Catalytic Cracking of Heptane Using Prepared Zeolite

This investigation was conducted to study the potential of type Y-zeolite prepared locally from Iraqi Rice Husk (IRH) (which considered as a type of agricultural waste that difficult to discard it in conventional methods in Iraq) on the removal of one heavy metals pollutant which was divalent zinc (Zn+2) ions from industrial wastewater using different design parameters by adsorption process. The design parameters studied to remove (Zn+2) ions using zeolite prepared locally from (IRH) as an adsorbent material were initial concentration of zinc ions (Zn+2), height of absorbance material packing, pH, time of treatment, flow rate and temperature, these parameters were varied from (5-100) mg/l, (40-80) cm, (1-10), (1-60) min, (1-50) ml/min and (5-50°C) respectively. Results show that the removal efficiency of (Zn+2) ions from aquatic solution decreased with increasing of initial concentration, flow rate and pH while the removal efficiency increased with increasing absorbance material bed height. A mathematical model is proposed for an adsorption packed bed column with porous adsorbent. The mathematical model takes account of both external and internal mass-transfer resistances as well as of non-ideal plug flow along the column. Statistical model is also achieved to find an expression relates the overall operating parameters used in this investigation in a general equation. The samples of type Y-zeolite remaining after using it in the removal of (Zn+2) ions from aqueous solutions aforementioned were predestined to study the utilization of it as a promoted type Y-zeolite catalyst and compared this type with normally type Y-zeolite catalyst prepared from (IRH) alone in the process of n-heptane catalytic cracking under different operating conditions. The results show that the promoted type Y-zeolite catalyst by (Zn+2) ions gives higher conversion and better selectivity of n-heptane to light olefins than normally type Y-zeolite catalyst. By this way we can remove the toxic (Zn+2) ions contaminated the water with adsorbent material prepared from agricultural waste (IRH) and in the same time, produce light and more benefit olefins hydrocarbons from n-heptane catalytic cracking using a type Y-zeolite catalyst (adsorbent material) synthesis from agricultural waste(IRH) and discarding it in a coast and eco-friendly method.