Development of catalysts for electrified propane dehydrogenation
Context and objective
The e-CP project is developing an Electrified Bubbling Fluidized Bed Reactor (EBFBR) in which heat is generated directly within a bed of conductive particles by the Joule effect. After validating the concept for the thermal cracking of ethane, step R2 aims at the catalytic dehydrogenation of propane (PDH, 550–700 °C). The internship's objective is to develop and select stable catalysts, then to compare their performance in conventional heating and in an electrified reactor.
Work program
• Synthesis / selection of catalysts: Ga/SiO₂, Zn/SiO₂, Pt/SiO₂, Ga/Al₂O₃, Zn/Al₂O₃, Pt/Al₂O₃ and ZSM-5 based systems.
• Possible study of Na or K doping to reduce residual acidity and limit cracking and coking.
• Optimization of reductive pretreatment, particularly by ex situ reduction to ensure a reproducible initial state.
• Screening in a conventional reactor: activity, propylene selectivity, stability, and deactivation. The main selection criterion will be catalytic stability.
• Selection of the best formulations then tests in the electrified EBFBR.
• Comparison of conventional heating / Joule effect with, as much as possible, the same contact time, the same bed composition, the same reaction flow, and the same initial state of the catalyst.
Expected results
Identify the most stable formulations for PDH, specify the influence of the support and the metal, evaluate the benefit of acidity neutralization by Na/K, and determine the impact of the heating mode on catalytic performance and deactivation.
Framing reference
S. Chen et al., “Propane dehydrogenation: catalyst development, new chemistry, and emerging technologies”, Chemical Society Reviews, 2021, 50, 3315–3354. DOI: 10.1039/D0CS00814A.
Desired profile
Master 2 student or final year engineering school student in catalysis, materials chemistry, chemical engineering, or process engineering. Experience in catalytic experimentation, gas chromatography, or solid characterization will be a plus.
Possibility of pursuing a doctoral thesis after the internship.
Regulatory mention PEPR / PPST
« This position is located in a sector falling under the protection of scientific and technical potential (PPST). In accordance with current regulations, the candidate's reception is subject to prior authorization from the competent ministerial authority. »
Recruitment conditions: acceptance is subject to the procedures of the managing institution and, in accordance with the PPST framework, to the prior authorization required to access protected activities. The application must be initiated with the FSD before finalization of recruitment; ministerial instruction can take up to two months.
