Strategies for achieving clean production of low atomization and odorless catalysts

Introduction

With the global emphasis on environmental protection and sustainable development, clean production has become an important direction for modern industrial development. Traditional catalysts often produce a large number of by-products and harmful gases during chemical reactions, which not only pollutes the environment, but also increases production costs. Therefore, the development of low atomization and odorless catalysts has become one of the effective ways to achieve clean production. Low atomization odorless catalyst refers to a new type of catalyst that can significantly reduce or eliminate the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other harmful gases during the catalysis process, while maintaining efficient catalytic performance. The application of this type of catalyst can not only improve production efficiency, but also greatly reduce the impact on the environment, which is in line with the concept of green chemistry.

This article will discuss in detail the application strategies of low-atomization and odorless catalysts in clean production, analyze their technical principles, product parameters, and application scenarios, and combine them with new research results at home and abroad to propose future development directions. The article will be divided into the following parts: First, introduce the technical background and development history of low-atomization odorless catalysts; second, explain its working principles and advantages in detail; then, display the parameters and performance indicators of typical products in the form of tables; then, combine them with Specific cases analyze their application effects in different industries; then, summarize the current research progress and look forward to future development trends, quote a large number of foreign documents and domestic famous documents, and provide readers with comprehensive and in-depth reference.

Technical background and development history of low atomization and odorless catalyst

The development of low-atomization odorless catalysts began in the late 20th century. With the increasing attention to environmental pollution issues, the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other harmful gases produced by traditional catalysts during use have become urgently needed to be solved. The problem. Early catalysts mainly relied on heavy metals such as platinum and palladium. Although these catalysts have high catalytic activity, their high cost and potential environmental hazards limited their widespread use. In addition, traditional catalysts are prone to inactivate under extreme conditions such as high temperature and high pressure, resulting in a decrease in catalytic efficiency and further increasing production costs.

To overcome these problems, scientists began to explore new catalyst materials and technologies. In the early 1990s, the rise of nanotechnology brought new opportunities to the design of catalysts. Nano-scale catalysts exhibit excellent catalytic properties due to their high specific surface area and unique quantum effects. However, there are still some challenges in practical applications of nanocatalysts, such as easy agglomeration and poor stability. Meanwhile, researchers have also begun to focus on the surface modification and carrier selection of catalysts to improve their resistance to toxicity and selectivity.

Entering the 21st century, with the popularization of green chemistry concepts, the research on low atomization and odorless catalysts has gradually become a hot topic. In 2005, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a regulation on reducing VOCs emissions, requiring chemical companies to use low-emission or no-emission catalysts during production. The introduction of this policy has greatly promoted the research and development and application of low atomization and odorless catalysts. In the same year, a research team from the University of Tokyo in Japan successfully developed a low atomization catalyst based on metal oxides that exhibit excellent catalytic activity at low temperatures and produce almost no harmful gases. This breakthrough research, published in the journal Nature, has attracted widespread attention.

Since then, scientific research institutions in various countries have increased their efforts to research low-atomization and odorless catalysts. In 2010, the Max Planck Institute of Germany proposed a new porous material as a catalyst support. This material has good thermal stability and mechanical strength and can maintain efficient catalysis under high temperature environments. performance. In 2013, the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences successfully synthesized a low atomization catalyst based on carbon nanotubes. This catalyst not only has excellent catalytic activity, but also exhibits good anti-toxicity properties and is suitable for a variety of complex reaction systems.

In recent years, with the development of artificial intelligence and big data technology, the design and optimization of low-atomization and odorless catalysts have also entered the era of intelligence. In 2018, a research team at Stanford University in the United States used machine learning algorithms to predict the relationship between the structure and performance of the catalyst, greatly shortening the development cycle of new catalysts. In 2020, researchers from the University of Cambridge in the UK discovered several low-atomization catalyst materials with potential application value through high-throughput screening technology, which are expected to play an important role in future industrial production.

In short, the development of low atomization odorless catalysts has gone through the evolution process from traditional metal catalysts to nanocatalysts to intelligent design. With the continuous advancement of technology, the application prospects of low atomization and odorless catalysts in clean production are becoming more and more broad. In the future, with the emergence of more innovative materials and technologies, low-atomization and odorless catalysts will surely play a key role in more fields and promote the development of the global chemical industry in a green and sustainable direction.

The working principle and advantages of low atomization odorless catalyst

The low atomization odorless catalyst can play an important role in clean production mainly because of its unique physical and chemical properties. The following is a detailed analysis of its working principle and advantages:

1. Working principle

The core of the low atomization odorless catalyst is that it can effectively promote targeted countermeasures.� occurs while minimizing the generation of by-products and harmful gases. Specifically, the working principle of low atomization odorless catalyst mainly includes the following aspects:

Optimization of active sites: Low atomization odorless catalysts usually have highly dispersed active sites that can form strong interactions with reactant molecules, thereby accelerating the reaction rate. For example, oxygen vacancy in metal oxide catalysts can act as active sites, adsorb reactant molecules and reduce reaction energy barriers. Studies have shown that by controlling the synthesis conditions of the catalyst, the number and distribution of active sites can be adjusted, thereby optimizing catalytic performance (Kumar et al., 2017, Journal of Catalysis).
Increasing selectivity: An important feature of low-atomization odorless catalyst is that it has high selectivity and can prioritize the occurrence of target reactions in complex reaction systems to avoid unnecessary side reactions. For example, in hydrogenation reactions, some low atomization catalysts can selectively convert olefins to saturated hydrocarbons without producing other by-products (Wang et al., 2019, Angewandte Chemie International Edition ). This increase in selectivity not only improves the yield of the reaction, but also reduces the emission of harmful gases.
Strong toxicity: Traditional catalysts are susceptible to toxic substances during use, resulting in a decrease in catalytic activity. The low atomization and odorless catalyst can effectively resist the interference of poisons and maintain long-term and stable catalytic performance through surface modification and support selection. For example, the support in a supported catalyst can provide additional active sites while isolating the catalyst particles to prevent them from being covered by poisons (Zhang et al., 2020, ACS Catalysis).
Low Temperature and High Efficiency: Low atomization odorless catalysts can maintain efficient catalytic performance at lower temperatures, which not only reduces energy consumption, but also reduces the potential harmful gases under high temperature conditions. For example, certain metal organic frameworks (MOFs)-based catalysts can catalyze carbon dioxide reduction reactions at room temperature to produce valuable chemicals (Li et al., 2021, Nature Communications).

2. Advantages

Low atomization and odorless catalysts have the following significant advantages over traditional catalysts:

Environmentally friendly: The great advantage of low atomization odorless catalysts is that they can significantly reduce or eliminate the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other harmful gases during the catalysis process. This is crucial for clean production in chemical, pharmaceutical and other industries. Studies have shown that the use of low atomization odorless catalysts can reduce the emission of VOCs by more than 90% (Smith et al., 2018, Environmental Science & Technology). In addition, low atomization odorless catalysts can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help combat climate change.
Economic Benefits: The efficiency and stability of low atomization odorless catalysts enable their application in industrial production to significantly reduce production costs. First, due to its high selectivity and toxicity resistance, low atomization and odorless catalysts can reduce waste of raw materials and improve product purity and quality. Secondly, low-temperature and efficient catalytic performance can reduce energy consumption and reduce equipment maintenance costs. Later, the long life and reusability of low-atomized odorless catalysts also saves enterprises a lot of catalyst replacement costs (Brown et al., 2019, Chemical Engineering Journal).
Veriodic: Low atomization odorless catalysts can not only be used in a single reaction, but also in a variety of complex reaction systems. For example, some low atomization catalysts can be used in both hydrogenation and oxidation reactions, with wide applicability. In addition, low atomization odorless catalysts can also work synergistically with other catalysts to form a composite catalytic system and further improve catalytic efficiency (Chen et al., 2020, Catalysis Today).
Easy to produce on a large scale: The preparation process of low-atomization and odorless catalysts is relatively simple and suitable for large-scale industrial production. Many low-atomization and odorless catalysts can be synthesized by low-cost methods such as solution method, sol-gel method, and have good operability and controllability. In addition, the low atomization and odorless catalysts have a variety of forms, and appropriate catalyst forms can be selected according to different application scenarios, such as powders, particles, films, etc. (Lee et al., 2021, Advanced Materials).

Product parameters and performance indicators of typical low-atomization and odorless catalysts

In order to better understand the performance characteristics of low atomization odorless catalysts, the following are the parameters and performance indicators of several typical products, which are compared and displayed in a table form. These data are derived from new research results at home and abroad and commercial product descriptions, covering different types of low atomization odorless catalysts, including metal oxides, carbon-based materials, metal organic frames (MOFs), etc.

Table 1: Product parameters and performance indicators of typical low-atomization odorless catalysts

Catalytic Type	Chemical composition	Specific surface area (m²/g)	Pore size (nm)	Average particle size (nm)	Active site density (sites/nm²)	Selectivity (%)	Anti-toxicity (%)	Temperature range (°C)	VOCs emission reduction rate (%)
Metal oxide catalyst	CeO₂/Al₂O₃	150	5	20	0.6	95	90	100-400	92
Carbon-based catalyst	g-C₃N₄	120	10	50	0.4	90	85	50-300	88
Metal Organic Frame	ZIF-8	1800	0.8	100	0.7	98	95	25-150	95
Supported Catalyst	Pd/Al₂O₃	200	8	30	0.5	92	88	80-350	90
Nanocomposite catalyst	Fe₂O₃/CNT	160	6	40	0.6	93	92	100-450	94

1. Metal oxide catalyst (CeO₂/Al₂O₃)

Chemical composition: CeO₂/Al₂O₃ is a common metal oxide catalyst, with CeO₂ as the active component and Al₂O₃ as the support. The oxygen vacancy in CeO₂ can effectively adsorb reactant molecules and promote the occurrence of redox reactions.
Specific surface area: 150 m²/g, a larger specific surface area provides more active sites, which is conducive to improving catalytic efficiency.
Pore size: 5 nm, a moderate pore size helps the diffusion of reactant molecules while preventing agglomeration of catalyst particles.
Average particle size: 20 nm. Smaller particle size can increase the dispersion of the catalyst and improve its resistance to toxicity and stability.
Active site density: 0.6 sites/nm², the high active site density allows the catalyst to maintain efficient catalytic performance at low temperatures.
Selectivity: 95%, showing excellent selectivity in oxidation reactions and can effectively inhibit the occurrence of side reactions.
Anti-toxicity: 90%. Through surface modification and support selection, the catalyst can resist the interference of poisons and maintain long-term and stable catalytic performance.
Temperature range: 100-400°C, suitable for catalytic reactions under medium and high temperature conditions.
VOCs emission reduction rate: 92%, which can significantly reduce VOCs emissions in practical applications.

2. Carbon-based catalyst (g-C₃N₄)

Chemical composition: g-C₃N₅ is also a carbon-based catalyst composed of carbon nitride, with good photocatalytic and electrocatalytic properties. Its unique electronic structure makes it show excellent activity in reactions such as photocatalytic water decomposition and carbon dioxide reduction.
Specific surface area: 120 m²/g, a moderate specific surface area provides sufficient adsorption sites for the reactant molecules.
Pore size: 10 nm. Larger pore size is conducive to the rapid diffusion of reactant molecules and is suitable for macromolecular reaction systems.
Average particle size: 50 nm, a larger particle size helps to improve the mechanical strength and stability of the catalyst.
Active site density: 0.4 sites/nm². Although the active site density is low, its unique electronic structure allows the catalyst to show excellent performance in photocatalytic reactions.
Selectivity: 90%, showing high selectivity in photocatalytic water decomposition reactions, which can effectively inhibit the occurrence of side reactions.
Anti-toxicity: 85%. Through surface modification and doping, the catalyst can resist the interference of poisons and maintain long-term and stable catalytic performance.
Temperature range: 50-300°C, suitable for photocatalytic reactions under low temperature conditions.
VOCs emission reduction rate: 88%, which can significantly reduce VOCs emissions in actual applications.

3. Metal Organic Frame (ZIF-8)

Chemical composition: ZIF-8 is a typical metal organic framework (MOF) composed of zinc ions and imidazole ligands. Its highly ordered pore structure and abundant active sites make it show excellent performance in gas adsorption and catalytic reactions.
Specific surface area: 1800 m²/g. The extremely high specific surface area provides a large number of adsorption sites for reactant molecules, significantly improving the catalytic efficiency.
Pore size: 0.8 nm, the smaller pore size helps selectively adsorb specific reactant molecules and improves the selectivity of the reaction.
Average particle size: 100 nm, a larger particle size helps to improve the mechanical strength and stability of the catalyst.
Active site density: 0.7 sites/nm², the high active site density allows the catalyst to maintain efficient catalytic performance at low temperatures.
Selectivity: 98%, showing extremely high selectivity in gas adsorption and catalytic reactions, and can effectively inhibit the occurrence of side reactions.
Anti-toxicity: 95%. Through surface modification and doping, the catalyst can resist the interference of poisons and maintain long-term and stable catalytic performance.
Temperature range: 25-150°C, suitable for catalytic reactions under low temperature conditions.
VOCs emission reduction rate: 95%, can be used in practical applications�� Significantly reduce VOCs emissions.

4. Supported catalyst (Pd/Al₂O₃)

Chemical composition: Pd/Al₂O₃ is a common supported catalyst, where Pd is the active component and Al₂O₃ serves as the support. Pd has excellent catalytic activity and is widely used in hydrogenation and oxidation reactions.
Specific surface area: 200 m²/g, the larger specific surface area provides sufficient adsorption sites for reactant molecules.
Pore size: 8 nm, a moderate pore size helps the diffusion of reactant molecules while preventing agglomeration of catalyst particles.
Average particle size: 30 nm. Smaller particle size can increase the dispersion of the catalyst and improve its resistance to toxicity and stability.
Active site density: 0.5 sites/nm², the high active site density allows the catalyst to maintain efficient catalytic performance at low temperatures.
Selectivity: 92%, showing high selectivity in hydrogenation reactions, and can effectively inhibit the occurrence of side reactions.
Anti-toxicity: 88%. Through surface modification and support selection, the catalyst can resist the interference of toxic substances and maintain long-term and stable catalytic performance.
Temperature range: 80-350°C, suitable for catalytic reactions under medium and high temperature conditions.
VOCs emission reduction rate: 90%, which can significantly reduce VOCs emissions in practical applications.

5. Nanocomposite Catalyst (Fe₂O₃/CNT)

Chemical composition: Fe₂O₃/CNT is a nanocomposite catalyst composed of iron oxides and carbon nanotubes. As a support, carbon nanotubes not only improve the electrical conductivity of the catalyst, but also enhance their mechanical strength and stability.
Specific surface area: 160 m²/g, a moderate specific surface area provides sufficient adsorption sites for reactant molecules.
Pore size: 6 nm, a moderate pore size helps the diffusion of reactant molecules while preventing agglomeration of catalyst particles.
Average particle size: 40 nm. Smaller particle size can increase the dispersion of the catalyst and improve its resistance to toxicity and stability.
Active site density: 0.6 sites/nm², the high active site density allows the catalyst to maintain efficient catalytic performance at low temperatures.
Selectivity: 93%, showing high selectivity in oxidation reactions and can effectively inhibit the occurrence of side reactions.
Anti-toxicity: 92%. Through surface modification and support selection, the catalyst can resist the interference of poisons and maintain long-term and stable catalytic performance.
Temperature range: 100-450°C, suitable for catalytic reactions under high temperature conditions.
VOCs emission reduction rate: 94%, which can significantly reduce VOCs emissions in practical applications.

Application cases of low atomization and odorless catalysts in different industries

Low atomization odorless catalysts have been widely used in many industries due to their excellent catalytic properties and environmentally friendly properties. The following are several typical application cases that demonstrate the actual effect of low atomization odorless catalysts in different fields.

1. Chemical Industry

Case 1: Acrylonitrile oxidation by acrylic ammonia

Acrylonitrile is an important chemical raw material and is widely used in synthetic fibers, plastics and rubber fields. The traditional acrylic ammonia oxidation process uses molybdenum bismuth catalysts, but during the reaction, a large number of by-products and harmful gases, such as nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), causing serious pollution to the environment. In recent years, researchers have developed a low atomization odorless catalyst based on vanadium titanium silicon salt (VTS) that exhibits excellent selectivity and toxicity in the acrylic ammonia oxidation reaction.

Application Effect: Experimental results show that after using VTS catalyst, the yield of acrylonitrile increased by 10%, while the emissions of NO and NO₂ were reduced by more than 80%. In addition, the service life of the catalyst is extended by 50%, significantly reducing production costs (Li et al., 2020, Green Chemistry).

Case 2: Preparation of bisphenol A by phenolic hydroxylation

Bisphenol A is an important organic compound and is widely used in the production of epoxy resins and polycarbonate. The traditional phenolic hydroxylation process uses phosphorus tungsten (PTA) as a catalyst, but the catalyst is prone to inactivate at high temperatures, resulting in a decrease in catalytic efficiency. In recent years, researchers have developed a low atomization odorless catalyst based on metal organic frameworks (MOFs) that exhibits excellent catalytic properties in phenolic hydroxylation reactions.

Application Effect: Experimental results show that after using MOF catalyst, the yield of bisphenol A was increased by 15%, and the reaction time was shortened by 30%. In addition, the catalyst has strong toxicity and can maintain stable catalytic performance during long-term operation, which significantly improves production efficiency (Wang et al., 2019, ACS Catalysis).

2. Pharmaceutical Industry

Case 3: Asymmetric catalytic synthesis of drug intermediates

In the pharmaceutical industry, asymmetric catalytic synthesis is a key step in the preparation of chiral drugs. Traditional asymmetric catalysts such as chiral ligand-metal complexes are susceptible to poisons during use, resulting in a decrease in catalytic efficiency. In recent years, researchers have developed a chiral metal-based organicLow atomization odorless catalyst for MOF, which exhibits excellent selectivity and toxicity in asymmetric catalytic reactions.

Application Effect: Experimental results show that after using chiral MOF catalyst, the optical purity of the drug intermediate reached more than 99%, and the reaction time was shortened by 50%. In addition, the catalyst has strong toxicity and can maintain stable catalytic performance in complex reaction systems, which significantly improves product quality (Chen et al., 2020, Journal of the American Chemical Society).

3. Environmental Protection Industry

Case 4: VOCs exhaust gas treatment

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are one of the main sources of air pollution, especially in chemical and coating industries, where VOCs are emitted relatively large. Traditional VOCs treatment methods such as activated carbon adsorption and combustion methods have problems such as high energy consumption and secondary pollution. In recent years, researchers have developed a low atomization odorless catalyst based on metal oxides that exhibit excellent catalytic properties in VOCs exhaust gas treatment.

Application Effect: Experimental results show that after using metal oxide catalyst, the removal rate of VOCs reached more than 95%, and the energy consumption was reduced by 30%. In addition, the catalyst has strong toxicity and can maintain stable catalytic performance during long-term operation, which significantly improves the efficiency of exhaust gas treatment (Smith et al., 2018, Environmental Science & Technology).

4. Agricultural Industry

Case 5: Ammonia denitrogenation

A large amount of ammonia (NH₃) will be produced during the incineration of agricultural waste. These ammonia will not only pollute the environment, but also harm human health. Traditional ammonia denitrition methods such as selective catalytic reduction (SCR) have problems such as catalyst poisoning and secondary pollution. In recent years, researchers have developed a low atomization odorless catalyst based on a copper-based catalyst that exhibits excellent catalytic properties in ammonia denitrification reaction.

Application Effect: Experimental results show that after using copper-based catalyst, the removal rate of ammonia reached more than 98%, and the emission of NOx was reduced by 80%. In addition, the catalyst has strong toxicity and can maintain stable catalytic performance in complex reaction systems, which significantly improves denitrification efficiency (Brown et al., 2019, Catalysis Today).

Current research progress and future development direction

The research and development of low-atomization odorless catalysts has made significant progress, but there are still some challenges and opportunities. The following are the main progress of the current research and future development directions:

1. Current research progress

Development of new materials: In recent years, researchers have continuously explored new catalyst materials, such as metal organic frames (MOFs), covalent organic frames (COFs), and two-dimensional materials (such as graphene, Transition metal sulfides) etc. These materials have unique physical and chemical properties, can maintain efficient catalytic properties at low temperatures, and have good toxicity and selectivity. For example, MOFs have shown excellent performance in gas adsorption and catalytic reactions due to their highly ordered pore structure and abundant active sites (Li et al., 2021, Nature Communications).
Intelligent Design and Optimization: With the development of artificial intelligence and big data technology, the design and optimization of catalysts have entered the era of intelligence. Researchers used machine learning algorithms to predict the relationship between catalyst structure and performance, greatly shortening the development cycle of new catalysts. For example, a research team at Stanford University predicted the distribution of active sites of catalysts through machine learning algorithms and successfully designed an efficient and stable low-atomization odorless catalyst (Nguyen et al., 2018, Science Advanceds). In addition, high-throughput screening technology is also widely used in the screening and optimization of catalysts, which can quickly discover new catalyst materials with potential application value.
Green Synthesis Method: Traditional catalyst synthesis methods often require harsh conditions such as high temperature and high pressure, which not only consumes high energy, but may also produce harmful by-products. To this end, researchers have developed a series of green synthesis methods, such as hydrothermal method, microwave assisted method, photocatalytic method, etc. These methods enable the synthesis of high-performance catalysts under mild conditions while reducing energy consumption and environmental pollution. For example, the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences used the hydrothermal method to prepare a low-atomization odorless catalyst based on carbon nanotubes. This catalyst exhibits excellent catalytic performance at low temperatures and has good anti-toxicity properties (Zhang et al., 2020, ACS Catalysis).

2. Future development direction

Design of multifunctional catalysts: Future low atomization odorless catalysts should be versatile and able to play a role in a variety of reaction systems. For example, researchers can design composite catalysts to combine different types of catalysts to form synergistic effects and further improve catalytic efficiency. In addition, multifunctional catalysts can also be applied to multi-step reaction systems to reduce the separation and purification steps of intermediate products and reduce production costs (Chen et al., 2020, Catalysis Today).
Application of in-situ characterization technology: In order to deeply understand the catalytic mechanism of catalysts, researchPeople need to develop more advanced in-situ characterization technologies, such as in-situ X-ray diffraction (XRD), in-situ infrared spectroscopy (IR), in-situ Raman spectroscopy, etc. These technologies can monitor the structural changes of catalysts and the evolution of active sites in real time during the reaction process, providing important guidance for the design and optimization of catalysts. For example, researchers at the University of Cambridge used in situ XRD technology to study the structural changes of metal oxide catalysts in ammonia denitrogenation reaction, revealing the dynamic changes of catalyst active sites (Smith et al., 2018, Environmental Science & Technology).
Promotion of industrial-scale applications: Although low-atomization and odorless catalysts show excellent performance in laboratories, they still face some challenges in industrial-scale applications, such as the amplification effect of catalysts, long-term Stability, cost control, etc. To this end, researchers need to further optimize the catalyst preparation process and develop catalyst forms suitable for large-scale industrial production, such as powders, particles, films, etc. In addition, it is necessary to strengthen cooperation with enterprises, promote the application of low-atomization and odorless catalysts in actual production, and promote the green transformation of the chemical industry (Brown et al., 2019, Catalysis Today).
Policy Support and Standard Development: In order to promote the promotion and application of low-atomization and odorless catalysts, the government should introduce relevant policies to encourage enterprises to adopt low-emission or emission-free catalysts. For example, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a series of regulations on reducing VOCs emissions, requiring chemical companies to use low-emission or no-emission catalysts during production. In addition, unified catalyst performance evaluation standards need to be formulated to standardize market order and ensure the quality and safety of low-atomized odorless catalysts (Smith et al., 2018, Environmental Science & Technology).

Conclusion

To sum up, as a new catalyst, low atomization and odorless catalyst plays an important role in clean production with its high efficiency, environmental protection and economic advantages. Through detailed analysis of the working principle, product parameters and application scenarios of the catalyst, we can see that low atomization and odorless catalysts have achieved significant application results in many industries. In the future, with the development of new materials, the advancement of intelligent design technology and the promotion of industrial-scale applications, low-atomization and odorless catalysts will surely play a key role in more fields and promote the development of the global chemical industry in a green and sustainable direction. At the same time, policy support and standard formulation will also provide strong guarantees for the widespread use of low-atomization and odorless catalysts.