Lehigh University

Exxon Research and Engineering Company

Exxon Chemical Patents, Inc.

William Marsh Rice University

Other

Georgia-pacific Corporation

Leigh University

Israel E Wachs

Ramzi Yanni Saleh

Claudio C Chersich

Laura E Briand

Rocco A Fiato

Yeping Cai

Ray P Bourne

Darchun B Yang

Michael Wong

Elizabeth I Ross-Medgaarden

Chuan-Bao Wang

Petrus J Tromp

Michael Sha-nang Wong

Charles T Ratcliffe

William V Knowles

Saleh Y Ramzi

A new type of solid acid catalyst, which promises better catalytic performance than conventionally prepared supported metal oxides due to its precisely synthesized nanostructure has been described. The catalyst is nanoparticulate in form and is comprised of monolayers of tungstated zirconia of the formula, WOxZryO4-2y made by impregnating a support with zirconium and tungsten. The support catalyst is further characterized in having a tugsten monolayer between greater than 0001 W/nm2 to about 30 W/nm2.

Tungstated zirconia nanocatalysts

A process for making a porous catalyst, comprises a) providing an aqueous solution containing a nanoparticle precursor, b) forming a composition containing nanoparticles, c) adding a first catalytic component or precursor thereof and a pore-forming agent to the composition containing nanoparticles and allowing the first catalytic component, the pore-forming agent, and the nanoparticles form an organic-inorganic structure, d) removing water from the organic-inorganic structure; and e) removing the pore-forming agent from the organic-inorganic structure so as to yield a porous catalyst.

Supported catalysts using nanoparticles as the support material

A method for desulfurizing a hydrocarbon stream () containing heterocyclic sulfur compounds, which process comprises contacting the heterocyclic sulfur compounds in the gas phase () in the presence of oxygen () with a supported metal oxide catalyst, or with a bulk metal oxide catalyst () to convert at least a portion of the heterocyclic sulfur compounds to oxygenated products as well as sulfur-deficient hydrocarbons and separately recovering the oxygenated products separately from a hydrocarbon stream with substantially reduced sulfur.

Oxidative desulfurization of sulfur-containing hydrocarbons

A method wherein a methanol-containing gas stream is passed in contact with a catalyst comprising a supported or unsupported bulk vanadate catalyst in the presence of an oxidizing agent for a time sufficient to convert at least a portion of the methanol to formaldehyde (CHO).

Methanol oxidation over bulk metal vanadate catalysts

A process and a catalyst reaction zone comprising one or more fixed bed reactors for oxidizing methanol in a reactant gas feed stream to formaldehyde. According to one embodiment, the process comprises introducing the reactant gas feed stream into an upstream region containing a vanadia-titania first catalyst (substantially free of a volatile MoOspecies) under oxidizing conditions to form a partially oxidized reactant gas feed stream which is then introduced under oxidizing conditions into a downstream region containing a metal molybdate second catalyst to further oxidize any residual methanol contained therein. According to another embodiment, a fixed bed reactor comprising an upstream region and a downstream region containing the aforementioned vanadia-titania and metal molybdate catalysts, respectively, is utilized to implement the inventive process to yield a product gas stream containing formaldehyde preferably at a conversion of 85% or more and a selectivity of 90% or more.

Vanadia-titania metal molybdate dual catalyst bed system and process using the same for methanol oxidation to formaldehyde

A process and apparatus for oxidizing methanol in a gas stream into formaldehyde in a fixed bed reactor. The process first introduces a gas stream into a fixed bed reactor. The fixed bed reactor contains a catalyst bed having a depth, a width, a length, an inlet, an upstream region, a downstream region and an outlet. Preferably, the inlet, the upstream region, the downstream region and the outlet are provided in the order stated. A vanadia-titania catalyst is provided in the upstream region and a molybdena-titania catalyst is provided in the downstream region. The vanadia-titania catalyst in the upstream region is substantially free of MoOand initially (i.e., during oxidation some VOmay sublime and migrate to the downstream region) the molybdena-titania catalyst in the downstream region is substantially free of VO. Next, the gas stream is contacted with the vanadia-titania catalyst under oxidizing conditions. Then, the gas stream is contacted with a molybdena-titania catalyst under oxidizing conditions which provides a product stream containing formaldehyde at the desired conversion and formaldehyde selectivity.

Dual catalyst bed reactor for methanol oxidation

A method wherein a sour natural gas stream can be treated to produce primarily carbon monoxide from methane, and the carbon monoxide and hydrogensulfide are reacted to produce methyl mercaptans, (primarily methanethiol (CH SH) and a small amount of dimethyl sulfide (CH SCH )). The methyl mercaptans preferably are passed in contact with a catalyst comprising a supported metal oxide or a bulk metal oxide in the presence of an oxidizing agent and for a time sufficient to convert at least a portion of the methyl mercaptan to formaldehyde (CH O), and sulfur dioxide (SO ).

Production of formaldehyde from CH4 and H2S

The method of the present invention involves the in situ formation of metal-molybdate catalyst particles active for methanol oxidation to formaldehyde, with iron as an example, the catalyst is made by mixing particulate forms of Fe O and MoO which form an active Fe (MoO ) /MoO component inside the reactor during methanol oxidation.

In situ formation of metal-molybdate catalysts for methanol oxidation to formaldehyde

A process and apparatus for oxidizing methanol in a gas stream into formaldehyde in a fixed bed reactor. The process first introduces a gas stream into a fixed bed reactor. The fixed bed reactor contains a catalyst bed having a depth, a width, a length, an inlet, an upstream region, a downstream region and an outlet. Preferably, the inlet, the upstream region, the downstream region and the outlet are provided in the order stated. A vanadia-titania catalyst is provided in the upstream region and a molybdena-titania catalyst is provided in the downstream region. The vanadia-titania catalyst in the upstream region is substantially free of MoO and initially (i.e., during oxidation some V O may sublime and migrate to the downstream region) the molybdena-titania catalyst in the downstream region is substantially free of V O . Next, the gas stream is contacted with the vanadia-titania catalyst under oxidizing conditions. Then, the gas stream is contacted with a molybdena-titania catalyst under oxidizing conditions which provides a product stream containing formaldehyde at the desired conversion and formaldehyde selectivity.

A process and a catalyst reaction zone comprising one or more fixed bed reactors for oxidizing methanol in a reactant gas feed stream to formaldehyde. According to one embodiment, the process comprises introducing the reactant gas feed stream into an upstream region containing a vanadia-titania first catalyst (substantially free of a volatile MoO species) under oxidizing conditions to form a partially oxidized reactant gas feed stream which is then introduced under oxidizing conditions into a downstream region containing a metal molybdate second catalyst to further oxidize any residual methanol contained therein. According to another embodiment, a fixed bed reactor comprising an upstream region and a downstream region containing the aforementioned vanadia-titania and metal molybdate catalysts, respectively, is utilized to implement the inventive process to yield a product gas stream containing formaldehyde preferably at a conversion of 85% or more and a selectivity of 90% or more.

Vanadia-titania/metal-molybdate dual catalyst bed system and process using the same for methanol oxidation to formaldehyde

A process and fixed bed reactor for oxidizing methanol in a reactant gas feed stream to formaldehyde. The process comprises introducing the reactant gas feed stream into an upstream region containing a first metal molybdate catalyst (substantially free of a volatile Mo/MoO species) under oxidizing conditions to form a partially oxidized reactant gas feed stream which is then introduced under oxidizing conditions into a downstream region containing a second metal molybdate catalyst to further oxidize any residual methanol contained therein. A fixed bed reactor comprising an upstream region and a downstream region containing the aforementioned first and second metal molybdate catalysts, respectively, is utilized to implement the inventive process to yield a product gas stream containing formaldehyde preferably at a conversion of 85% or more and a selectivity of 90% or more.

Metal molybdate/iron-molybdate dual catalyst bed system and process using the same for methanol oxidation to formaldehyde

A process is provided for the production of hydrogen from hydrogen sulfide by reacting carbon monoxide with hydrogen sulfide to produce hydrogen and carbonyl sulfide, and then reacting the carbonyl sulfide with oxygen to produce carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide. The carbon monoxide is recycled back to the hydrogen sulfide reaction step. The catalyst used to promote the reaction between carbonyl sulfide and oxygen is an oxide of a metal, such as V, Nb, Mo, Cr, Re, Ti, W, Mn or Ta, which is supported on a support, such as TiO , ZrO , CeO , Nb O and Al O .

Process for the production of hydrogen from hydrogen sulfide

A method wherein a gas stream containing carbon oxide and hydrogen sulfide is first passed in contact with a catalyst comprising a supported metal oxide of a metal selected from the group consisting of vanadium (V), niobium (Nb), molybdenum (Mo), chromium (Cr), rhenium (Re), tungsten (W), manganese (Mn), titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr) and tantalum (Ta) and mixtures thereof to convert said carbon oxide and hydrogen sulfide to methyl mercaptans, (primarily methanethiol (CH SH) and a small amount of dimethyl sulfide (CH SCH )), and the gas stream containing the methyl mercaptans are passed in contact with a catalyst comprising a supported metal oxide or a bulk metal oxide in the presence of an oxidizing agent and for a time sufficient to convert at least a portion of the methyl mercaptan to formaldehyde (CH O), and sulfur dioxide (SO ).

Production of formaldehyde from carbon oxides and H2S

Preparing an aldehyde from an alcohol by contacting the alcohol in the presence of oxygen with a catalyst prepared by contacting an intimate mixture containing metal oxide support particles and particles of a catalytically active metal oxide from Groups VA, VIA, or VIIA, with a gaseous stream containing an alcohol to cause metal oxide from the discrete catalytically active metal oxide particles to migrate to the metal oxide support particles and to form a monolayer of catalytically active metal oxide on said metal oxide support particles.

Alcohol conversion

The method of the present invention involves the in situ formation of metal-molybdate catalyst particles active for methanol oxidation to formaldehyde, with iron as an example, the catalyst is made by mixing particulate forms of Fe,O,and MoO,which form an active Fe,(MoO,),/MoO,component inside the reactor during methanol oxidation.

Growing community of inventors

Bridgewater, NJ, United States of America

Israel E Wachs