Mechanochemical conversion of acetylene in quartz – ultrafine metal powder system

Abstract

We have studied the effect of nano-sized metal powders (Zn, Ni), obtained by electric explosion of wires, on mechanochemical conversions of acetylene in the presence of quartz. In the process of acetylene mechanical treatment (MT) in the presence of quartz, benzene is formed. During the mechanical grinding of quartz in planetary-centrifugal mills, active radical sites are formed on quartz surface. It is possible to suppose that due to the influence of mechanical energy acetylene triple bond breaks to form ethyl radicals, which are subjected to chemosorption on active quartz sites with subsequent formation of benzene. The addition of ultrafine Zn powder decreased, while Ni powder considerably increased benzene yield. In the process of MT, particles of ultrafine Zn powder are agglomerated which results in the decrease of its catalytic activity. The increase in benzene yield at the use of ultrafine Ni powder as the additives is associated with catalytic conversion of acetylene into benzene on the newly formed nickel surface. The injection of ultrafine Zn and Ni powders in quartz-acetylene system caused no changes in quantitative composition of acetylene conversion products but affected the amounts of one or other component formation.