Elucidation on supporting effect of WO3 over MCF-Si and SBA-15 catalysts toward ethanol dehydration

Abstract

BackgroundThe alternative conversion of ethanol into valuable products, such as ethylene, through catalytic ethanol dehydration becomes highly appealing due to the surplus of ethanol. This research aims to investigate the catalytic activity of WO3 on SBA-15 and mesocellular form silica (MCF-Si), which have been prepared using different methods and utilized as catalysts in ethanol dehydration. MethodsWO3 was impregnated on the SBA-15 and MCF-Si supports using two different methods, including incipient wetness (IW) and wetness impregnation (W). All catalysts were tested in the vapor phase of ethanol dehydration at reaction temperatures ranging from 200 to 400 °C and were characterized by powerful techniques. Significant findingsThe findings revealed that the three-dimensional mesocellular foam structure of MCF-Si and the incipient wetness impregnation of WO3 are the keys to obtaining a highly dispersed WO3 catalyst with suitable acid properties. Additionally, the high Lewis to Bronsted (L/B) ratio of tungsten on silica is crucial for the catalytic dehydration of ethanol to ethylene. Among all catalysts, the WO3/MCF-Si (IW) exhibited the highest ethylene yield (98.3%), having an ethanol conversion of 99.6% and an ethylene selectivity of 98.7% at 400 ºC.