Exxon Research and Engineering Company

Robert J Lang

Joanne K Pabst

Richard Henry Schlosberg

Martin Leo Gorbaty

William E Winter, Jr

Claude C Culross

Peter S Maa

Lonnie W Vernon

Albert B Welty, Jr

Stephen N Vaugh

Veluswamy R LaVanga

David F Greene

A catalyst composition prepared by depositing a metal or metal compound onto a preformed carbon support and thereafter converting said metal or metal compounds to an oxide or sulfide having hydrogenation activity. The metal is selected from the group of metals consisting of Groups II-B, IV-B, IV-A, V-A, VI-A, VII-A and VIII-A metals of the Periodic Table of the Elements. The catalyst compositions are useful in hydroconversion and hydrotreating processes.

Catalyst composition prepared by vapor depositing onto a carbon support

A catalyst composition prepared by depositing a metal or metal compound onto a carbon support formed, in effect, simultaneously with the deposition of the metal or metal compound via partial combustion of an unsaturated hydrocarbon and thereafter converting said metal or metal compound to an oxide or sulfide having hydrogenation activity. The metal is selected from the group of metals consisting of Groups II-B, IV-B, IV-A, V-A, VI-A, VII-A and VIII-A metals of the Periodic Table of the Elements. The catalyst compositions are useful in hydroconversion and hydrotreating processes.

Catalyst composition and process of making

A process for gasifying a non-gaseous solid material wherein a portion of the gasification is accomplished in the presence of steam and another portion of the gasification is accomplished in the presence of hydrogen and in the substantial absence of carbon dioxide and steam. The gasification will be accomplished at an elevated temperature and pressure. The essence of the invention resides in the discovery that carbon alkali metal catalyst, generally used for the gasification of carbonaceous materials, will deactivate in the presence of carbon dioxide, especially if the alkali metal carbonate is stable at gasification conditions and in the discovery that this deactivation can be either significantly reduced if the initial portion of the gasification is completed in the presence of hydrogen and in the substantial absence of steam and carbon dioxide or if after the catalyst has become partially deactivated, the activity is restored by completing a portion of the gasification in the presence of hydrogen and in the substantial absence of steam and carbon dioxide.

Process for gasifying solid carbonaceous materials

A novel process, and the articles of manufacture, or compositions, formed thereby, wherein a Group II-A metal, or compound thereof, can be ion-exchanged onto coal, and thereafter a Group I metal physically admixed or otherwise incorporated therewith, so that the composition can be pyrolyzed, and gasified, to form a high-BTU, intermediate-BTU or synthesis fuel gas. Suitably, the Group II metal, or alkaline earth metal, can be directly ion-exchanged onto a low rank coal, without necessity of any pretreatment, by contact with a basic solution of a Group II-A metal compound since, of course, low rank coals contain natural ion-exchange sites. An alkaline earth metal, or metals, can also be ion-exchanged onto a high rank coal, notably one deficient in natural active exchange sites, such as a subbituminous or bituminous coal, by (a) contacting, heating and soaking the coal in an alkali solution of a Group I-A metal compound sufficient to incorporate said metal compound, or cation portion thereof, into said coal and form ion-exchange sites, (b) or by oxidation of the high rank coal by contact with an oxidizing agent, preferably an oxygen-containing gas (air), peroxygen compound, oxidizing acid or the like, to form ion-exchange sites, ion-exchanging a Group II metal onto the active sites thus created, and thereafter admixing or otherwise incorporating the Group I metal to form the desired article of manufacture, or composition.

Gasification process

Carbonaceous solids are contacted in the presence of water with potassium sulfate and a calcium compound selected from the group consisting of calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, and calcium carbonate thereby producing treated carbonaceous solids which are then gasified. The calcium compound apparently activates the relatively noncatalytic potassium sulfate thereby producing a substantial catalytic effect on the gasification reactions.

Process for the catalytic gasification of coal

In a coal gasification operation or similar conversion process carried out in the presence of an alkali metal-containing catalyst wherein solid particles containing alkali metal residues are produced, alkali metal constituents are recovered from the particles primarily in the form of water-soluble alkali metal sulphites and bisulphites by treating the particles with a solution of sulfurous acid. During the treating process the water-insoluble alkali metal compounds in the alkali metal residues are converted into water-soluble alkali metal sulphites and bisulphites, which have been found to be catalytically active. The aqueous solution containing water-soluble alkali metal sulphites and bisulphites is then separated from the treated particles and any insoluble material formed during the treatment process, treated to remove soluble aluminum compounds and recycled to the gasification process where the alkali metal sulphites and bisulphites serve as at least a portion of the alkali metal constituents which comprise the alkali metal-containing catalyst.

Recovery of alkali metal catalyst constituents with sulfurous acid

A carbonaceous feed material, a potassium compound having a relatively poor catalytic activity as compared to that of potassium carbonate, and a sodium or lithium salt are introduced into a gasification reactor. The carbonaceous material is then gasified in the presence of the added potassium and sodium or lithium constituents. The added sodium or lithium salt apparently activates the relatively noncatalytic potassium compound thereby producing a substantial catalytic effect on the gasification reactions. In general, activation of the noncatalytic potassium compound will take place when the sodium or lithium compound introduced into the reactor is either a salt of a weak acid or a salt of a strong acid that is converted to a sodium or lithium salt of a weak acid in the reactor at gasification conditions.

Catalytic coal gasification process

A process wherein Group I-A or Group II-A metals, or both, can be ion-exchanged onto coal, especially a high rank coal, notably a subbituminous or bituminous coal, to produce a highly reactive carbonaceous feed for use in gasification reactions, especially to produce high-BTU fuel gases, but also intermediate-BTU or synthesis gas. The coal is treated by contact with an alkaline solution of an admixture of compounds, inclusive of a soluble alkali metal salt and an excess of an alkaline earth metal hydroxide, each of which interacts one with the other to form an alkali metal hydroxide, and an insoluble alkaline earth metal salt precipitate. The coal is treated in a single step by contact with the solution within which both the Group I-A and II-A metal compounds are dispersed, or dissolved. Where the coal does not contain adequate ion-exchange sites, these are formed by reaction between the alkali metal hydroxide, generated by the reaction, and the coal, and in turn all or a portion of the alkali metal cations are exchanged or replaced by alkaline earth metal cations which are present in the alkali metal hydroxide solution that is formed. Preferably, the treatment is continued until substantially all of the alkali metal cations have been replaced by the alkaline earth metal cations, and then the solution is evaporated while in contact with the coal to redeposit and physically disperse the alkali metal upon the coal.

Gasification process using ion-exchanged coal

Coal is liquefied by treatment with a hydrogen-donor solvent and gaseous hydrogen, a heavy bottoms product boiling primarily in excess of about 1000.degree. F. is recovered, and this bottoms product is then pyrolyzed with fresh coal to produce surprisingly high yields of liquid product. The coke formed during the pyrolysis step may be gasified to generate hydrogen for use in the liquefaction operation and additional gas which can be employed as a fuel or upgraded for other uses.

Process for the production of hydrocarbons from coal

Heavy bottoms produced by the liquefaction of coal or similar carbonaceous solids are converted into more valuable products by adding an alkaline earth metal compound to the bottoms in a concentration sufficient to give, following pyrolysis of the bottoms, an alkaline earth metal-to-carbon atomic ratio of from about 0.005:1 to about 0.1:1; pyrolyzing the bottoms at a temperature of from about 900.degree. to about 1600.degree. F. to produce gases, hydrocarbon liquids and coke or char containing added alkaline earth metal constituents; and thereafter gasifying the char with steam.

Coal liquefaction bottoms conversion by coking and gasification

A method for the preparation of and pretreatment of coal, which coal will not cake when subjected to standard coal conversion processes, which method comprises the steps of electrophilically aromatically substituting the coal yielding alkylated or acylated products thereby.

Method for the preparation of noncaking coals from caking coals by means

Flue gas is desulfurized by absorbing it onto a selective absorbent-catalytic material. The absorbed SO.sub.2 is recovered by contacting it in a desorption cycle with a reducing desorption gas. In one embodiment, multiple absorbent beds are employed and alternate absorption-desorption cycles are used in each of the multiple beds with the flue gas and the desorption gas used alternately. The sulfur oxide is recovered in concentrated form in the desorption gas stream and is then utilized as feed in a conventional sulfuric acid plant yielding concentrated sulfuric acid.

Growing community of inventors

Baytown, TX, United States of America

Robert J Lang