B.S. Bogazici University in Istanbul, Turkey M.S. Yale University Ph.D. Yale University Courses taught: CHEM_ENG 408: Chemical Engineering Kinetics and Reactor Design CHEM_ENG 410: Principles of Heterogeneous Catalysis

Hayim Abrevaya is a Senior Research Associate at UOP. UOP is a leading supplier of catalyst, process and equipment technology to the oil, gas and petrochemical industry and is based in Des Plaines, Illinois. Dr. Abrevaya has a broad experience in the field of catalysis, particularly with zeolites and with supported metal catalysts. He has led several UOP projects, from exploratory catalyst research to process commercialization. His specific research expertise covers various areas, including naphtha cracking, aromatic isomerization, alkene skeletal isomerization, alkene oligomerization, alkane dehydrogenation, selective hydrogenation, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and zeolite electronic applications. Hayim holds 30 US patents and published 10 papers. Dr. Abrevaya has been teaching the Kinetics and the Catalysis courses in the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department since 2004. He has also recently taught at the pre-conference school of the 2007 International Zeolite Conference in Beijing, China.

Recent Publications:

Dorothy E. Kuechl, Annabelle I. Benin, Lisa M. Knight, Hayim Abrevaya, Stephen T. Wilson, Wharton Sinkler, Thomas M. Mezza and Richard R. Willis, Multiple Paths to Nanocrystalline High Silica Beta Zeolite, Microporous & Mesoporous Materials, accepted for publication 2009.

Johannes Kobler, Hayim Abrevaya, Svetlana Mintova, and Thomas Bein. High Silica Zeolite Beta: From Stable Colloidal Suspensions to Thin Films. Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 112 (37), 14,274-14,280 (2008).

Hayim Abrevaya, Ben A. Wilson, Stephen T. Wilson and Suheil F. Abdo.  Nanocrystalline Silicalite for Naphtha Cracking.  US Patent 7,459,596 (2008).

Hayim Abrevaya, Lyle Patton and Suheil Abdo. Naphtha Cracking over 10-MR Molecular Sieves With Channels of Limited Length and With High Silica to Alumina Ratio. US Patent 7,314,964 (2008).

Hayim Abrevaya. Cracking of Naphtha Range Alkanes and Naphthenes over Zeolites. From Zeolites to Porous MOF Materials – the 40th Anniversary of International Zeolite Conf. (R.Xu et al. ed.) Vol 170B, p. 1244 Elsevier B.V., 2007.

Course Information:

CHEM_ENG 408: Chemical Engineering Kinetics and Reactor Design
This course blends the best of Chemical Reactor Analysis and Design by G. F. Froment and K. B. Bischoff, Elements of Chemical Reaction Engineering by H. S. Fogler, Chemical Reactor Analysis and Design Fundamentals by J. Rawlings and J. G. Ekerdt and 1977 lecture notes by L. F. Brown at Yale University.  Lecture notes are distributed to students in the beginning of the academic quarter.

Chapters in the lecture notes and some highlights:

1. Fundamentals of Chemical Kinetics (rate equations, transition state theory, statistical mechanics for rate constant, driving force)
2. Kinetics of Surface-Catalyzed Reactions (elementary steps, determining rate expression from reaction mechanism, methodology for general treatment of kinetics, reactions of increased complexity)
3. Transport Limitations in Surface-Catalyzed Reactions (external mass transfer, pore diffusion, coupling of heat and mass transfer limitations)
4. Analysis and Design of Isothermal Reactors (CSTR, PFR and batch reactors)
5. Non-Isothermal Reactors (heat transfer in ideal reactors)
6. Modeling Non-ideal Reactors (residence time distribution, micromixing and modeling non-ideal reactors)
7. Fluidized-Bed Reactors (mechanics of fluidized-beds, analysis of reaction and mass transfer)

CHEM_ENG 410: Principles of Heterogeneous Catalysis
This course uses the textbook entitled Concepts of Modern Catalysis and Kinetics by I. Chorkendorff and J. W. Niemantsverdriet. Lecture notes on textbook topics, as well as supplemental topics are distributed to students in the beginning of the academic quarter.

Chapters in the lecture notes and some highlights:

1. Introduction to Catalysis
2. Kinetics (thermodynamics, driving force, rate equations, general treatment of kinetics for surface-catalyzed reactions)
3. Reaction Rate Theory  (transition state theory, statistical mechanics for rate constant)
4. Catalyst Characterization (XRD, XPS, EXAFS, electron microscopy, Mossbauer, TPR, IR)
5. Solid Catalysts (physical structure of solids, Bravais lattices, surface free energy, surfaces of metals and alloys, oxides and sulfides, zeolite acidity, surface area and pore structure of solids, mass transfer limitations)
6. Surface Reactivity (fundamentals of chemical bonding, cohesive energy, trends in atomic and molecular chemisorption)
7. Kinetics of Reactions on Surfaces (elementary steps, micro-kinetic modeling)
8. Heterogeneous Catalysis in Practice: Hydrogen
9. Oil Refining and Petrochemistry
10. Environmental Catalysis

This course places special emphasis on catalytic reaction mechanisms.  Material from an upcoming book chapter by Abrevaya entitled Unique Aspects of Mechanisms and Requirements for Zeolite Catalysis in Refining and Petrochemicals will be part of the course. Students who take this course are also expected to work in teams and investigate various research topics based on study of the literature.  In the past such team work involved reaction mechanisms for methanol-to-olefin reaction and hydroisomerization of alkanes (PDF).

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