British Gas Plc

Lucas Industries Plc of Great King Street

Alan Williams

Reginald G Banks

Costa Komodromos

Stephen David Jones

John D Wilson

Norman Parkyns

David James Paterson

John E Cook

Roger D Wragg

Timothy J Reynolds

A method of manufacturing elements of active material for use in the construction of electrodes for secondary electro-chemical cells characterized by comprising the steps of:

Electro-chemical cells

A catalyst precursor is prepared by intimately mixing a nickel-aluminium Feitknecht compound with a non-calcined aluminosilicate clay mineral and at the same time and/or subsequently with at least one additive comprising an alkaline earth and/or rare earth metal compound. The resulting mixture is then calcined to produce the catalyst precursor which can be reduced to the catalyst form. The catalyst may be used, for example, in the methanation of gases and the presence of the additive reduces silicon species loss from the catalyst during use.

Method of preparing a catalyst precursor comprised of calcined

Methane-containing gases are produced by passing a hydrocarbon feedstock having a boiling point of not greater than 350.degree. C. and steam over a catalyst at an elevated pressure and at a temperature of from 350.degree. C. to 550.degree. C. at the inlet of the catalyst and an exit of temperature of at least 450.degree. C., the catalyst comprising a reduced catalyst precursor which is resistant to deactivation by polymer formation or by sintering, the catalyst precursor containing (1) from 0 to not more than 0.43% K and from 0 to not more than 0.1% Na, (2) the combined weights of Na+ K does not exceed 0.011 gm atoms/100 gm of catalyst precursor, (3) the ratio of Na:K falls within the area defined by ABCDEO in FIG. 1 of the drawings, and (3) at combined Na+ K weights of from 0 to 0.05% the water loss is not more than 11.2%.

Gas making

Methane-containing gases are produced by the catalytic-stream-reforming of hydrocarbon feedstocks using a catalyst which includes a Group VIII metal such as nickel and alumina, and which in its calcined but unreduced precursor form has a pore size distribution defined as follows:

Steam reforming process

A catalyst precursor which when reduced can produce a catalyst suitable for the high pressure gasification of heavy hydrocarbons to produce methane-containing gases comprises a calcined coprecipitated-alumina containing from 50-65% Ni precursor. The catalyst contains (1) from 0 to not more than 0.43% K and from 0 to not more than 0.1% Na, (2) the combined weights of Na+K does not exceed 0.011 gm atoms/100 gm of catalyst, precursor (3) the ratio of Na: K falls within the area defined by ABCDEO in FIG. 1 of the drawings and (3) at combined Na+K weights of from 0 to 0.05% the water loss is not more than 11.2%. The catalyst precursors are prepared with the aid of a filtering aid selected from (NH.sub.4).sub.2 CO.sub.3, Na.sub.2 CO.sub.3, K.sub.2 CO.sub.3, Na NO.sub.3 or K NO.sub.3 to obtain low levels of alkali. The final catalyst may be employed for steam reforming reactions to produce methane-containing gases.

Gas making calcined catalyst precursors of nickel, alumina, sodium and

Steam reforming catalyst having good sinter and polymer resistance and which include a Group VIII metal such as nickel and alumina, have in their calcined but unreduced precursor form pore size distributions defined in the following relationships:

Catalyst for steam reforming of hydrocarbons

Steam reforming catalysts which are suitable for the gasification of hydrocarbons, particularly heavier hydrocarbons such as kerosene and gas oils, consist of calcined and reduced forms of a basic mixed carbonate of nickel, aluminium and chromium produced by coprecipitation. The catalysts are further characterized in that they have a pore size distribution such that at least 55% by volume of the pores of the calcined but unreduced catalyst which have a pore radius of 12-120A is in the range 12-30A. The catalysts are produced by coprecipitation, preferably at temperatures of not more than 60.degree. C., by using an alkali carbonate as the precipitant and by adding the precipitant to a mixed solution of alumium, nickel and chromium III compounds. The catalysts which have good sinter and polymer resistance may be used for the production of methane-containing gases, e.g., for the production of substitute natural gas.

Process for the production of methane-containing gases and catalyst used

A catalyst suitable for the high pressure gasification of heavy hydrocarbons to produce methane-containing gases is a calcined coprecipitated-alumina containing from 50- 65% Ni on a calcined unreduced basis. The catalyst contains (1) from 0 to not more than 0.43% K and from 0 to not more than 0.1% Na, (2) the combined weights of Na+ K does not exceed 0.011 gm atoms/100 gm of catalyst, (3) the ratio of Na:K falls within the area defined by ABCDEO in FIG. 1 of the drawings and (3) at combined Na+ K weights of from 0 to 0.05% the water loss is not more than 11.2%. The catalysts are prepared with the aid of a filtering aid selected from (NH.sub.4).sub.2 CO.sub.3, Na.sub.2 CO.sub.3, K.sub.2 CO.sub.3, Na NO.sub.3 or K NO.sub.3 to obtain low levels of alkali in the precursor. The catalyst may be employed for steam reforming reactions to produce methane-containing gases.

Method of preparing and filtering coprecipitated nickel-alumina catalysts

A catalyst suitable for steam reforming, especially at low temperatures and high pressures, which is resistant to polymer deactivation, comprises nickel, alumina and ruthenium, optionally together with an oxide, hydroxide or carbonate of an alkali metal or alkaline earth-metal wherein the amount of ruthenium does not exceed 0.8% by weight of the weights of the other components of the catalyst. The nickel and aluminium components of the catalyst are prepared by coprecipitation with the nickel and aluminium components, by impregnation of the precipitated nickel and aluminium components or by physical blending of an insoluble ruthenium compound with the precipitated nickel and aluminium components.

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Solihull, United Kingdom

Alan Williams