Catalysis

Code

Course teacher

Associate teachers

Status of the course

Course objectives

- acquiring knowledge about the role of catalysts in chemical reaction
- identify the key variables for the preparation of better catalysts
- overview of the processes of catalysts preparation
- understanding the importance of catalysts in industry and sustainable development through the improvement of existing or development of new chemical, petrochemical and related processes

Course enrolment requirements and entry competences required for the course

None.

Learning outcomes expected at the level of the course (4 to 10 learning outcomes)

After passing the exam, the student is expected to be able to:
- list and describe types of catalysts
- explain the principle of operation of the catalyst in a chemical reaction
- know the role of each component in catalyst system
- explain the processes of catalysts preparation
- explain deactivation, reactivation and regeneration of catalyst
- give examples of the catalyst application in real systems
- to argue the importance of a catalyst for industry and sustainable development

Course content broken down in detail by weekly class schedule (syllabus)

1st week: General concept of catalysis: the definition of catalysis and catalysts, the historical development of catalytic processes, the economic importance of the catalyst.
2nd week: Distribution of catalysis and katalizatora. Comparison of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts and the industrial značaj. General theory of catalysis. Effect of catalyst on reaction rates and the position of the chemical equilibrium. The activation energies.
3rd week: The mechanism of catalysis, inhibition, initiation. Basic features of the catalyst: activity, selectivity and stability.
4th week: Homogeneous catalysis in the gaseous and in the liquid phase. Homogeneous catalysis by acids and bases, by ions and transition metal compounds.
5th week: Coordination complexes as catalysts. Metallocenes.
6th week: Heterogeneous catalysis: the basic stages of heterogeneous catalytic reactions. Physical and chemical adsorption and their comparison. The heat of adsorption (Lennard-Jones diagram).
7th week: Types of adsorption isotherms. The basic laws of adsorption. Mechanisms and kinetics of heterogeneous catalytic reactions in the gas phase: Langmuir Hinshelwood mechanism. Eley-Rideal mechanism.
8th week: Theories of the catalytic activity of heterogeneous catalysts: the theory of unstable intermediates, the theory of active centers, the theory of geometric factors.
9th week: Theory of electronic factors. The selectivity of catalysts.
10th week: Durability (stability) and resistance to deactivation. Poisoning and selectivity coefficient of toxicity. Deactivation of the catalyst layers on the surface. Deactivation by sintering and phase transformation. Loss of catalyst by evaporation. Mechanical disintegration of the catalyst. Prevention of deactivation. Reactivation and regeneration of the catalyst.
11th week: Zeolites: properties, catalytic properties, selectivity. Zeolite modification processes.
12th week: Design of heterogeneous catalysts: active components, carriers, promoters, moderators, inhibitors, activators.
13th week: Characterization of heterogeneous catalysts. Determination of physical properties of the catalyst: the volume and the pore size, the total area of the catalyst. Mechanical properties of the catalyst.
14th week: Methods of heterogeneous catalysis: the precipitated catalysts impregnated catalysts, skeletal catalysts, catalysts with active coating. Monolithic catalysts.
15th week: Biocatalysts. Final comments, discussion, conclusions.

Format of instruction:

Student responsibilities

Attending lectures and seminars in the 80% amount of the total number of lessons.

Optional literature (at the time of submission of study programme proposal)

S. Zrnčević, Kataliza i katalizatori, Hinus, Zagreb, 2005.; J. Hagen, Industrial Catalysis-A Practical Approach, 2nd ed., Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2006.

Quality assurance methods that ensure the acquisition of exit competences

Quality assurance will be performed at three levels: (1) University Level, (2) Faculty Level by Quality Control Committee, (3) Lecturer’s Level.

Other (as the proposer wishes to add)