The Effect of Catalyst Calcination Temperature on Catalytic Decomposition of HFC-134a over γ-Al₂O₃

• Main Authors: Mahshab Sheraz, Ali Anus, Van Cam Thi Le, Caroline Mercy Andrew Swamidoss, Seungdo Kim
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-08-01
• Series: Catalysts
• Subjects: catalytic decomposition; calcination temperature; HFC-134a; pyrolysis; trifluoroethylene; γ-Al₂O₃
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4344/11/9/1021
• ISSN: 2073-4344

This paper explores the thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of HFC-134a over γ-Al₂O₃ calcined at temperatures of 550 °C (A550), 650 °C (A650), 750 °C (A750), and 850 °C (A850). The physicochemical properties of catalysts were studied through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller equation for nitrogen physisorption analysis (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia (NH₃-TPD). The non-catalytic pyrolysis of HFC-134a showed less than 15% decomposition of HFC-134a. Catalysts increased the decomposition as A650 revealed the highest decomposition efficiency by decomposing more than 95% HFC-134a for 8 h followed by A750, A850, and A550. The larger surface area and pore volume paired with a low amount of strong acidic sites were considered as the main contributors to the comparatively longer catalytic activity of A650.