Headwaters Technology Innovation, LLC

Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company

Horacio Trevino

Bing Zhou

Zhihua Wu

Zhenhua Zhou

Andrzej Mariusz Malek

David O Marler

Stephen C Leviness

Weldon K Bell

Changkun Liu

The reforming catalysts include a halogen promoter and a plurality of nanocatalyst particles supported on a support material. The nanocatalyst particles have a controlled crystal face exposure of predominately (110). The controlled coordination structure is manufactured by reacting a plurality of catalyst atoms with a control agent such as polyacrylic acid and causing or allowing the catalyst atoms to form nanocatalyst particles. The catalysts are used in a reforming reaction to improve the octane number of gasoline feedstock. The reforming catalysts show improved Chydrocarbon production and improved octane barrel number increases as compared to commercially available reforming catalysts.

Reforming catalysts having a controlled coordination structure and methods for preparing such compositions

Catalysts suitable for use in reforming hydrocarbons have a halogen promoter and a plurality of dispersed nanocatalyst particles supported on a solid support. The dispersed nanocatalyst particles are manufactured using a dispersing agent to control the size and/or crystal face exposure of the particles. The controlled size and dispersion of the nanocatalyst particles allows the reforming catalyst to be loaded with significantly less halogen promoter while still maintaining or increasing the catalyst's reforming performance. The catalysts of the present invention have shown improved Cproduction with the significantly reduced levels of halogen promoter.

Reforming nanocatalysts and methods of making and using such catalysts

A catalyst manufacturing process includes heat treating an intermediate catalyst composition that includes catalyst nanoparticles having catalyst atoms in a non-zero oxidation state bonded to a dispersing/anchoring agent. The catalyst nanoparticles are formed using a dispersing agent having at least one functional group selected from the group of a hydroxyl, a carboxyl, a carbonyl, an amide, an amine, a thiol, a sulfonic acid, sulfonyl halide, an acyl halide, an organometallic complex, and combinations of these. The dispersing agent can be used to form single- or multicomponent supported nanocatalysts. The dispersing agent also acts as an anchoring agent to firmly bond the nanocatalyst to a support. Performing the heat treating process in an inert or oxidative environment to maintain the catalyst atoms in a non-zero oxidation helps maintains a stronger bonding interaction between the dispersing agent and the catalyst atoms. This, in turn, increases the dispersion and/or distribution of catalyst components throughout the supported catalyst.

Heat treatment of anchored nanocatalysts in a non-zero oxidation state and catalysts made by such method

A process for enhancing the activity of a catalyst metal particulate for hydrogenation reactions comprising calcining the particulate in an oxidant-containing atmosphere to partially oxidize it thereby forming a porous layer of oxides thereon, treating with an solution capable of oxidizing the calcined metal particulate and comprising a compound of a hydrogenation catalyst metal to where said metal particulate has absorbed a volume of solution equal to at least about 10% of its calculated pore volume and activating it by treatment with a hydrogen-containing gas at elevated temperatures thereby forming a dispersed active metal catalyst. Preferably, the treated particulate is calcined a second time under the same conditions as the first before final activation with a hydrogen-containing gas. The metal particulate is preferably sized after each calcination and any agglomerates larger than 250 microns are comminuted to a desired size.

Fischer-Tropsch catalyst production

Dispersed Active Metal catalyst for hydrogenation reactions is produced by treating a substantially catalytically inactive metal particulate with a solution capable of oxidizing the metal particulate and comprising of at least one compound of a hydrogenation catalyst metal thereby forming a layer of at least one of hydroxides and oxides thereon. The metal particulate is activated by treatment with a hydrogen-containing gas at elevated temperatures to form a porous layer of Dispersed Active Metal catalyst. Preferably, the treated metal particulate is dried prior to activation, and also preferably calcined in an oxidant-containing atmosphere prior to activation. The treatment solution may advantageously contain a compound of at least one promoter metal for the added catalyst metal. The porosity of the layer provides enhanced catalyst activity as well as improved methane selectivity in the Fischer-Tropsch process.

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Annandale, NJ, United States of America

Horacio Trevino