Characteristics and performance in the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane of MFI and V-MFI zeolite membranes

Abstract

Original V-MFI zeolite membranes in/on alumina tubes have been prepared, characterized and tested for the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane. The morphological and textural characteristics of the V-MFI membrane were found to be very similar to those of V-free MFI membranes. The insertion of vanadium species has been checked by elemental analysis, XRD, FTIR and ESR. The single gas permeance studies showed that both MFI and V-MFI membranes were free of macrodefects and provided an activated transport for both C 3H 8 and O 2 above 400°C, with a Knudsen-like permselectivity. Both MFI and V-MFI membranes were found to produce propene with about 40% selectivity but with higher O 2 and C 3H 8 conversions for the V-MFI. In the studied conditions, between 550 and 650°C, the oxygen distributor configuration was not found to improve the reactor performance compared to the flow-through one.