Scientific Design Company, Inc.

Exxon Research and Engineering Company

Sd Lizenzverwertungsgesellschaft Mbh & Co Kg

Lonza S.p.a.

Sd Lizenverwertungsgesellschaft Mbh & Co. Kg

Arie Bortinger

Wim J Pieters

Thomas H Vanderspurt

Jar-Lin Kao

Freddie L Tungate

Virginia R Cross

Gianluca Mazzoni

Edward K Dienes

Mark J Potter

Robert E Riley

Vijay S Bhise

Tiziana Monti

Robert A Maggio

Stephen R Allen

Andrzej Rokicki

Ashok S Padia

Andrew D Schmitz

Elena N Suciu

Christelle Verrier

Michael Bruscino

A process for the preparation of a catalyst useful for the vapor phase production of ethylene oxide from ethylene and oxygen comprising the steps of providing a catalyst precursor comprising an inert support having a catalytically effective amount of a silver containing compound, a promoting amount of an alkali metal containing compound, and a promoting amount of a transition metal containing compound disposed thereon; and heating the catalyst precursor in a gas atmosphere for a first period of time and a second period of time, wherein for the first period of time the gas atmosphere is an inert gas atmosphere and the temperature range is from about 25&#xb0; C. to about 600&#xb0; C., and then in a second period of time the gas atmosphere is an oxygen-containing atmosphere and the second period temperature range is from about 350&#xb0; C. to about 600&#xb0; C.

Method for preparing an epoxidation catalyst

The invention relates to an improved process for producing a catalyst useful for the epoxidation of ethylene to ethylene oxide. In forming the catalyst, a silver-impregnated support is subjected to two calcinations. The support is subjected to a first calcination in a first atmosphere comprising air. Next the support is subjected to a second calcination in a second atmosphere which is substantially entirely comprised of inert gas, and which second atmosphere is substantially absent of hydrogen. This two-stage calcination produces an improved catalyst which contains fewer organics left over under standard conditions of air calcination alone, while costing less than calcination in an inert gas alone.

Two-stage calcination for catalyst production

An improved process for the production of maleic anhydride by the catalytic oxidation of n-butane. Maleic anhydride is produced by reacting n-butane gas with oxygen gas or an oxygen-containing gas, in the presence of a vanadium phosphorus oxide catalyst. A trialkyl phosphite or trialkyl phosphate component is continuously added to the gases in an amount of from about 0.5 ppm to about 4 ppm by weight of elemental phosphorus in the trialkyl phosphate or trialkyl phosphite component. Heat is applied to the gases at a temperature of from about 400&#xb0; C. to about 440&#xb0; C. while maintaining a maximum temperature of gases present in the reaction of about 480&#xb0; C. A simultaneous conversion of n-butane to maleic anhydride of about 84% or more and a conversion of n-butane to by-product acrylic acid of about 1.5% or less is achieved.

Reduction of acrylic acid in the production of maleic anhydride

The invention describes a process for producing a catalyst useful for the epoxidation of an olefin. More particularly, the invention pertains to a catalyst useful for the oxidation of ethylene to ethylene oxide. The catalyst comprises a solid support such as alpha-alumina, which has a catalytically effective amount of silver or a silver-containing compound, and a promoting amount of rhenium or a rhenium-containing compound, and a promoting amount of one or more alkali metals or alkali metal-containing compounds on the surface of the support. To produce a catalyst precursor. The catalyst precursor is contacted with an atmosphere comprising oxygen and steam, which atmosphere is substantially absent of an olefin, to hasten the attainment of peak selectivity in the process of oxidation of ethylene to ethylene oxide.

Activation of high selectivity ethylene oxide catalyst

A process for preparing a catalyst for maleic anhydride production wherein a +5 vanadium compound such as VO, an anhydrous phosphoric acid, and optionally promoters are admixed in an organic alcohol solvent, the admixture is rapidly brought to reflux and thereafter refluxed to reduced the vanadium compound to the desired degree, the reflux mixture is cooled, precursor crystals are separated by filtration and then dried and calcined.

Phosphorus/vanadium catalyst preparation

A VPO catalyst precursor having the formula (VO)HPO.sub.4 aH.sub.2 OM.sub.m P.sub.p O.sub.y wherein M is at least one promoter element selected from the group consisting of elements from Groups IA, IB, IIA, IIIA, IIIB, IVA, IVB, VA, VB, VIA, VIB, and VIIIA of the Periodic Table of the Elements, and mixtures thereof, a is a number of at least about 0.3, m is a number of from about 0 to about 0.3, p is a number of from about 0 to about 0.3, any y corresponds to the amount of oxygen necessary to satisfy the valence requirements of all elements present, is activated by heating the catalyst precursor in an atmosphere selected from the group consisting of air, steam, inert gas, and mixtures thereof to a temperature not to exceed about 300.degree. C., maintaining the catalyst precursor at this temperature and providing an atmosphere containing molecular oxygen, steam, and optionally an inert gas, increasing the temperature at a programmed rate of from about 0.5.degree. C./min to about 15.degree. C./min to a value effective to eliminate the water of hydration from the catalyst precursor, adjusting the temperature to a value greater than 350.degree. C., but less than 550.degree. C., and maintaining the adjusted temperature in a molecular oxygen/steam-containing atmosphere comprised of at least 1 vol % oxygen for a time effective to provide a vanadium oxidation state of from about +4.0 to about +4.5 and to complete transformation of the precursor to the active catalyst having the Formula (VO).sub.2 P.sub.2 O.sub.7 M.sub.2m P.sub.2p O.sub.y wherein M, m, p and y are defined above.

Phosphorus/vanadium maleic anhydride catalyst preparation

The invention provides an improved method for the production of vanadium/phosphorous mixed oxide catalysts, a vanadium +5 solid compound first being digested in an organic solvent at anhydrous conditions, water then being added and the resulting aqueous mixture containing suspended solid vanadium compound being digested to form the catalyst precursor.

The invention provides an improved method for the production of vanadium/phosphorous mixed oxide catalysts, using an organic solvent system and an additive such as dimethyl sulfoxide, the catalyst having special utility in the production of maleic anhydride.

A process for producing zeolite aggregates involves providing a formable paste composed of zeolite, a binder composed of an organic/metal oxide containing aluminum, a peptizing agent and water; forming the paste into an aggregate, preferably by extruding into an extrudate; curing the aggregate; hydro-thermally calcining the aggregate; and washing the hydro-thermally calcined aggregate with a washing medium, preferably followed by rinsing with a rinsing medium to remove residual washing medium from the aggregate. The washed and rinsed aggregate may then be permitted to equilibrate or is subjected to a drying procedure. Preferably, the washed and rinsed aggregate is again subjected to curing/hydro-thermal calcining. The resultant aggregates, such as extrudates, have an exterior surface with openings and interstitial spaces between particles of binder and zeolite which communicate by such openings between the exterior surface of the aggregate and micropores of the zeolite; the aggregates also exhibit characteristics of crush strength greater than about 0.9 pounds per millimeter and a loss by attrition of less than about 3.0%. Regenerable catalysts, such as reforming catalysts, based on such aggregate also exhibit a catalyst activity pass through to the zeolite bound in the aggregate of at least 70% of the initial catalyst activity of freshly prepared zeolite, as well as exhibiting more than about 70% of the reforming benzene yield that the reforming catalyst exhibited when similarly tested prior to being exposed to a hydrocarbon stream under specified reforming conditions of the catalyst activity test procedures.

Zeolite aggregates and catalysts

A method of regenerating V/P/O oxidation catalyst used for the partial oxidation of n-butane which comprises terminating the n-butane feed and contacting the catalyst with an oxygen containing gas, such as air for a sufficient period of time to regenerate the catalyst such that when the n-butane feed is restarted the yield is greater than just before the treatment.

Method for regenerating vanadium/phosphorus oxidation catalysts

A vanadium/phosphorus mixed oxide catalyst containing not more than 0.2 wt % chloride is produced by drying chloride containing catalyst precursor at 100.degree.-180.degree. C., calcining the dried precursor, preferably under nitrogen, at 200.degree.-300.degree. C. and activating the calcined precursor at 350.degree.-550.degree. C. with a gas containing oxygen and a reducing agent such as propane, and preferably steam.

A method of removing chloride from phosphorus/vanadium/oxygen mixed oxide oxidation catalysts comprising treating a chloride containing catalyst comprising phosphorus, vanadium and oxygen with a stream of gas comprising oxygen, steam and an inert gas at flow rate and temperature and for a period of time to substantially reduce the amount of chloride in the catalyst.

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Ridgewood, NJ, United States of America

Arie Bortinger