Flexible NiZr-based structured catalysts for ethylene production through ODH of ethane: Catalytic performance enhancement

•Catalytic paper was prepared and tested in the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane.•Paper synthesis included silica-alumina and zirconia fibers incorporation.•NiO active phase was strongly modified by Zr promoter and by the addition of ZrO2 fibers.•The systems exhibited high ethane conversion for ODH reaction.

Flexible structured catalysts based on Ni and Zr deposited on a ceramic paper made of SiO2-Al2O3 and ZrO2 fibers showed to be active and selective for the Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Ethane. Zirconium promoter strongly interacted with nickel oxide and produced structural changes that affected the NiO redox behavior, crystal growth and lattice order which enhanced selectivity towards ethylene. The variation of the concentration of the precursor solution used and the addition of zirconia short fibers, affected the catalytic performance. The lower the concentration of the solution used to incorporate the catalyst, the better the catalytic performance. The addition of zirconia fibers also showed beneficial effects on ethylene production.

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