Ethylene oxidation activity of silica-supported platinum catalysts for the preservation of perishables

Abstract

The ethylene oxidation activities of silica-supported platinum-based catalysts (Pt/A380 and PtRu/A380) were studied under semi-practical conditions (liter-sized batch system containing moisture and perishables). Storage tests of premature bananas, cucumbers, and apples have proved that the catalysts can remove ethylene generated from the perishables. Ripening of these perishables is significantly delayed by the catalytic removal of ethylene, which confirms that these catalysts are effective for the extension of the shelf-lives of the perishables. Two crucial parameters, the rate of ethylene production from the perishables and the rate of ethylene decomposition by the catalysts, were successfully quantified through storage tests of the perishables. The minimum amount of catalyst necessary for practical application in a storage room can be estimated by a simple numerical analysis using the determined parameters.