화학공학소재연구정보센터
Catalysis Today, Vol.352, 80-87, 2020
Investigation of glycerolysis of urea over various ZnMeO (Me = Co, Cr, and Fe) mixed oxide catalysts
In this study, we investigated the glycerolysis of urea over various ZnMeO (Me = Co, Cr, and Fe) mixed oxide catalysts. ZnMeO mixed oxide catalysts were prepared by a co-precipitation method for two Zn/Me ratios, resulting in Zn-rich mixed oxide (Zn2MeO) and Zn-poor mixed oxide (ZnMe2O). In the glycerolysis of urea, the Zn2MeO catalysts exhibited higher glycerol conversion and glycerol carbonate yields than the ZnMe2O catalysts due to the predominance of homogeneous catalysis through Zn isocyanate (NCO) complexes from the Zn2MeO catalysts. Specifically, Zn2CrO was the best catalyst, with the highest yield of glycerol carbonate. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results of the spent catalysts clearly demonstrated the dominant formation of a solid Zn NCO complex over the spent Zn2CrO catalyst, a unique feature indicating that the better catalytic performance of Zn2CrO was due to the additional heterogeneous reaction route through the solid Zn NCO complex.