Royal Society of Chemistry Carbons and Carbon Supported Catalysts in Hydroprocessing: Volume 1 (Catalysis Series)

Carbon materials have recently attracted considerable attention as potential supports in heterogeneous catalysis, with many articles dealing with the various types of catalysts supported on carbon. However, only a fraction of published research is devoted to hydroprocessing catalysts and the publication of this unique book dealing with the utilization of carbon materials in hydroprocessing fills this void in the literature. Although the primary focus of this book is on the carbons and carbon supported catalysts, it also identifies the difference in the effect of carbon supports compared with oxidic supports, particularly that of [gamma]-Al2O3. However, unique to this book, the difference in catalyst activity and stability is researched using both model compounds and real feeds under variable conditions. Review The potential for hydrogen Carbons and carbon supported catalysts in hydroprocessing Edward FurimskyCambridge, UK, RSC Publishing, 2008, 176 pages, (HB) ISBN 9780854041435 Reviewed by P. C. H. Mitchell Hydroprocessing is the production of clean fuels by catalytic treatment of hydrocarbon feedstocks with hydrogen. An industrial catalyst is typically cobalt and molybdenum on alumina. Carbon-supported catalysts are not used commercially but, to quote Furimsky: ''Because of the neutral nature and little interaction with active metals, carbon supports are suitable to study the structure of active phase without interference as is usually the case of oxidic supports.'' Furimsky's book is useful and timely, covering: industrial carbons; sulfides; hydrogen adsorption, activation and spillover; catalyst preparation and characterisation; mechanisms; and deactivation ... ''. Chemistry World. 2009. 6(1), p.p. 65 --Chemistry World From the Inside Flap Carbons and Carbon Supported Catalysts in Hydroprocessing is a comprehensive summary of recent research in the field and covers all areas of carbons and carbon materials. The potential application of carbon supports, particularly those of carbon black (CB) and activated carbon (AC) in hydroprocessing catalysis are covered extensively in the book. Novel carbon materials such as carbon fibers and carbon nano tubes (CNT) are also covered, including the more recent developments in the use of fullerenes in hydroprocessing applications - an area with little published research. Although the primary focus of this book is on carbons and carbon supported catalysts, it also identifies the difference in the effect of carbon supports compared with the oxidic supports, particularly that of y-Al2O3. Although many books claim to have the same objective, this publication is unique as the difference in catalyst activity and stability was estimated using both model compounds and real feeds under variable conditions. The conditions applied during the preparation of carbon supported catalysts are also comprehensively covered and include various methods of pretreatment of carbon supports to enhance catalyst performance. The model compounds results consistently show higher hydrodesulfurization and hydrodeoxygenation activities of carbon supported catalysts than that of the y-Al2O3 supported catalysts. Also, the deactivation of the former catalysts by coke deposition was much less evident. Importantly, in this book, most of the model compounds studies on hydrodesulfurization and hydrodeoxygenation were conducted in the absence of nitrogen compounds, as the poisoning effects of such compounds on hydroprocessing reactions are well known. Non-conventional metals (e.g., Pt, Pd, Ru, Rh, Re and Ir) supported on carbon supports are also studied in this book as catalysts for hydroprocessing of model feeds and real feeds. The book shows that these catalysts are much more active than conventional metals containing catalysts however the high cost of these metals prevents commercial utilization of these catalysts. Kinetics of hydroprocessing reactions, as well as kinetics of deactivation