active sites, comprising Pd, Pt and Rh on the washcoat surface, in an effort to regain lost catalyst activity. For this purpose, a wide spectrum of different commercial car exhaust catalysts containing varying noble metal loadings, aged under various driving conditions and with mileages ranging from 30 to 100 000 km were evaluated.</p><p>The influence of a thermal treatment in a controlled gas atmosphere, such as oxygen or hydrogen and a redispersing agent, e.g. chlorine, on the activity of TWC was investigated by means of laboratory-scale activity measurements. Several complementary characterisation methods such as SEM/TEM, XRD, BET and TPR were used to verify the effects of the regeneration treatments on the catalyst morphology (Paper I). Partial regeneration of catalyst activity and noble metal dispersion was achieved after thermal treatment in an oxygen-chlorine rich atmosphere at temperatures below 500 °C.</p><p>Finally, an investigation of the effects of an oxy-chlorine thermal treatment for regeneration of a ‘full-scale’ commercial automotive three-way catalyst was performed. Catalyst activity and performance prior to and after the oxy-chlorine thermal treatment was measured on a test vehicle in accordance with the European driving cycle (EC2000). The catalyst surface was further characterised using XRD and EDX (Paper II). Improved catalyst activity for a high mileage catalyst could be observed, with emissions lowered by approximately 30 to 40 vol% over the EC2000 driving cycle</p>

Although current trends in global warming are of great concern, energy demand is still increasing, resulting in increasing pollutant emissions. To address this issue, we need reliable renewable energy sources, lowered pollutant emissions, and efficient and profitable processes for energy conversion. We also need to improve the use of the energy, produced by existing infrastructure. Consequently, the work presented in this thesis aims at investigating current scientific and technological challenges in energy conversion through biomass gasification and the alternative use of fossil fuels, such as diesel, in the generation of cleaner electricity through auxiliary power units in the transport sector. Production of chemicals, syngas, and renewable fuels is highly dependent on the development and innovation of catalytic processes within these applications. This thesis focuses on the development and optimization of catalytic technologies in these areas. One of the limitations in the commercialization of the biomass gasification technology is the effective catalytic conversion of tars, formed during gasification. Biomass contains high amounts of alkali impurities, which pass on to the producer gas. Therefore, a new material with alkali tolerance is needed. In the scope of this thesis, a new catalyst support, KxWO3 – ZrO2 with high alkali resistance was developed. The dynamic capability of KxWO3 – ZrO2 to store alkali metals in the crystal structure, enhances the capture of alkali metals "in situ". Alkali metals are also important electronic promoters for the active phase, which usually increases the catalysts activity and selectivity for certain products. Experimental results show that conversion of 1-methylnaphathalene over Ni/KxWO3 – ZrO2 increases in the presence of 2 ppm of gas-phase K (Paper I). This support is considered to contribute to the electronic equilibrium within the metal/support interface, when certain amounts of alkali metals are present. The potential use of this support can be extended to applications in which alkali "storage-release" properties are required, i.e. processes with high alkali content in the process flow, to enhance catalyst lifetime and regeneration. In addition, fundamental studies to understand the adsorption geometry of naphthalene with increasing temperature were performed in a single crystal of Ni(111) by STM analyses. Chapter 9 presents preliminary studies on the adsorption geometry of the molecule, as well as DFT calculations of the adsorption energy. In relation to the use of clean energy for transport applications, hydrogen generation through ATR for FC-APUs is presented in Papers II to V. Two promoted RhPt bimetallic catalysts were selected in a previous bench scale study, supported on La2O3:CeO2/d – Al2O3 and MgO : Y2O3/CeO2 – ZrO2. Catalyst evaluation was performed in a fullscale reformer under real operating conditions. Results showed increased catalyst activity after the second monolithic catalyst due to the effect of steam reforming, WGS reaction, and higher catalyst reducibility of the RhxOy species in the CeO2 – ZrO2 mixed oxide, as a result of the improved redox properties. The influence of sulfur and coke formation on diesel reforming was assessed after 40 h on stream. Sulfur poisoning was evaluated for the intrinsic activity related to the total Rh and Pt area observed after exposure to sulfur. Sulfur concentration in the aged catalyst washcoat was observed to decrease in the axial direction of the reformer. Estimations of the amount of sulfur adsorbed were found to be below the theoretical equilibrated coverage on Rh and Pt, thus showing a partial deactivation due to sulfur poisoning. / <p>QC 20150213</p>

Les réactions de déshydrogénation oxydante du propane et de l’éthane ont été étudiées respectivement sur des catalyseurs à base d’oxydes alcalino-terreux (OAT) dopés néodyme et des catalyseurs à base d’oxyde de nickel dopés par différents métaux. Deux méthodes de préparation des solides OAT dopés au néodyme ont été comparées. La caractérisation par analyses DRX montre la formation de solutions solides avec des défauts (lacunes, dislocations). La formation d’agglomérats de néodyme a été également observée. Les tests catalytiques réalisés montrent que le dopage au néodyme augmente la conversion du propane avec simultanément une augmentation de la sélectivité. Les catalyseurs à base d’oxyde de nickel sont eux très actifs dans la réaction de déshydrogénation oxydante de l’éthane. L’étude réalisée montre l’absence de formation de solutions solides étendues avec les dopants. L’addition de niobium et des ions oxalates permet l’isolation des sites actifs qui sont des ions O- et entraine une baisse d’activité mais conjointement une forte amélioration de la sélectivité en éthylène. De plus, elle modifie la texture de NiO en augmentant sa surface spécifique ce qui permet d’obtenir de meilleures conversions. La mise au point de ces catalyseurs est compromise par une désactivation: la caractérisation des solides avant et après désactivation par DRX, Raman, XPS, TEM, EDX et TPD de O2 montre que cette désactivation est due à la réduction lente et irréversible des ions Ni3+ entrainant la diminution du nombre des espèces O-. La formation de la phase NiNb2O6 lors de la désactivation a été également observée. / The oxidative dehydrogenations of propane and ethane have been studied on alkaline earth oxides doped with neodymium oxide (AEO) and nickel oxide doped with different metal oxides. Two types of synthesis have been compared for the preparation of AEO+Nd samples. The characterization by XRD showed the formation of solid solutions with different defects (cationic vacancies, dislocations). The formation of agglomerates of neodymium has also been observed. The catalytic testing showed that the presence of neodymium oxide increases both the conversion of propane and the selectivity to propylene. The addition of neodymium oxide increases the basicity of the catalysts, which seems to be beneficial to the selectivity. The nickel oxide based catalysts are very efficient in the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane. The study shows that there is no formation of extended solid solution. The addition of niobium and oxalates anions leads to the isolation of the active O- sites at the surface of the nickel oxide, which decreases the activity but strongly increases the selectivity to ethylene. Furthermore, it modifies textural properties of nickel oxide increasing its specific surface area leading to better conversions. However, the applicability of this type of catalysts stays under question because of a deactivation that has been evidenced with time on stream. The characterization of the fresh and deactivated catalysts by XRD, Raman, XPS, TEM, EDX and TPD of O2 showed that this deactivation is due to the slow and irreversible reduction of Ni3+ cations leading to a further decrease in number of the O- species. The formation of NiNb2O6 phase during the deactivation has been evidenced.

Submitted by Ana Hilda Fonseca (anahilda@ufba.br) on 2016-09-15T14:22:53Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Hélio O. Pimentel.pdf: 2196448 bytes, checksum: b81d660c75daf2b43a78c84dc7e07cf7 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Vanessa Reis (vanessa.jamile@ufba.br) on 2016-09-15T14:27:40Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Hélio O. Pimentel.pdf: 2196448 bytes, checksum: b81d660c75daf2b43a78c84dc7e07cf7 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-15T14:27:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Hélio O. Pimentel.pdf: 2196448 bytes, checksum: b81d660c75daf2b43a78c84dc7e07cf7 (MD5) / FINEP / CNPq / RECAT / Esta tese é uma contribuição na perspectiva de melhoramento da tecnologia para o tratamento catalítico dos gases de emissão automotiva, reconhecidos como poluentes ambientais. Os catalisadores ou conversores automotivos (Three-Way Catalysts, TWC) são uma tecnologia bem estabelecida para o abatimento de gases poluentes emitidos pelos veículos, mas esses sistemas desativam sob condições severas às quais estão submetidas. As causas de desativação reconhecidas para o TWC são: a exposição às altas temperaturas durante a operação do motor, que causam danos ao washcoat e sinterização dos sítios ativos, bem como o depósito de fases inativas como fosfatos, sulfatos e compostos carbonáceos, além de outros venenos provenientes dos aditivos da gasolina e óleos lubrificantes. Muitos esforços têm sido destinados à regeneração da atividade catalítica, aumentando a durabilidade do TWC, por razões econômicas e ambientais. A remoção de fases inativas, venenos e a redispersão das espécies ativas sinterizadas são algumas das estratégias investigadas na literatura. Neste trabalho, amostras de conversores envelhecidos num táxi, na condição real de tráfego em Salvador-Bahia-Brasil, foram caracterizadas por MEV, FRX, DRX, TG, XPS, TPR e análises texturais, bem como por testes de avaliação catalítica na redução de NO com CO, empregada como reação modelo. Dois procedimentos de regeneração foram investigados: i) lixiviação assistida por ultra-som (LUS), utilizando solventes e soluções diluídas de ácidos; e ii) tratamento com fluido supercrítico de CO2 (FSC), usando metanol como agente modificador. Como a eficiência da extração com CO2 supercrítico depende de vários parâmetros, tais como temperatura, pressão e solventes modificadores, o estudo foi realizado usando um planejamento fatorial 2k (k = 3). Ambos os procedimentos mostraram-se promissores levando a recuperação da atividade catalítica. O ácido clorídrico diluído mostrou-se o meio mais adequado para a lixiviação assistida por ultra-som, removendo venenos e fases inativas, bem como causando redistribuição das fases ativas de metais nobres. O tratamento com FSC também é eficiente, mas as condições operacionais precisam ser bem controladas de modo a evitar danos estruturais ao washcoat. As modificações texturais observadas, redispersão das fases ativas, remoção de fases inativas e venenos, na condição de 100ºC, 1500 psi e 10% de metanol, favoreceram a recuperação da atividade catalítica. / This thesis is a contribution in perspective to technology improvement of catalytic treatment automotive gases, recognized as environmental pollutants. Automotive catalysts (Three-Way Catalysts, TWC) are well established technology for abatement of gaseous pollutants emitted from vehicles, however they deactivate under the tough conditions to which they are subjected. The TWC deactivation factors are recognized as the exposition at high temperatures during the motor operation, due to the temperature sintering effects on alumina washcoat and active sites, as inactive phase deposition like phosphates, sulfates, graphite and other carbonaceous, and other poisons resultant of the gasoline and lubricant oil addictives. A lot of effort has been applied in order to regenerate activity, thus improving TWC durability, both for economical and environmental reasons. The removal of inactive phases and poisons and re-dispersion of sintered active species are some regeneration strategies that have been investigated in the literature. In this work, samples of aged converters, in actual transit condition vehicle taxi fleet of Salvador-Bahia-Brazil, were characterized by SEM, XRF, XRD, TG, XPS, TPR and textural analysis, as well as, catalytic evaluation tests by the NO with CO reduction, as the reaction model. Two regenerated proceedings were investigated: i) ultrasound attended lixiviation (USL), with solvents and dilute acid solutions, and ii) CO2 supercritical fluid (SCF), with methanol as modifier agent. Once the efficiency of supercritical fluid extraction depends on various parameters, such as temperature, pressure and presence of modifier solvents, the study has been performed using a factorial design 2k (k = 3). Both proceedings showed promising to carry the catalytic activity regeneration. The dilute hydrochloric acid was the best adequate means to the ultrasound attended lixiviation, removing poisons and inactive phases and leading to the re-dispersion of active phases of noble metals. The SCF treatment is also efficient; however, the operational conditions need to be well controlled to avoid the washcoat structural damages. The observed textural modifiers, active phase re- dispersion, inactive phases and poisons removal, in the condition of 100ºC, 1500 psi and 10% methanol, aid the catalytic activity recovery.

Les polymères fonctionnalisés par des groupements phosphonates ont un fort potentiel applicatif comme superplastifiants dans les pâtes de ciment. Des copolymères à blocs fonctionnels ont été synthétisés par polymérisation RAFT/MADIX afin d'accéder à des polymères de masse molaire, d'architecture et de composition contrôlées. Le monomère principalement utilisé a été l'acide vinylphosphonique (VPA). L'amélioration de la cinétique ainsi que la conversion finale lors de la polymérisation du VPA a été un des principaux objectifs de la thèse, en vue de synthétiser des copolymères diblocs PEG-PVPA. Ensuite des copolymères à blocs ont été synthétisés à l'aide d'un disulfure de xanthate. Ce nouveau procédé a permis d'obtenir des structures de copolymères à blocs plus complexes à bas de MPEGMA et de VPA, dont la synthèse à partir d'un agent de contrôle RAFT conventionnel aurait été relativement ardue. Des essais ont été menés sur des pâtes cimentaires afin d'évaluer les propriétés des différents copolymères. Les effets de l'adsorption des copolymères à blocs sur la mise en œuvre du béton ont été évalués et comparés à des superplastifiants phosphonatés commerciaux. / Phosphonic acid-functionalized polymers show great promise as superplasticizers in cement mixtures. Functional block copolymers were synthesized by RAFT/MADIX polymerization to obtain polymers of controlled molecular weight, architecture and composition. The principal monomer used was vinylphosphonic acid (VPA). The enhancement of the kinetics of VPA polymerization and the final yield was one of the aims of the thesis. Block copolymers were then synthesized using xanthate disulfide as a chain transfer agent. This new process enabled us to obtain complex structures that would be difficult to synthesize using a more conventional RAFT process. The effects of block copolymer adsorption on cement workability were assayed with reference to a commercially available phosphonated superplasticizer.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:55:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 4549.pdf: 10506362 bytes, checksum: 622f533bcc042279d1b10154620ecb35 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-06-11 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / Cobalt-based catalysts supported on &#947;-alumina and magnesium aluminate modified with lanthanum and cerium have been applied to various conditions of reforming of ethanol. The initial challenge was to control the rate of carbon accumulation, a major cause of deactivation of catalysts under steam reforming of ethanol. In situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy analyses showed that the rate of carbon accumulation is inversely proportional to the amount of Co2+ species and directly proportional to the amount of Co0 species. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses showed that, after reducing the catalysts in hydrogen, the oxidized fraction of the particles is mainly on their surface. Both the oxidized and reduced fractions of cobalt crystallites have face-centered cubic structure. The concentration of superficial oxygen under reforming conditions is determined by the curvature of the surface of the particles, the nature of the supports and the presence of promoters such as platinum and copper. The concentration of superficial oxygen is also highly sensitive to reaction conditions such as the composition and amount of oxidizing agents, such as oxygen and water, and reaction temperature. The rate of accumulation of carbon could be controlled with co-feeding oxygen to the reactor, process called oxy-reforming of ethanol, and using ceria as support. However, stability tests showed that catalyst deactivation may also occur by oxidation of metal sites. The ignition of the reforming process takes place in a microregion at the entrance of the catalyst bed where ethanol is fully oxidized, releasing energy and increasing the local temperature. Spatial-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy analyses showed that the ratio Co2+/Co0 is much greater than one inside this microregion. The high local temperature and the presence of oxidized species in the entrance of the bed produce the appropriate conditions which lead the Co2+ ions to diffuse into the defect spinel structure of &#947;-alumina, leading to loss of potentially active sites for reforming of ethanol. This phenomenon is unleashed as a wave that propagates from the entrance of the bed downstream to the regions where Co2+ species exist. However, one can prevent the diffusion of Co2+ species to the structure of &#947;- alumina using aluminates as supports. / Catalisadores de cobalto suportados em &#947;-alumina e aluminato de magnésio modificados com lantânio e cério foram aplicados a diferentes condições de reforma do etanol. O desafio inicial foi tentar controlar a taxa de acúmulo de carbono, um dos principais fatores de desativação de catalisadores em condições de reforma a vapor do etanol. Análises de espectroscopia de absorção de raios X in situ comprovaram que a diminuição da taxa de acúmulo de carbono está ligada ao aumento da quantidade de espécies Co2+ em relação à quantidade de espécies Co0 nas partículas de cobalto. Análises de espectroscopia de fotoelétrons excitados por raios X demonstraram que, após redução em hidrogênio, a fração oxidada das partículas encontra-se majoritariamente na superfície das mesmas. Ambas as frações oxidadas e reduzidas das partículas de cobalto apresentam estrutura cúbica de face centrada. A concentração de oxigênio superficial em condições de reforma do etanol é determinada pela curvatura da superfície das partículas, pela natureza dos suportes e pela presença de promotores tais como platina e cobre. A concentração de oxigênio superficial é também fortemente sensível às condições de reação, tais como a composição e quantidade de agentes oxidantes, como a água e o oxigênio, e a temperatura de reação. O acúmulo de carbono pôde ser controlado com a coalimentação de oxigênio ao reator, processo denominado reforma a vapor com coalimentação de oxigênio, e utilizando-se céria como suporte. Entretanto, testes de estabilidade demonstraram que a desativação do catalisador pode também ocorrer por oxidação dos sítios metálicos. A ignição da reforma ocorre em uma microrregião na entrada do leito catalítico onde o etanol é completamente oxidado, liberando energia e aumentando a temperatura local. Análises de espectroscopia de absorção de raios X in situ resolvidas no espaço demonstraram que, nesta microrregião, a razão Co2+/Co0 é muito maior que um. O aumento da temperatura local e a presença de espécies oxidadas na entrada do leito produzem as condições adequadas para que íons Co2+ se difundam na estrutura espinela defeituosa da &#947;- alumina, levando a perdas de sítios potencialmente ativos para a reforma do etanol. Este fenômeno se deflagra como uma onda de desativação que se propaga da entrada do leito em direção às regiões à jusante onde existem espécies Co2+. Por outro lado, pode-se evitar a difusão de espécies Co2+ na estrutura da &#947;-alumina utilizando-se aluminatos como suporte.