Experimental procedure and statistical data treatment for the kinetic study of selective hydrodechlorination of 1,2-dichloroethane into ethylene over a Pd-Ag sol–gel catalyst

The kinetics of selective hydrodechlorination of 1,2-dichloroethane into ethylene over a Pd-Ag/SiO2 catalyst was studied using an a priori experimental design with five independent variables—temperature and partial pressures of 1,2-dichloroethane, hydrogen, ethylene and hydrogen chloride. A Langmuir–Hinshelwood model including two types of active site and the 1,2-dichloroethane adsorption as the rate-determining step was found to fit correctly with experimental data, according to the analysis of variance and the analysis of pondered residuals. The study allowed for catalytic deactivation. The rigorous experimental and statistical approach followed to carry out such a kinetic study is explained in detail.

► The kinetics of the hydrodechlorination of 1,2-dichloroethane into ethylene was studied.
► It is a very complex system, because two kinetic equations and many operating variables have to be taken into account.
► As a consequence, kinetic models include a lot of parameters. An experimental design in five dimensions was performed with 123 experimental points.
► More than 20 kinetics models were tested and discriminated on the basis of the analysis of the variance and of pondered residuals.
► The best model corresponded to a Langmuir–Hinshelwood model including two types of active sites and the 1,2-dichloroethane adsorption as rate-determining step.