Selective Hydrogenation Using Nickel Phosphides
Research Mentor(s)
Mark Bussell
Description
Over the last few decades environmental policy has been increasing with restrictions on fossil fuels and attempts to reduce CO2 levels in our atmosphere to prevent global climate change. Nickel phosphides are a unique catalyst that can be used for a wide variety of reactions. They are unique in that they have several crystal structures depending on the ratio of nickel and phosphorus. A common reaction is steam cracking a stock feed into ethylene, propylene and styrene which can produce side products of ethane, propane, and ethyl benzene. Issues of conversion and selectivity with current palladium compounds as catalysts demands a search for other catalyst for this reaction. Using the in-house fixed bed flow reactor progress has been made of studying different nickel phosphide compounds. In my research I prepared nickel phosphides catalysts Ni2P, Ni3P and Ni₁₂P₅ and in between phases using starting materials nickel nitrate hexahydrate and dihydrogen ammonium phosphate. The weight percent of the catalysts were 2.5%, 5% 10% and 15% on SiO2. I conducted studies of hydrogenation of phenyl acetylene to styrene and ethyl benzene with a fix bed flow reactor filled with nickel phosphide catalysts to observe trends in conversion and selectivity as phosphorus to nickel ratios changed.
Document Type
Event
Start Date
May 2022
End Date
May 2022
Location
Carver Gym (Bellingham, Wash.)
Department
CSE - Chemistry
Genre/Form
student projects; posters
Type
Image
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Selective Hydrogenation Using Nickel Phosphides
Carver Gym (Bellingham, Wash.)
Over the last few decades environmental policy has been increasing with restrictions on fossil fuels and attempts to reduce CO2 levels in our atmosphere to prevent global climate change. Nickel phosphides are a unique catalyst that can be used for a wide variety of reactions. They are unique in that they have several crystal structures depending on the ratio of nickel and phosphorus. A common reaction is steam cracking a stock feed into ethylene, propylene and styrene which can produce side products of ethane, propane, and ethyl benzene. Issues of conversion and selectivity with current palladium compounds as catalysts demands a search for other catalyst for this reaction. Using the in-house fixed bed flow reactor progress has been made of studying different nickel phosphide compounds. In my research I prepared nickel phosphides catalysts Ni2P, Ni3P and Ni₁₂P₅ and in between phases using starting materials nickel nitrate hexahydrate and dihydrogen ammonium phosphate. The weight percent of the catalysts were 2.5%, 5% 10% and 15% on SiO2. I conducted studies of hydrogenation of phenyl acetylene to styrene and ethyl benzene with a fix bed flow reactor filled with nickel phosphide catalysts to observe trends in conversion and selectivity as phosphorus to nickel ratios changed.