Performance of RP-3 kerosene cracking over Pt/WO3-ZrO2 catalyst

A series of WO3-ZrO2 composite oxides were prepared by co-precipitation and their catalytic performances for the RP-3 kerosene cracking were investigated. These composite oxides were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), N2 adsorption-desorption measurement, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and NH3-temperature programmed desorption (NH3-TPD). The results showed that the addition of WO3 could effectively inhibit the phase transformation of ZrO2 from tetragonal phase to monoclinic phase. Among all as-prepared samples, the support composed of WO3 (4 wt%)-ZrO2 exhibited the largest surface area, the strongest surface acidity, and the most concentrated strong acidic density. Additionally, the gas amount of catalytic cracking over Pt/WO3 (4 wt%)-ZrO2 catalyst at the temperature region 650-700 °C was about 1.5 times higher than that of thermal cracking. After the composite oxides were calcined at 800 °C for 3 h, they almost lost their catalytic activities.