Chemical looping oxidative dehydrogenation of propane: A comparative study of Ga-based, Mo-based, V-based oxygen carriers

Chemical looping oxidative dehydrogenation of propane (CL-ODHP) is a promising technology for propylene production and offers several advantages over traditional dedicated propylene production processes, particularly a low energy consumption and safety in operation, with their associated economic advantages. In this study, the technical feasibility of employing oxygen carriers based on Ga, Mo and V for CL-ODHP was investigated and compared. The oxygen carriers were prepared by incipient wet impregnation, and their physical and chemical properties, as well as their reactivity performance were determined. Because of the required high temperature during calcination, the morphological properties of Mo-based and V-based oxygen carriers differed from their Al₂O₃ support, whereas this was not the case for the Ga-based oxygen carrier. All three oxygen carriers show a stable performance during the redox cycle test, the V-based oxygen carrier showed a higher redox ability and oxygen transport capacity (1.78 wt.%) than the Mo- and Ga-based oxygen carriers (0.19 wt.% and 0.012 wt.% resp.). Among the studied oxygen carriers, the V-based oxygen carrier showed better performance in both the ODHP step and the regeneration step, with the highest propane conversion, propylene selectivity and re-oxidation, making the V-based oxygen carrier the most suitable for CL-ODHP.