Abstract
All important effective ultrasonication variables encountered during carrying out the dehydration of methanol on H-MOR zeolite catalysts to produce dimethylether are studied in the present communication. These variables include; (a) the type of ultrasonication media, (b) the ultrasonication period, and (c) the volume of the ultrasonication liquid media per a given weight of the solid zeolite catalyst. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) photographs of the zeolite have clarified that methanol by itself used as an ultrasonication medium gives the best results concerning the homogeneity of particle sizes compared to the untreated catalyst, where large agglomerates and non-homogeneous clusters appeared. Water used as a sonicated medium showed many large agglomerates in addition to some smaller particles. The d-spacing values obtained from XRD data were plotted as a function of ultrasonication period and volume of methanol per gram of the zeolite in fixed volume of the different alcohols examined. All these data were found to give precise correlation with the catalytic activity of the sonicated H-MOR zeolite. These findings certified that ultrasonication has a deep effect on the unit cell resolution and hence on the catalytic behavior of the dehydration of methanol to dimethyl ether (DME). NH3-TPD shows that ultrasound irradiation has enhanced the acidity of H-MOR catalyst and hence it is catalytic performance for DME formation. Key words: Ultrasonication, H-MOR, dimethyl ether (DME), methanol.
Highlights
A growing awareness of climate change, air pollution and energy consumption necessitates the development of clean, renewable and sustainable fuels
The results indicated that the CuO/ZnO/γ-Al2O3 catalysts prepared under the effect of ultrasonic irradiation showed higher activity for dimethyl ether (DME) formation
Samples show two peaks; a low-temperature peak corresponding to the ammonia desorption enthalpy (∆Hd) from the weak acid sites of the catalyst and a high temperature peak corresponding to the ammonia desorption enthalpy from the strong acid sites
Summary
A growing awareness of climate change, air pollution and energy consumption necessitates the development of clean, renewable and sustainable fuels. In terms of small energy generators for either fixed or mobile power sources there is a number of existing technologies, of which diesel engines are common. Unless legislated against, such engines produce exhaust streams with significant amounts of NOx, SOx and particulates. Diesel exhausts have been linked to cancer (Paddock, 2012) in a recent World. Dimethyl ether (DME) is one of the most promising ultra clean, renewable and oxygenated alternative fuel for diesel engines. The reasons for this are numerous and include its lower auto-ignition temperature
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