RESUMEN
Research in solid-gas heterogeneous catalytic processes is typically aimed toward optimization of catalyst composition to achieve a higher conversion and, especially, a higher selectivity. However, even with the most selective catalysts, an upper limit is found: Above a certain temperature, gas-phase reactions become important and their effects cannot be neglected. Here, we apply a microwave field to a catalyst-support ensemble capable of direct microwave heating (MWH). We have taken extra precautions to ensure that (i) the solid phase is free from significant hot spots and (ii) an accurate estimation of both solid and gas temperatures is obtained. MWH allows operating with a catalyst that is significantly hotter than the surrounding gas, achieving a high conversion on the catalyst while reducing undesired homogeneous reactions. We demonstrate the concept with the CO2-mediated oxidative dehydrogenation of isobutane, but it can be applied to any system with significant undesired homogeneous contributions.
RESUMEN
The heterogeneous reaction of soot with NO can be considered as a means of reduction of the emissions of both pollutants from combustion systems. In this paper, the influence of the presence of CO in the soot-NO reaction is studied. Soot was obtained by pyrolysis at 1373 K of 5000 ppmv acetylene in nitrogen. The study of the influence of CO on the soot-NO reaction was performed in experiments fixing NO concentration at 900 ppmv and introducing different CO concentrations among 0 and 9900 ppmv. An increase in both the carbon consumption rate and NO reduction by acetylene soot was observed as the concentration of CO increases. These results can be explained by the oxide-stripping reaction, CO+C(f)(O)-->CO(2)+C(f). The direct reaction of CO with NO catalyzed by the carbon surface, CO+NO-->CO(2)+1/2N(2) may not be considered in this case the dominant process due to the absence of mineral impurities in the acetylene soot. The influence of CO in the acetylene soot-NO reaction was also tested in the presence of oxygen (250-5000 ppmv). In these conditions and for relatively high CO/O(2) ratios, CO seems to also contribute to NO reduction by the previous oxide-stripping reaction.
