Johnson Matthey Inc.

Imperial Chemical Industries Limited

Gordon James Kelly

Gavin Gray

Brian Peter Williams

Martinus C Lok

Terence James Fitzpatrick

Colin William Park

Graeme Douglas Campbell

Fiona Mary Campbell

Martinus G Lok

A process for manufacturing a catalyst composition comprises the steps of (i) precipitating one or more metal compounds from solution using an alkaline precipitant, preferably comprising an alkaline carbonate, optionally in the presence of a thermostabilizing material, ii) ageing the precipitated composition, and (iii) recovering and drying the aged composition, wherein the ageing step is performed using a pulse-flow reactor.

Process for preparing catalysts

A methanol synthesis process includes reacting a process gas containing hydrogen, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide over a catalyst including shaped units formed from a reduced and passivated catalyst powder the powder including copper in the range 10-80% by weight, zinc oxide in the range 20-90% by weight, alumina in the range 5-60% by weight and optionally one or more oxidic promoter compounds selected from compounds of Mg, Cr, Mn, V, Ti, Zr, Ta, Mo, W, Si and rare earths in the range 0.01-10% by weight, to form a product gas, and condensing methanol, water and oxygenate by-products therefrom, wherein the total oxygenate by-product level in the condensate is below 500 ppm.

Methanol synthesis process

A method of making a cobalt-containing catalyst precursor, comprising slurrying a transition alumina powder with an aqueous solution of a cobalt ammine complex, heating the slurry to cause the cobalt ammine complex to decompose with the deposition of an insoluble cobalt compound, filtering the solid residue from the aqueous medium, and drying the solid residue.

Catalysts with high cobalt surface area

A catalyst or precursor thereto comprising cobalt and/or a cobalt compound on a transition alumina support having a total cobalt content of at least 41% by weight and a cobalt surface area, after reduction, greater than 25 mper gram of total cobalt. The catalyst or precursor may be made by slurrying a transition alumina powder having a pore volume of at least 0.7 ml/g with an aqueous cobalt ammine carbonate complex and heating the slurry to decompose the complex.

A catalyst bed combination comprising a bed of a particulate copper-containing catalyst and, upstream of the catalyst bed, a guard bed in the form of shaped units formed from lead oxide particles and a particulate support material. The guard bed extends the life of the copper catalyst by absorbing halide contaminants in the process stream.

Combination of a guard bed and a copper-containing catalyst bed

Production of unsaturated ketones by the aldol condensation of ketones such as acetone or methyl ethyl ketone by contacting the ketone in the vapor phase with a particulate catalyst comprising at least one basic alkali metal compound supported on an inert substrate at a temperature above 175&deg; C. The produce ketones may be hydrogenated to form saturated ketones or alcohols.

Aldol condensation reaction and catalyst therefor

Production of unsaturated aldehydes by the aldol condensation of straight chain aldehydes, e.g. butyraldehyde, by contacting the aldehyde in the vapour phase with a particulate catalyst comprising at least one basic alkali metal compound supported on an inert substrate at a temperature above 175&deg; C.

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Darlington, United Kingdom

Gordon James Kelly