MSU Technologies

020019: Ultrastable Porous Aluminosilicate Structures and Derived Compositions for Industrial Catalysis

Description:

The ability to create industrial strength catalytic materials with desired pore sizes can improve efficiency in existing industrial processes that modify vast volumes of fluid. Tunable pore sizes of interest 'in catalysis' include micropores (pore diameters up to 2 nm) and mesopores (2 to 50 nm).

Description

This technology is a porous aluminosilicate material (zeolite) that resists degradation from high temperatures and steam and a process for attaining 'tunable' pore sizes. The resulting pore sizes depend on surfactant-directed (e.g., detergent) assembly of zeolitic seeds derived from clay or transformed zeolites.

A composite material is formed and comprised of a templated mesoporous phase and smaller microporous crystalline zeolite phase. The balance between mesopores and micropores may be tailored to achieve optimal catalytic performance. The resulting framework of aluminosilicates, gallosilicates, or titanosilicates is stable in water steam and could be used for hydrocracking in refining petroleum.

Benefits

Enhanced catalysis: Tunable porosity to optimize catalysis of a given fluid's dynamics and composition.
Greater stability: Framework is steam stable and resistant to de-alumination.
Integrable: Uses conventional processing and resulting material could replace existing catalytic materials.

Applications

Catalytic applications benefit from large reaction surfaces and molecular channels. Industrial catalysis is becoming important in the conversion of large molecules and in petroleum refinement as oil quality is becoming more diverse.