Enhanced Direct Dimethyl Ether Synthesis from CO2-Rich Syngas with Cu/ZnO/ZrO2 Catalysts Prepared by Continuous Co-Precipitation

The manufacturing of technical catalysts generally involves a sequence of different process steps, of which co-precipitation is one of the most important. In this study, we investigate how continuous co-precipitation influences the properties of Cu/ZnO/ZrO2 (CZZ) catalysts and their application in the direct synthesis of dimethyl ether (DME) from CO2/CO/H2 feeds. We compare material characteristics investigated by means of XRF, XRD, N2 physisorption, H2-TPR, N2O-RFC, TEM and EDXS as well as the catalytic properties to those of CZZ catalysts prepared by a semi-batch co-precipitation method. Ultra-fast mixing in continuous co-precipitation results in high BET and copper surface areas as well as in improved metal dispersion. DME synthesis performed in combination with a ferrierite-type co-catalyst shows correspondingly improved productivity for CZZ catalysts prepared by the continuous co-precipitation method, using CO2-rich as well as CO-rich syngas feeds. Our continuous co-precipitation approach allows for improved material homogeneity due to faster and more homogeneous solid formation. The so-called “chemical memory” stamped during initial co-precipitation is kept through all process steps and is reflected in the final catalytic properties. Furthermore, our continuous co-precipitation approach may be easily scaled-up to industrial production rates by numbering-up. Hence, we believe that our approach represents a promising contribution to improve catalysts for direct DME synthesis.

Electropolishing of Stainless Steel in Laboratory and Industrial Scale

Transposing the process scale from laboratory to industrial conditions is a difficult issue that applies to many sectors of the industry. As far as electropolishing of stainless steel is concerned, the limitations connected with a significant increase in the area of electropolished surface should be considered, along with the possibility of defects that may emerge. This paper compares the results of electropolishing of stainless steel in the laboratory and in industrial conditions. For the analyzed conditions, it was determined that the best results, both in laboratory and industrial conditions, were obtained at temperature of 35 °C and current density of 8 A·dm−2. High temperatures resulted in the emergence of defects on the surface, in particular for industrial samples. The defects were visualized by metallographic images with Nomarski contrast and atomic force microscopy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy tests were used to analyze the composition of the passive layer on the electropolished surfaces.

High throughput preparation of magnesium hydroxide flame retardant via microreaction technology

Magnesium hydroxide flame retardant is prepared with narrow PSD on a pilot scale using microreaction technology.