• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.57 no.5
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• pp.714-722
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• 2019

Catalysts were prepared by using incipient wetness impregnation method with 17 wt% Ni on a support ($SiO_2-Y_2O_3$, $Al_2O_3$, $SiO_2-ZrO_2$, $SiO_2$, $TiO_2$, MgO) and the catalytic activity in the reductive amination of ethanol with ammonia in the presence of hydrogen was compared and evaluated. The catalysts used before and after the reaction were characterized using X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption, ethanol-temperature programmed desorption (EtOH-TPD), isopropanol-temperature programmed desorption (IPA-TPD), and hydrogen chemisorption etc. In the case of preparing $ZrO_2$ and $Y_2O_3$ supports, the small amount of Si dissolution from the Pyrex reactor surface provoked the formation of mixed oxides $SiO_2-ZrO_2$ and $SiO_2-Y_2O_3$. Among the catalysts used, $Ni/SiO_2-Y_2O_3$ catalyst showed the best activity, and this good activity was closely related to the highest nickel dispersion, and low desorption temperature in EtOH-TPD and IPA-TPD. The low catalytic activity on Ni/MgO catalysts showed low activity due to the formation of NiO-MgO solid-solutions. In the case of $Ni/TiO_2$, the reactivity was low due to the low nickel metal phase due to strong metal-support interaction. In the case of using a support as $SiO_2-Y_2O_3$, $Al_2O_3$, $SiO_2-ZrO_2$, and $SiO_2$, the selectivities of ethylamines and acetonitrile were not significantly different at similar ethanol conversion.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.208-213
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• 2013

Zirconium hydroxide was synthesized by varying the aging time of the zirconyl chloride octahydrate at $100^{\circ}C$ in aqueous solution and the resulting hydroxides were calcined at $700^{\circ}C$ for 6 h to obtain the crystalline $ZrO_2$. The materials used in this study were characterized by differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), $N_2$-sorption, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), $NH_3$ temperature-programmed desorption ($NH_3$-TPD), $CO_2$-TPD and iso-propanol TPD analyses to correlate with catalytic activity for the dehydration of iso-propanol. The pure tetragonal $ZrO_2$ phase was obtained after 24 h aging of zirconium hydroxide and successive calcination at $700^{\circ}C$. The increase of aging time showed the production of smaller particle size $ZrO_2$ resulting that the higher specific surface area and total pore volume. $NH_3$-TPD results revealed that the relative acidity of the catalysts increased along with the increase of aging time. On the other hand, the results of $CO_2$-TPD showed the reverse trend of $NH_3$-TPD results. The best catalytic activity for the dehydration of iso-propanol to propylene was shown over $ZrO_2$ catalyst aged for 168 h which had the highest $S_{BET}$ ($178\;m^2\;g^{-1}$). The catalytic activity could be correlated with high surface area, relative acidity and easy desorption of iso-propanol.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.133-141
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• 2019

High specific surface area zirconia with acid-basic property was synthesized by precipitation using reflux method or hydrothermal synthesis method using ammonium hydroxide solution as precipitant in the range of pH of Zr solution from 2 to 10. The prepared zirconia was characterized by the nitrogen adsorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), isopropanol temperature programmed desorption (IPA-TPD), scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and the catalytic activity in the IPA decomposition reaction was correlated with the acid-basic properties. When using reflux method, high pH of Zr solution was required to obtain high fraction of tetragonal zirconia, and pure tetragonal zirconia was possible at pH 9 or higher. High pH was required to obtain high specific surface area zirconia, and the hydrous zirconia synthesized at pH 10 had high specific surface area zirconia of $260m^2g^{-1}$ even after calcination at $600^{\circ}C$. However, hydrothermal synthesis with high pressure under the same conditions resulted in very low specific surface area below $40m^2g^{-1}$ and monoclinic phase zirconia was synthesized. High pH of the solution was required to obtain high specific surface area tetragonal phase zirconia. In hydrothermal synthesis requiring high pressure, monoclinic zirconia was produced irrespective of the pH of the solution, and the specific surface area was relatively low. Zirconia with high specific surface area and tetragonal phase was predominantly acidic compared to basicity and only propylene, which was observed as selective dehydration reaction in IPA decomposition reaction, was produced.

• Clean Technology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2016

xAl-yZr mixed oxide catalysts with different molar ratios of Al/(Al+Zr) were prepared by a co-precipitation method and its catalytic performance was compared in the iso-propanol dehydration as a model reaction. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential thermal analysis (DTA), N₂ adsorprion-desorption, NH₃ temperature programmed desorption (NH₃-TPD), and iso-propanol TPD analyses. The addition of Al into ZrO₂ promoted the formation of relatively small particles with large surface areas and retarded the transformation of teragonal phase to monoclnic phase. NH₃-TPD results revealed that the relative acidity of the catalysts increased along with the increase of Al molar ratio. The catalytic activity for the dehydration of iso-propanol to propylene was also increased with the same tendency. The catalytic activity could be correlated with high surface area, acidity and easy desorption of iso-propanol.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.59 no.2
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• pp.281-295
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• 2021

In this study, the direct amination of ethanol was performed over impregnated Ni on SiO2-Al2O3 mixed oxide catalysts prepared by varying Si/(Si + Al) molar ratio to 30 mol%. To characterize the physico-chemical properties of the catalysts used, X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2-physisorption, temperature-programmed desorption of iso-propyl alcohol (IPA-TPD), temperature-programmed desorption of ethanol (EtOH-TPD), temperature-programmed reduction with H2 (H2-TPR), H2-chemisorption and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used. The acidic property was continuously increased until Si/(Si + Al) = 30 mol% in SiO2-Al2O3 mixed oxides used. The dispersion of Ni metal and surface area, acid characteristics of the supported Ni catalyst have a complex effect on the catalytic reaction activity. The low reduction temperature of nickel oxide and acidic properties were beneficial to the formation of acetonitrile. In terms of conversion of ethanol, Ni/SiO2-Al2O3 catalyst with a molar ratio of 10 mol% Si/(Si+Al) showed the highest activity and a volcanic curve based on it. The tendency of results were consistent in the metal dispersion and catalytic activity.