A Review on Synthesis and Transformation of Ethanol into Olefins Using Various Catalysts

Over the past couple of years, fossil fuel consumption has been increased significantly. Today the consumption of coal, natural gas, and oil is rising continuously worldwide. In contrast to fossil fuels, biofuels can be advantageous because of their eco-friendly behavior with the environment. Ethanol is the “green” substitute for gasoline, as it can be blended with gasoline or can be used for the production of lighter olefins (ethylene and propylene). Ethanol can be produced either by fermentation or by catalytic route from various sources such as sugar/starchy material, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and dimethylether. The catalytic route has emerged as the better route compared to fermentation due to the requirement of a large number of crops which is generally not suitable for every country. The study of ethanol synthesis and the catalytic transformation of ethanol to lighter olefins such as ethylene and propylene is presented in this review. The effect of catalysts such as zirconia, alumina, and zeolites in the ethanol transformation to olefins has been discussed in detail.