Double catalyst for the direct conversion of synthesis gas to lower olefins
Wednesday, March 16, 2016 - 06:51
in Physics & Chemistry
The light olefins ethylene, propylene, and butylene are key building blocks for chemical industry, and are starting materials for making plastics, synthetic fibers, and coatings. They are usually made from petroleum. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, Chinese scientists have now introduced a new process that may make it more attractive to make olefins from alternative sources of carbon, such as biomass, natural gas, or coal. The key to their success is a bifunctional catalyst that converts synthesis gas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, to lower olefins with astonishingly high selectivity.