Union Carbide Corporation

Union Carbide Chemicals & Plastics Technology Corporation

Bp Chemicals Limited

William J Bartley

Richard W Wegman

Chinsoo Stephen Lee

Thomas P Wilson

David McNeill Somerville

Melanie Kitson

Gordon G Harkreader

Simon Jobson

David Michael Minahan

Michael F Lemanski

George L O'Connor

Stefan Kent Mierau

Fungau Ho

Paul C Ellgen

Barry Brent Fish

David Michael Anthony Minahan

Paul Frank Bryan

Ronald Gary Cook

Kendrick Edward Curry

Mike Lemanski

Werner C Von Dohlen, Deceased

Raymond Edwin Rooks

A nickel/rhenium catalyst composition for the reductive amination of lower aliphatic alkane derivatives is described. The catalyst includes from about 2 to about 75 weight percent nickel and has a nickel to rhenium weight percent ratio of from about 1:1 to about 200:1. The nickel and rhenium are supported on an alumina-silica support which contains from about 5 to about 65 weight percent silica and has a BET surface area of from about 30 to about 450 m /g. A process for the reductive amination of lower aliphatic alkane derivatives using such a catalyst composition is also provided.

Nickel-rhenium catalyst for use in reductive amination processes

This invention relates in part to a processes for the conversion of a feedstock stream comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen to a product stream comprising at least one of an ester, acid, acid anhydride and mixtures thereof. This invention also relates in part to processes for converting an alcohol and/or ether feedstock to oxygenated products, e.g., esters, acids, acid anhydrides and mixtures thereof. The processes and catalysts are especially suitable for the production of acetic acid and methyl acetate from a synthesis gas feedstock or from an alcohol and/or ether feedstock.

Processes for preparing oxygenates

This invention relates in part to a processes and catalysts for the conversion of a feedstock comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen to a product stream comprising at least one of an ester, acid, acid anhydride and mixtures thereof. This invention also relates in part to processes and catalysts for converting an alcohol, ether and/or ether alcohol feedstock to oxygenated products, e.g., esters, acids, acid anhydrides and mixtures thereof. The processes and catalysts are especially suitable for the production of acetic acid and methyl acetate from a synthesis gas feedstock or from an alcohol, ether or ether alcohol feedstock.

Process for preparing oxygenates and catalysts therefor

Processes for preparing oxygenates and catalysts therefor

This invention provides a process for producing improved catalysts for the production of alkenyl alkanoates by the reaction of an alkene, an alkanoic acid and an oxygen-containing gas. The catalysts contain palladium, gold and a potassium promoter and are characterized by a reduced sodium content which results in increased catalyst activity. The reduced sodium content is obtained by washing the catalyst, at a particular intermediate point in its production, with a cation exchange solution.

Alkenyl alkanoate production

A shell impregnated catalyst for use in the production of vinyl acetate from ethylene, acetic acid and an oxygen containing gas is provided. The catalyst has a productivity of greater than 661 grams of vinyl acetate per hour per liter of catalyst at 150.degree. C. and consists essentially of:

Catalysts and processes for the manufacture of vinyl acetate

This invention provides a process for producing improved catalysts for the production of alkenyl alkanoates by the reaction of an alkene, an alkanoic acid and an oxygen-containing gas. The catalysts contain palladium, gold and a potassium promoter and are characterized by a reduced sodium content which results in increased catalyst activity. The reduced sodium content is obtained by washing the catalyst with water or with an aqueous solution of a potassium promoter after it has been impregnated with a potassium promoter.

Alkenyl alkanoate catalyst process

Catalysts for alkenyl alkanoate production

This invention provides a process for producing improved catalysts for the production of alkenyl alkanoates by the reaction of an alkene, an alkanoic acid and an oxygen-containing gas. The catalysts contain palladium, gold and a potassium promoter and are characterized by a reduced sodium content which results in increased catalyst activity. The reduced sodium content is obtained by using essentially sodium-free starting materials in the process for producing the catalysts.

Production of alkenyl alkanoate catalysts

A process for the dimerization of propylene or a C.sub.4 olefin or the codimerization of ethylene with propylene or a C.sub.4 olefin comprising passing the olefin(s) in contact with a catalyst comprising (a) elemental potassium and (b) elemental copper, and (c) an alpha-alumina support therefor, wherein:

Process for dimerization

A process for the preparation of ethylene glycol by the vapor phase catalytic hydrogenation of at least one of di(lower alkyl) oxalate and lower alkyl glycolate in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst comprising a carrier, which catalyst is suitable for the hydrogenation of alkyl oxalate and alkyl glycolate to ethylene glycol, wherein the improvement lies in preparing the catalyst by contacting the carrier with a cooper ammonium carbonate complex medium and reducing the catalytically-active copper moiety to its active copper form.

Process for the preparation of ethylene glycol

This invention relates to a process for selectively cleaving a polyalkylene glycol, e.g., diethylene glycol, containing at least one ether group therein at a carbon-to-oxygen covalent bond and independently at a carbon-to-carbon covalent bond by heating the polyalkylene glycol with molecular hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst containing ruthenium to produce at least one of monoethylene glycol monomethyl ether, monoethylene glycol and ethanol. The production rate of each of said monoethylene glycol monomethyl ether, monoethylene glycol and ethanol is at least about 10 moles/kilogram ruthenium/hour.

Hydrogenolysis process for the production of monoethylene glycol

This invention relates to a process for selectively cleaving a polyalkylene glycol, e.g., diethylene glycol, containing at least one ether group therein at a carbon-to-oxygen covalent bond and independently at a carbon-to-carbon covalent bond by heating the polyalkylene glycol with molecular hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst containing iridium to produce at least one of monoethylene glycol monoethyl ether, monoethylene glycol monomethyl ether, monoethylene glycol and ethanol. Monoethylene glycol monoethyl ether can be produced in significant amounts by employing the process of this invention.

Hydrogenolysis of polyalkylene glycols to produce monoethylene glycol

A process for the preparation of ethylene glycol by the catalytic hydrogenation of at least one of di(lower alkyl) oxalate and lower alkyl glycolate in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst comprising a carrier, which catalyst is suitable for the hydrogenation of alkyl oxalate and alkyl glycolate to ethylene glycol, wherein the carrier has a leachable iron content not greater than about 0.03%, by weight of the carrier.

Growing community of inventors

Charleston, WV, United States of America

William J Bartley