Selection of alumina support heat treatment to improve the quality of palladium catalysts for selective hydrogenation

Abstract

In this paper, the selection alumina support for crusted palladium catalysts of selective hydrogenation to improve their quality were carried. Effect of calcination temperature on the mechanical, physical and textural properties of the support, as well as the dependence of catalysts quality (life time, activity and selectivity) from the heat treatment conditions of support were studied. Calcination of alumina low temperature forms at 800 °C achieves an optimal balance of strength and textural properties of the support for the synthesis of selective hydrogenation catalysts. Basic requirements for alumina support are: high mechanical strength to crush (more than 40 kg/cm2); strength homogeneity of the material, quantity of granules with the strength less than 4 N/mm2 must be less than 5 % of supports batch; losses due to attrition in the water and in hydrocarbon media is not more than 1,5 % wt. The heat treatment must ensure the stability of texture characteristics of support during the oxidative regeneration (450–500 °C).