Selectivity of layered double hydroxides and their derivative mixed metal oxides as sorbents of hydrogen sulfide

Desulfurization and upgrade of pyrolytic oil and gas during waste tires pyrolysis: The role of metal oxides

Pyrolysis can effectively convert waste tires into high-value products. However, the sulfur-containing compounds in pyrolysis oil and gas would significantly reduce the environmental and economic feasibility of this technology. Here, the desulfurization and upgrade of waste tire pyrolysis oil and gas were performed by adding different metal oxides (Fe2O3, CuO, and CaO). Results showed that Fe2O3 exhibited the highest removal efficiency of 87.7 % for the sulfur-containing gas at 600 °C with an outstanding removal efficiency of 99.5 % for H2S. CuO and CaO were slightly inferior to Fe2O3, with desulfurization efficiencies of 75.9 % and 45.2 % in the gas when added at 5 %. Fe2O3 also demonstrated a notable efficacy in eliminating benzothiophene, the most abundant sulfur compound in pyrolysis oil, with a removal efficiency of 78.1 %. Molecular dynamics simulations and experiments showed that the desulfurization mechanism of Fe2O3 involved the bonding of Fe-S, the breakage of C-S, dehydrogenation and oxygen migration process, which promoted the conversion of Fe2O3 to FeO, FeS and Fe2(SO4)3. Meanwhile, Fe2O3 enhanced the cyclization and dehydrogenation reaction, facilitating the upgrade of oil and gas (monocyclic aromatics to 57.4 % and H2 to 22.3 %). This study may be helpful for the clean and high-value conversion of waste tires.

Potential application of a hydrotalcite-like compound for reduction of toxicity to aquatic organisms via rapid and efficient removal of hydrogen sulfide

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is known to have wide ranging toxicities not only as a gas but also as dissolved forms in aquatic environments. The diversity of aquatic organisms can be severely affected by hydrogen sulfide at very low concentrations, indicating the urgent necessity to develop an efficient method for removal of hydrogen sulfide in water. In this study, the removal capacity for hydrogen sulfide of our originally developed hydrotalcite-like compound composed of magnesium and iron (MF-HT) was investigated and its potential application for reduction of toxicity to aquatic organisms was evaluated. The MF-HT experimentally showed a high adsorption capacity of 146.5 mg/g with a fast adsorption equilibrium time of 45 min, both of which are top-class compared with those of other adsorbents previously reported. In fact, removal of hydrogen sulfide (1.2-152.5 mg/L) at an average rate of >97.6% was achieved in groundwater samples (n = 16) by the MF-HT within 60 min. The toxicities of groundwater, indicated by inhibition rate for microalgae (primary producers) and immobilization rate for crustaceans (secondary consumers), were reduced by 96.1% and 82.5% in 2-fold and 4-fold diluted groundwater, respectively, after treatment with the MF-HT for 60 min. These results indicate that MF-HT has an excellent safety record for aquatic organisms. After clarifying the adsorption mechanism, excellent reusability of MF-HT was also confirmed after regeneration using 1 M Na₂CO₃ solution. Considering the efficacy, speed, safety and cost of MF-HT, it could be a novel promising material for solving the problem of hydrogen sulfide pollution in the hydrosphere.

Design of Efficient, Hierarchical Porous Polymers Endowed with Tunable Structural Base Sites for Direct Catalytic Elimination of COS and H2S

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is malodorous and highly toxic, and its selective removal from industrial feedstock is highly recommended for safety and environment protection. We report here a class of nitrogen-functionalized, hierarchical porous polymers (N-HPPs) synthesized from one-step alkylation-induced cross-linking without any involvement of templates. The as-engineered N-HPPs are large in BET surface area (792-1397 m²/g) and endowed with hierarchical porosity. The incorporated nitrogen species of N-HPPs act as structural base sites with properties that can be precisely controlled. By molecular simulation, the enhanced interactions between N-HPPs and H₂S were verified. The synthesized N-HPPs show superb capacities for H₂S adsorption (9.2 mmol/g at 0 °C, 1.0 bar) and display satisfactory IAST H₂S/N₂ and H₂S/CH₄ selectivity (88.3 and 119.6, respectively, at 0 °C). Catalyzed by the structural base sites located in the N-HPPs, the COS together with its derived H₂S can be effectively eliminated under mild conditions.

Enhanced sulfur removal by a tuned composite structure of Cu, Zn, Fe, and Al elements

Several combinations of high sulfur affinity elements of Cu, Zn, Fe, and Al were used to prepare sorbent materials that remove hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) from air contaminated streams. The combination of these four elements in composite crystallinity structure resembling hydrotalcite-like and aurichalcite-like compounds showed excellent H₂S uptake. Further tuning of the relative ratio among these elements resulted in outstanding H₂S uptake. XRD revealed that the final sorbent material was featured by crystallinity structure that had two adjacent lower reflection angles. The experimental test showed H₂S uptake was around 39% of the sorbent material weight when the concentration of H₂S in the outlet was less than 0.5% of its concentration in the inlet. The sorbent material showed high sulfur removal efficiency at ambient temperature without prior calcination.

Novel HCN sorbents based on layered double hydroxides: sorption mechanism and performance

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) and layered double oxides (LDOs) have been prepared and used as sorbents for hydrogen cyanide (HCN). Based on results from sorbent optimization experiments, the optimal performance for HCN removal was found in Ni-Al LDH. As evidenced by fixed-bed sorption studies, the Ni-Al LDO with the greatest surface area showed better performance and outperformed products calcined at 200, 400, or 500 °C, whereas, the Ni-Al LDH showed a more twofold higher sorption capacity than the Ni-Al LDO. Investigation of the mechanisms between HCN and sorbents reveals that the HCN removal by the Ni-Al LDH and Ni-Al LDO leads to the formation of the complex anion, [Ni(CN)4](2-). Nevertheless, the [Ni(CN)4](2-) can enter interlayer region of the Ni-Al LDH due to its anion exchangeability, which endows this LDH with more binding sites, not only on its external surfaces, but also on its internal surfaces located in the interlayer region. In contrast, [Ni(CN)4](2-) were only adsorbed on the external surface of the Ni-Al LDO. As a result, the sorption capacity of the Ni-Al LDH for HCN is twice as high as that of the Ni-Al LDO, which is at 21.55 mg/g.

Co-intercalation of Acid Red 337 and a UV absorbent into layered double hydroxides: enhancement of photostability

Organic-inorganic hybrid pigments with enhanced thermo- and photostability have been prepared by co-intercalating C.I. Acid Red 337 (AR337) and a UV absorbent (BP-4) into the interlayer of ZnAl layered double hydroxides through a coprecipitation method. The obtained compounds were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric-differential thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis, UV-visible spectroscopy, and the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) 1976 L*a*b* color scales. The results show the successful co-intercalation of AR337 and BP-4 into the interlayer region of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) and reveal the presence of host-guest interactions between LDH host layers and guest anions of AR337 and BP-4 and guest-guest interactions between AR337 and BP-4. The intercalation can improve the thermostability of AR337 due to the protection of LDH layers. Moreover, the co-intercalation of AR337 and BP-4 not only markedly enhances the photostability of AR337 but also significantly influences the color of the hybrid pigment.