This paper evaluated the effect of calcination temperature and the use of Mg/Al₂O₃ on the decomposition of HFC-134a. Two commercialized catalysts, Al₂O₃ and Mg/Al₂O₃, were calcined at two different temperatures (500 and 650 °C) and their physicochemical characteristics were examined by X-ray diffraction, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, and the temperature-programed desorption of ammonia and carbon dioxide analysis. The results show that, in comparison to Al₂O₃, 5% Mg/Al₂O₃ exhibited a larger Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area and higher acidity. The relative amount of strong acid sites of the catalysts decreased with increasing calcination temperature. Although a more than 90% decomposition rate of HFC-134a was achieved over all catalysts during the sequential decomposition test of HFC-134a using a vertical plug flow reactor connected directly to a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry system, the lifetime of the catalyst differed according to the catalyst type. Compared to Al₂O₃, Mg/Al₂O₃ revealed a longer lifetime and less coke formation due to the increased Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area and weak Lewis acid sites and basic sites arising from Mg impregnation. Higher temperature calcination extended the catalyst lifetime with the formation of less coke due to the smaller number of strong acid sites, which can lead to severe coke formation. A valuable by-product, trifluoroethylene, was formed as a result of the decomposition. Based on the experimental results, a reaction is proposed which reasonably explains the decomposition reaction.

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) was co-fed into the catalytic pyrolysis (CP) of mandarin peel (MP) over different microporous catalysts, HY and HZSM-5, with different pore and acid properties. Although the non-catalytic decomposition temperature of MP was not changed during catalytic thermogravimetric analysis over both catalysts, that of HDPE was reduced from 465 °C to 379 °C over HY and to 393 °C over HZSM-5 because of their catalytic effects. When HDPE was co-pyrolyzed with MP over the catalysts, the catalytic decomposition temperatures of HDPE were increased to 402 °C over HY and 408 °C over HZSM-5. The pyrolyzer-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry results showed that the main pyrolyzates of MP and HDPE, which comprised a large amount of oxygenates and aliphatic hydrocarbons with a wide carbon range, were converted efficiently to aromatics using HY and HZSM-5. Although HY can provide easier diffusion of the reactants to the catalyst pore and a larger amount of acid sites than HZSM-5, the CP of MP, HDPE, and their mixture over HZSM-5 revealed higher efficiency on aromatics formation than those over HY due to the strong acidity and more appropriate shape selectivity of HZSM-5. The production of aromatics from the catalytic co-pyrolysis of MP and HDPE was larger than the theoretical amounts, suggesting the synergistic effect of HDPE co-feeding for the increased formation of aromatics during the CP of MP.

This paper reports the improved efficiency of 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a) decomposition by combined use of MgO with γ-Al₂O₃. While a high temperature (>900 °C) was required to achieve 90% conversion during non-catalytic pyrolysis of HFC-134a, 100% conversion of HFC-134a was achieved at 600 °C by the use of γ-Al₂O₃. Among the three catalysts (γ-Al₂O₃, MgO, and CaO) tested in this study, γ-Al₂O₃ showed the highest HFC-134a decomposition efficiency, followed by MgO and CaO, due to its large surface area and large amount of weak acid sites. Also with the longest lifetime among the catalysts, durability in maintaining complete decomposition of HFC-134a was shown in γ-Al₂O₃. The addition of MgO to γ-Al₂O₃ was effective in extending the lifetime of γ-Al₂O₃ due to the efficient interaction between HF and MgO, which can delay the deactivation of γ-Al₂O₃. Compared to the double bed γ-Al₂O₃-MgO configuration, the use of a mixed γ-Al₂O₃-MgO bed extended the catalyst lifetime more effectively.