Vol 91, No 12 (2018)

Patents dealing with the production of motor fuel components by hydrodeoxygenation of renewable raw materials based on fatty acid triglycerides are analyzed. Various methods of using sulfide catalysts in hydrodeoxygenation of fatty acid triglycerides and of their mixtures with petroleum fractions are described. The ways to overcome problems that arise in hydrodeoxygenation, based on using sulfide catalysts differing in the active component and support composition, are considered. For example, the use of supported MoS₂ catalysts free of Co and Ni ensures the conversion of fatty acid triglycerides along the “direct hydrodeoxygenation” pathway to avoid the formation of carbon oxides and related process problems. The use of sulfide catalysts on zeolite-containing supports allows synthesis of products with improved low-temperature properties due to isomerization (or mild hydrocracking) of С₁₅–С₁₈ alkanes formed by hydrodeoxygenation of fatty acid triglycerides.

Prospects for the development of technologies for natural gas processing to obtain synthetic fuels and chemical and petrochemical products are considered. Comparative analysis of the existing commercial technologies that should be upgraded to enhance the energy efficiency and expand the range of products and of the newly developed innovation technologies allowing direct production of demanded high-value-added products from the gas feedstock is made.

A procedure was suggested for preparing epoxy ether urethane oligomers via intermediate oligodiisocyanates with increased content of the starting 2,4-toluene diisocyanate. The procedure allows preparation of epoxy-containing oligomers with appreciable fraction of low-molecular-mass diglycidyl urethane. The presence of diglycidyl urethane in the binder enhances not only the adhesion but also the strength of the cured material without significantly affecting the glass transition point of the binder. Elastic materials prepared by curing the compounds studied with cylcoaliphatic amines exhibit enhanced levels of strength and low-temperature elasticity.

New class of templates, ethanolamine salts, was used to synthesize zeolites with the ZSM-12 structure. The materials obtained were characterized by methods of powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, IR spectroscopy, low-temperature adsorption–desorption of nitrogen, and elemental analysis. It was shown that, with these templates, it is possible to obtain crystallites with well formed acicular shape, hexagonal morphology, large surface area, and narrow pore size distribution.

Liquid-phase acetalization of 1-propanol with furfural was studied. A procedure was recommended for preparing furfural dipropyl acetal on a sulfonic cation-exchange resin. The possibility of repeated use of the catalyst without significant loss of the activity was demonstrated. An experimental sample was synthesized, isolated, purified, and characterized. Its specific heat of combustion, density, refractive index, induction period in the mixture, and antiknock and lubricating properties were determined. Furfural acetals show promise as a fuel additive.

the work, 3-(4-hydroxy phenyl)cyclopropane-1,1,2,2-tetramethyleneamine (HPCA) was synthesized. Poly(styrene-maleic anhydride) (SMA) copolymer was modified with HPCA and subsequently the product (SMA–HPCA) reacted with 1,2-diaminoethane (DAE) for preparation of tridimensional chelating resin (CSMA–HPCA) as a new copolymer with multiprimary amines cyclopropane functionalities in the pendant group and applied to remove heavy metal ions such as Cu(II), Pb(II), Zn(II) from aqueous solution. The adsorption behavior of selected metal ions was investigated by synthesized resins in various experimental conditions, under change in pH, metal ion concentration, and contact time. The CSMA–HPCA showed a high tendency for removing the selected metal ions compared to SMA–HPCA and the affinity order was: Cu(II) > Zn(II) > Pb(II). Kinetics studies revealed that the adsorption process onto CSMA–HPCA followed the pseudo-second order kinetics and adsorption experimental data were well fitted to Langmuir isotherm. The synthesized resins and their metal chelates were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), gravimetry, UV- Vis spectroscopy, and atomic absorption techniques (AAS).

Specific features are revealed of how composite materials are formed on the basis of polyethylene and multi-walled carbon nanotubes modified with iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄/MWCNT–PE), produced by the mechanical mixing method from a polyethylene melt. The conditions in which the composite materials are obtained were optimized to provide a uniform distribution of the Fe₃O₄/MWCNT filler in the polyethylene matrix. The influence exerted by the Fe₃O₄/MWCNT filler on the electrical properties of the resulting composite materials was determined. Introduction of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles gives rise to magnetic properties of a composite material in the frequency range from 1 kHz to 2 MHz. An analysis of the frequency dependences of reflectance, transmittance and absorbance demonstrated that an increase in the sample thickness leads to a higher reflectance and lower transmittance. The composite materials can be used to create coatings lowering the electromagnetic radiation intensity by up to 40%. It was shown that increasing the content of Fe₃O₄/MWCNT to more than 10 wt % leads to a decrease in both the electrical conductivity and the complex dielectric permittivity and magnetic permeability of the composite material. This occurs due to the decrease in the flowability of the polymer material and to the resulting nonuniform distribution of the filler in the bulk of polyethylene.

Nanodispersed carbon was obtained via high-temperature combustion of acetylene–oxygen mixtures in a flow-through tubular chamber in cyclic detonation waves (“pulsed detonation”) at a constant propagation velocity (D_det ≈ 2150 m s^–1). It was found that the position of a plateau in the curve describing how the detonation velocity depends on the content of oxygen in the starting detonation mixture in the range 15–30% coincides with the range of descending branches of the dependences of the specific adsorption surface area and adsorption of dibutyl phthalate by aggregated particles. Various physicochemical methods of analysis (X-ray diffraction analysis, Raman spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, etc.) were used to comparatively examine the properties of nanodispersed carbon and of the known industrially produced domestic and foreign brands of technical-grade carbon. The conditions were found in which detonation nanocarbon particles are obtained in a certain range of parameters of micro- and macrostructures with improved morphology and basic electrical properties.

NiMo/γ-Al₂O₃ protective-layer catalysts for removing silicon from diesel fractions were examined. The catalysts differ in the way in which boron is introduced into the support. The supports and catalysts were examined by X-ray diffraction analysis, transmission electron microscopy, IR spectroscopy, and adsorption–desorption of nitrogen. The catalysts were tested in hydropurification of the diesel fraction to which decamethylcyclopentanesiloxane was added as a model silicon compound. It was shown that introduction of boron into the support results in that the surface area of the supports and catalysts increases. If boron is introduced into pseudoboehmite, massive particles of the Ni–Mo–S phase are formed. It was found that the highest capacity for silicon is observed for the catalyst into which boron is introduced in the stage of pseudoboehmite preparation.

Process of chlorine removal from middle distillates with catalysts based on mesoporous materials was examined. The physicochemical characteristics of supports and catalysts based on SBA-15, Al-TUD, and MCF materials were compared. It was found that the catalyst based on MCF material can diminish the content of chlorine in a light diesel fraction to below 0.3 mg kg^–1 at 360°C, pressure of 5.0 MPa, and LHSV of 2.0 h^–1.

In this study, the corrosion behavior of Zircaloy was investigated in the presence and absence of copper–graphene nanocomposites coating. The coating was prepared employing Hummers’ and electrochemical reduction methods. The morphology of copper–graphene nanocomposites coating was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Corrosion behavior was investigated employing dynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests in a solution containing lithium hydroxide (LiOH), boric acid (H₃BO₃), and deionized water. The results showed that corrosion resistance of Zircaloy increased with introduction of copper–graphene nanocomposites coatings. The lowest corrosion rate was attained in the Zircaloy with copper–graphene nanocomposites coating (corrosion rate: 0.040 mm/year). An approximately 20 times decrease in the corrosion rate was observed in the Zircaloy with copper–graphene nanocomposites coating when compared to the un-coated Zircaloy (corrosion rate: 0.831 mm/year).

Flowsheets based on the results of experimental studies and detailed kinetic modeling were suggested for oxidative cracking of oil refinery gas components to obtain ethylene, CO, and hydrogen. The calculations show that oxidative cracking alone does not allow production of ethylene and СО in ratios required for the further catalytic carbonylation and hydroformylation of ethylene. Matrix conversion of a part of oxy-cracking products is suggested as an additional step for producing CO and hydrogen.