Acetylene hydrogenation over Pd/MgO nanocrystalline system: Effect of the synthesis route on catalytic performance

Abstract

Ethylene is the most versatile petrochemical feedstock for the production of polyethylene, ethanol, ethylene oxide, ethylene glycol, styrene, dichloroethane, and many other chemical products. The process of hydrogenation of acetylene into ethylene can be used both to purify ethylene from an impurity of alkyne, which is formed at the stage of pyrolysis of crude oil while getting C 2 H 4 [1], and for direct ethylene production from acetylene [2]. Most often, palladium-based metal systems are used as catalysts for the acetylene hydrogenation reaction due to their high catalytic activity. The efficiency of such catalysts is determined primarily by the dispersity and the electronic state of palladium, which depend on the strength of its interaction with the support and the acid-basic properties of the latter. When Al 2 O 3 is used as a support, the acid sites can promote the side reactions of oligomerization. Whereas in the case of magnesium oxide, the base sites, interacting with Pd, can add some electronic density to the metal particles on the surface [3, 4].