Evaluation of Vanadium−Phosphorus Oxide (VPO) Catalysts for the Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Propane

• Published in: Industrial & engineering chemistry research 2009-02, Vol.48 (3), p.1215-1219
• Main Authors: Arias-Pérez, Salvador, García-Alamilla, Ricardo, Cárdenas-Galindo, María G, Handy, Brent E, Robles-Andrade, Sergio, Sandoval-Robles, Guillermo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Catalysis; Catalytic reactions; Chemical engineering; Chemistry; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Kinetics, Catalysis, and Reaction Engineering; Reactors; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry
• ISSN: 0888-5885; 1520-5045
• DOI: 10.1021/ie800649z

The catalytic activity of vanadium−phosphorus oxide (VPO) catalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane is analyzed. Two series of catalysts were synthesized in an organic medium with P/V molar ratios of 0.9 and 1.1. These materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, N2 physisorption, NH3 adsorption microcalorimetry, decomposition of 2-propanol, and redox titration. The crystalline phase (VO)2P2O7, with a tetravalent vanadium oxidation state, was observed in all the catalysts. As a result of thermal treatment, their crystal size increased, which suggests more crystallinity, and a slight increment in the surface area (31−39 m2/g) also was observed. The microcalorimetry studies of the vanadium phosphates showed heats of adsorption for NH3 between 260 and 60 kJ/mol that can be associated with strong and medium strength acid sites, which are responsible for promoting the selectivity toward oxygenated products and CO x ; furthermore, it was found that larger crystallographic disorder favors the selectivity to propylene up to an 8.82% over a VPO that has been calcined at 673 K and has a P/V molar ratio of 1.1.