Scientific Design Company, Inc.

The Halcon Sd Group, Inc.

Halcon International, Inc.

Sd Lizenzverwertungsgesellschaft Mbh & Co Kg

Halcon Research and Development Corp.

Eastman-kodak Company

Nabil M Rizkalla

Andrzej Rokicki

Anthony N Naglieri

Stephen Bruce Milne

Rita Klein

William D Armstrong

Norma Beatriz Castagnola

Barry Jay Billig

Serguei Pak

Wojciech L Suchanek

Mansoor Husain

Howard Sachs

Andrew D Schmitz

Christian Gueckel

Charles N Winnick

Vijay S Bhise

Girish Desai

Charles W Zulauf

Errrol Bornn

A method for lowering the sodium content of different carriers which may have different physical properties as well as varying degrees of sodium is provided. The method, which lowers the sodium content from the surface, subsurface as well as the binding layer of the carrier, includes contacting a carrier with water. A rinse solution is recovered from the contacting. The rinse solution includes leached sodium from the carrier. The sodium content in the rinse solution is then determined. The contacting, recovering and determining are repeated until a steady state in the sodium content is achieved.

Carrier treatment to improve catalytic performance of an ethylene oxide catalyst

A silver-based ethylene epoxidation catalyst is provided that exhibits improved performance, i.e., selectivity and activity decline. The catalyst that exhibits the improved performance includes greater than about 20% by weight of silver disposed on an alpha-alumina carrier, and a promoting amount of one or more promoters disposed on the alpha-alumina carrier. The silver is present on the alpha-alumina carrier as silver particles having a diameter of greater than about 150 nm and a distribution density of about 20 particles per 1 square micron or less.

Silver catalysts with improved size and distribution density of silver particles

A carrier for an ethylene epoxidation catalyst is provided that includes an alumina first component and a mixed metal oxide of alumina second component. The mixed metal oxide of alumina second component comprises a corundum lattice structure having a plurality of O&#x2014;Al&#x2014;O bonds, wherein an Al atom of at least one O&#x2014;Al&#x2014;O bond of the plurality of O&#x2014;Al&#x2014;O bonds, but not all of the plurality of O&#x2014;Al&#x2014;O bonds, is replaced with a divalent or trivalent transition metal selected from the group consisting of scandium (Sc), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni) copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn). A catalyst containing the carrier, as well as a process for the epoxidation of ethylene using the catalyst are also disclosed.

Carrier for ethylene oxide catalysts

A silver-based ethylene oxide catalyst that can be used in the vapor phase conversion of ethylene to ethylene oxide in the presence of oxygen is provided that includes a carrier; a catalytic effective amount of silver; and a promoting amount of at least one promoter, wherein the catalyst has a surface sodium content of 100 ppm or less.

Silver-based ethylene oxide catalyst having reduced sodium content

A process for the preparation of a catalyst useful for the vapor phase production of ethylene oxide from ethylene and oxygen comprising 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; calcining the catalyst precursor to convert the silver in the silver containing compound to metallic silver by heating the catalyst precursor to form a catalyst; and curing the catalyst in an inert gas atmosphere at temperatures of about 250&#xb0; C. to about 600&#xb0; C. for a period of about 1 hour to 200 hours.

Method for making a highly selective ethylene oxide catalyst

This invention relates to catalyst carriers to be used as supports for metal and metal oxide catalyst components of use in a variety of chemical reactions. More specifically, the invention provides a process of formulating an alpha alumina carrier that is suitable as a support for silver and the use of such catalyst in chemical reactions, especially the epoxidation of ethylene to ethylene oxide. The composition comprises at least one hydrated precursor of alpha alumina; an optional alpha alumina; and a binder. The composition is substantially free of seeding particles.

Process for preparation of catalyst carrier and its use in catalyst preparation

A start-up process for epoxidation of ethylene is provided. The process includes initiating an epoxidation reaction by reacting a feed gas composition in the presence of an epoxidation catalyst at a first temperature of about 180&#xb0; C. to about 210&#xb0; C. The first temperature is increased to a second temperature of about 230&#xb0; C. to about 290&#xb0; C., over a time period of about 6 hours to about 50 hours, while simultaneously adding a sufficient concentration of moderator so that the amount of moderator adsorbed on the catalyst after achieving the second temperature is from about 10 to about 50 g/mof catalyst. The second temperature is maintained for about 50 hours to about 350 hours, while regulating the feed gas composition to contain about 0.5% to about 25% CO. The second temperature is decreased to a third temperature, while simultaneously increasing moderator concentration to a level greater than the sufficient concentration.

Process for initiating a highly selective ethylene oxide catalyst

This invention relates to catalyst carriers to be used as supports for metal and metal oxide catalyst components of use in a variety of chemical reactions. More specifically, the invention provides a process of formulating a low surface area alpha alumina carrier that is suitable as a support for silver and the use of such catalyst in chemical reactions, especially the epoxidation of ethylene to ethylene oxide. A precursor for a catalyst support comprises an admixture of an alpha alumina and/or a transition alumina; a binder; and either a solid blowing agent which expands, or propels a gas upon the application of sufficient heat, and optionally contains talc and/or water soluble titanium compound.

Process for preparation of a catalyst carrier

A method for controlling ethylene oxidation uses ethylene and oxygen, in conjunction with a silver based catalyst, a moderator and a co-moderator, to form ethylene oxide. When controlling the ethylene oxidation reaction, the moderator concentration is maintained constant within a comparatively narrow operative concentration range and the co-moderator concentration is varied within a comparatively wider operative concentration range, to optimize a catalyst property such as the catalyst activity and/or the catalyst selectivity.

Ethylene oxide production using fixed moderator concentration

The present invention relates to a method for recovering rhenium from an ethylene oxide catalyst containing rhenium and at least silver on a solid support, wherein at least a substantial portion of the rhenium present in the catalyst is extracted by intimate contact of the catalyst with one or more polar non-acidic organic solvents substantially free of water such that a rhenium-containing solution is formed containing the polar non-acidic organic solvent and extracted rhenium, the polar non-acidic organic solvent containing one or more oxygen, nitrogen, and/or halogen atoms in its molecular structure.

Recovery of rhenium

A process for initiating a highly selective ethylene oxide catalyst is provided in which the highly selective ethylene oxide catalyst is operated first as a 'standard' Ag-based catalyst (e.g., a catalyst that contains only silver and alkali metal, especially cesium). Moreover, the inventive initiation procedure is more efficient when the concentration of carbon dioxide in the feed is higher than 6 vol. %, and even more efficient when the concentration of carbon dioxide in the feed is higher than 10 vol. %, of the feed mixture during the initiation period.

Ethylene is oxidized by contact at oxidizing conditions with an admixture of a solid particulate catalyst and a solid particulate alkali metal treated inert.

Oxidation process and catalyst

An ethylene oxide catalyst is provided which is essentially transition metal and rhenium free and which consists essentially of silver, alkali metal, sulfur and boron components on a support such as alumina, optionally with a fluorine or chlorine component.

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River Vale, NJ, United States of America

Nabil M Rizkalla