Catalysis and Catalysts

The catalysis unit is basically for the design and synthesis of various types of catalysts for improving petroleum refining, petrochemical, fine and bulk chemical industries.

The catalysis research group at  KAU has been involved in many research projects in the area of catalysis, especially with the private sector. Catalysts are including homogenous and heterogeneous types and mostly for the use to improve the productions of petrochemicals such as polymers, some faculty members already had links with industrial company inside the Kingdome (SABIC).

Also, the demand for some other alternative for the production of ethylene from natural gas is important task for the petrochemical industry. Saudi Arabia is a large oil country and the amount of natural gas accompany the oil production is huge and it is a big challenges for Aramco, Sabic, and many other emerging new companies to make benefit of such resources especially for the production of ethylene and hence Production of polymers and many other petrochemicals.

An effort is undertaken by the catalysis group in the university to search technology for the production of  suitable catalyst to convert Methane gas to ethylene , most of the research in this field is fully funded by Sabic.

Also some member of research in CEAMR jointly with chemistry department has initiated a collaborative work jointly some institutions outside the Kingdome. Also there is a running joint work with Imperial college and LONDON center of nanotechnology in the field of development of catalysis for water treatment and production of fine.

Application of advanced methods for catalysts development such as combinatorial chemistry and high throughput experiments to develop highly efficient, selective and environmentally benign catalysts.

These catalytic systems could be developed for production of verities of petrochemicals that produced locally such as:-

1. Development of novel catalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane to propylene.

2. Development of novel catalysts for the water Purification 

3. Development of new catalysts for the Selective synthesis of Fine chemicals.

4. Oxidative/ non oxidative dehydrogenation of alkanes.

5. Catalytic processes for solving environmental problems arising from petrochemical industry - water and air.

6. Preparation of nanostructured metals and metal oxides as active catalysts.

7. Preparation of nanocrystalline ZrO₂, CeO₂, Al₂O₃ and SnO₂ to be used as catalysts.