Impact of B-site Cations of MgX2O4 (x=cr, Fe, Mn) Spinels on the Chemical Looping Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Ethane to Ethylene

Chemical looping oxidative dehydrogenation (CL-ODH) provides a multifunctional conversion platform that can take advantage of the selective oxidation of lattice oxygen in oxygen carrier to achieve high-valued ethane to ethylene conversion. In this study, we explored the effect of B-site element in MgX2O4 (X=Cr, Fe, or Mn) spinel-type oxygen carriers on the performance of ethane CL-ODH. The properties test and characterization of MgX2O4 spinel were tested by fixed bed and H2-TPR, O2-TPD, TG, in-situ Raman, SEM, and TEM. The results showed that because MgCr2O4 only released a small amount of adsorbed surface oxygen, it tended to catalyze the conversion of ethane to coke and hydrogen. MgFe2O4 facilitated the deep oxidation of ethane into CO2 by providing more surface lattice oxygen. Meanwhile, since a significant amount of bulk lattice oxygen was released by the MgMn2O4 oxygen carrier, it could burn hydrogen in a targeted manner to advance the reaction and increased ethylene’s selectivity. Thereby, MgMn2O4 achieved an ethane conversion of 73.72% with an ethylene selectivity of 81.46%. Furthermore, the MgMn2O4 catalyst demonstrated stable reactivity and an ethylene yield of about 62.00% in ethane CL-ODH over the 30 redox cycles. The screening tests indicated that the B-site elements in MgX2O4 spinel oxides could significantly influence their ability to supply lattice oxygen, thereby affecting their performance in ethane CL-ODH reaction.