Coprocessing through fundamental and mechanistic studies in hydrogen transfer and catalysis. Quarterly report, September 26, 1991--December 26, 1991

Abstract

The research conducted during this quarter evaluated hydrogen transfer from hydroaromatics and cyclic olefins to aromatics under thermal and catalytic conditions. The reactions under study involved thermal reactions of a cyclic olefin, isotetralin (ISO), with aromatics, anthracene (ANT) and pyrene (PYR). These reactions completed a set of experiments with hydrogen-rich species and aromatics previously reported that included cycloalkanes of perhydropyrene (PHP) and perhydroanthracene (PHA), hydroaromatic donors, tetralin (TET) and dihydroanthracene (DHA), cyclic olefins, hexahydroanthracene (HHA) and ISO, and aromatics, PYR and ANT. Catalytic reactions performed this quarter used a sulfur catalyst that had been shown by Rudnick to affect the hydrogen transfer from cycloalkanes to aromatics and/or coal. Rudnick investigated the dehydrogenation of alicyclic compounds converting them to the corresponding aromatic compounds in a process in which the alicyclic compounds served as hydrogen donors. Thiophenol and thiol were effective catalysts and helped promote the conversion of alicyclic compounds to aromatic compounds. The research performed in our laboratory focused on evaluating the effect of a sulfur catalyst on the transfer of hydrogen from cycloalkanes like perhydropyrene (PHP) to aromatics like anthracene under catalytic conditions. The catalyst used in this study was sulfur generated from thiophenol present at a concentration level ofmore » 2000 ppm of sulfur. The reactions were performed under two temperature conditions, 380 and 440{degrees}C; both thermal and catalytic reactions were performed for comparison. In addition, the individual cycloalkane and aromatic compounds were reacted under these conditions so that a direct comparison of the effect of temperature and of catalyst on the reaction products formed could be made.« less