Open AccessEvaluation of a Local Clay as a Dehydration Catalyst
Author(s) -
Susan Adil Ali,
M.K. El-Aiashy,
Zita S. Ayad
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
adsorption science and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.682
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 2048-4038
pISSN - 0263-6174
DOI - 10.1177/026361749601300604
Subject(s) - calcination , chemistry , dehydration , catalysis , raw material , activation energy , clay minerals , nuclear chemistry , adsorption , organic chemistry , mineralogy , biochemistry
Since Egypt is rich in natural clays, they can be used as a cheap local catalyst for dehydration instead of importing synthetic catalysts. Samples from Wadi El Hai Helwan were studied for this purpose in the raw and activated forms. Activation included either thermal activation by calcination of the clay in a stream of dry air at different temperatures or chemical activation by treatment with different concentrations of sulphuric acid solution. The dehydration activities of the prepared clay catalysts were studied using absolute ethyl alcohol. The optimum conditions for activation were obtained on treating Helwan raw clay with 20% sulphuric acid solution at 104°C at an acid solution/clay ratio of 1.5:1 by weight, followed by calcination at 500°C. The activation energy for this reaction on Helwan clay was estimated as equal to 17.5 kcal/mol.