Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer for Catalytic Studies

加拿大拥有丰富的自然资源，重要的是尽可能有效地处理这些资源。通过提高反应速度，催化剂允许反应在较低的温度下进行，并更有选择性地生成所需的产品，从而减少所需的能源和温室气体的排放。要设计和制备有效的催化剂，需要了解反应物如何与催化剂表面相互作用。傅里叶变换红外光谱(FTIR)是一种可以用来确定这种相互作用的技术。催化剂用于90%以上的工艺，可以是固体或液体。将在这项工作中研究的特殊类型的催化剂是由碳、氧化铝、二氧化硅或氧化锆制成的固体，将用于重油和沥青的改质。我们目前的大部分工作都致力于从废物中制备催化剂，其中包括石油焦和林业残渣，石油焦是重油和沥青升级的副产品，林业残渣是采伐树木后遗留下来的。通过FTIR光谱仪的分析，可以在不同的环境和不同的温度下确定催化剂表面的官能团和吸附分子。这些表征信息将与反应性数据相结合，以了解和改进催化剂的性能，这反过来将提高工艺效率。

Canada has vast natural resources and it is important that these resources are processed as efficiently as possible. By increasing the rate of reaction, catalysts allow reactions to proceed at lower temperatures and more selectively to the desired product so that less energy is required and fewer greenhouse gases are emitted. To design and prepare effective catalysts requires knowledge of how the reactants are interacting with the catalyst surface. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is one technique that can be used to determine this interaction. Catalysts are used in over 90% of all processes and can be solids or liquids. The particular types of catalysts that will be studied in this work are solids made of carbon, alumina, silica or zirconia, and will be used for the upgrading of heavy oil and bitumen. A large fraction of our current work is devoted to preparing catalysts from waste including petroleum coke, which is a by-product of heavy oil and bitumen upgrading, and forestry residues, which are left behind after trees have been harvested. Analysis with the FTIR spectrometer allows the functional groups and adsorbed molecules on the surface of the catalyst to be identified under different environments and at different temperatures. This characterization information will be combined with reactivity data to understand and improve catalyst performance, which in turn will improve the process efficiency.