Amoco Corporation

Umicore Ag & Co Kg

Owen H Bailey

Gary P Hagen

Frank-Walter Schuetze

Thomas G Smith

Danan Dou

Matthew Hedgcock

Anke Woerz

A method and a system for extending useful life of a basic catalyst are disclosed. The basic catalyst comprises a particulate, porous, siliceous catalyst support and an alkali metal in the +1 oxidation state on the catalyst support surface. The catalyst is suitable for the synthesis of an alpha, beta-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid by condensation of a saturated carboxylic acid with formaldehyde. The method of the present invention contemplates providing a reactor, or a series of reactors, containing the basic catalyst and a confined source of the alkali metal associated with a suitable carrier, upstream of the reactor or reactors. A feed stream to the reactor is passed first through the confined source and thereafter through the reactor while reaction conditions for the condensation reaction are maintained within the reactor. The temperature of the feed stream passing through the confined source can be modulated to control release of the alkali metal from the carrier. Alkali metal released from the carrier is entrained into the feed stream passing through the confined source and is deposited onto the support in the reactor as the feed stream is passed through the reactor. Feed stream flow through the reactor or reactors can be reversed and/or interchanged as long as the confined alkali metal source remains upstream of one or more of the reactors, i.e., the upstream-most of the reactors in a series of staged reactors can function as the confined alkali metal source as well.

Method and system for extending catalyst useful life

Growing community of inventors

West Chicago, IL, United States of America

Owen H Bailey