Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company

Trikur Anantharaman Ramanarayaman

Michel A Daage

Russell John Koveal

Claude C Culross

David C Long

Leroy Russell Clavenna

James Dirickson Mumford

A method is disclosed for renewing the activity of a Dispersed Active Metal (DAM) catalyst during operation of a reactor wherein the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide to produce a mixture of hydrocarbons is being carried out comprising withdrawing a mixture of hydrocarbons and a portion of the DAM catalyst, reducing the hydrocarbon content thereof, heating the mixture above the melting temperature of at least one of the metals of the DAM to form a melt, removing any slag that forms on the melt, cooling the melt to form a solid, reducing the particle size thereof to form a renewed particulate DAM catalyst, which is then returned to the reactor. Wherein the DAM catalyst is a Raney catalyst, a leachable metal is added to the reduced hydrocarbon mixture or the melt under non-oxidizing conditions and, after the solid is reduced to a fine particle size, extracting the leachable metal with caustic. The activity of the DAM may be modified or enhanced during the process by the addition of promoter metals, or prior to being returned to the reactor, by slurry low temperature oxidation followed by reduction at elevated temperature, and may further be enhanced by being passivated prior to being returned to the reactor. The catalyst may be withdrawn and replaced periodically or continuously during the operation of the reactor.

Growing community of inventors

Somerset, NJ, United States of America

Trikur Anantharaman Ramanarayaman