Activated carbon with improved mechanical resistance, and the uses thereof, especially as a catalyst carrier

• US 20070123419A1
• Filed: 01/19/2005
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Remy Le Bec
• Original Assignee: Remy Le Bec
• Inventors: Le Bec, Remy
• Application Number:
  US10/587,071
• Publication Number:
  US 20070123419A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 502/416
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 15/00 Separating processes involving the treatment of liquids with solid sorbents using liquid sorbents B01D11/00; ion exchange processes or materials, sorbent materials in general B01J, e.g. sorbents for chromatography B01J20/281; for investigating or analysing materials G01N30/00; Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/02 by adsorption, e.g. preparative gas chromatography solid sorbent compositions B01J20/00, preparation of inorganic compounds or elements C01
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/20 comprising free carbon; comprising carbon obtained by carbonising processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/28057 Surface area, e.g. B.E.T specific surface area
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/28064 being in the range 500-1000 m2/g
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/28069 Pore volume, e.g. total pore volume, mesopore volume, micropore volume
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/28073 being in the range 0.5-1.0 ml/g
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/28076 being more than 1.0 ml/g
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/2808 being less than 2 nm, i.e. micropores or nanopores
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/28083 being in the range 2-50 nm, i.e. mesopores
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/28085 being more than 50 nm, i.e. macropores
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 21/18 Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2231/70 Oxidation reactions, e.g. epoxidation, (di)hydroxylation, dehydrogenation and analogues
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2231/76 Dehydrogenation transfer-dehydrogenation of CH-XH B01J2231/641; transfer-dehydrogenation of -CHRCHR- via C-H activation B01J2231/46
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2531/025 Ligands with a porphyrin ring system or analogues thereof, e.g. phthalocyanines, corroles
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2531/16 Copper
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2531/26 Zinc
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2531/56 Vanadium
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2531/845 Cobalt
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2531/847 Nickel
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 27/26 : Cyanides
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 31/1616 : Coordination complexes, e.g. organometallic complexes, immobilised on an inorganic support, e.g. ship-in-a-bottle type catalysts catalysts comprising molecular sieves B01J29/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 31/183 : with more than one complexing nitrogen atom, e.g. phenanthroline
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 31/2243 : At least one oxygen and one nitrogen atom present as complexing atoms in an at least bidentate or bridging ligand
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 31/2295 : Cyclic compounds, e.g. cyclopentadienyls
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/30 : characterised by their physical properties
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/615 : 100-500 m2/g
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/617 : 500-1000 m2/g
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/635 : 0.5-1.0 ml/g
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/638 : more than 1.0 ml/g
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/30 : Active carbon
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/283 : using coal, charred products, or inorganic mixtures containing them
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/725 : by catalytic oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/18 : Cyanides
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 25/003 : Specific sorbent material, not covered by C10G25/02 or C10G25/03

Abstract

The present invention relates to active charcoals with improved mechanical properties. They can advantageously be used in the sweetening of petroleum fractions, as oxidation catalyst support in the conversion of mercaptans to disulphides, but also in any other type of reaction, such as, for example, for the oxidation of cyanide present in water or in the synthesis of glyphosate, and in processes for purification and/or separation by selective adsorption in a liquid phase and/or in a gas phase (decolouration of liquid foodstuffs, water treatment, air treatment, recovery of solvents, and the like).

Claims

1. Active charcoal, characterized by:

a total pore volume of greater than or equal to 1.00 ml/g, preferably of greater than or equal to 1.20 ml/g,

a bed strength (BS), measured according to a bulk crushing test from Shell, of greater than or equal to 1 MPa (10 bar) and preferably of greater than or equal to 1.5 MPa (15 bar) and advantageously of greater than or equal to 1.7 MPa (17 bar), and

a BET specific surface of greater than or equal to 500 m²/g, preferably of greater than or equal to 700 m²/g.

2. Active charcoal according to claim 1, characterized in that it exhibits:

a micropore volume, measured by nitrogen adsorption, of greater than or equal to 0.20 ml/g, preferably of greater than or equal to 0.30 ml/g.

a mesopore volume, measured by nitrogen adsorption and mercury intrusion, of greater than or equal to 0.15 ml/g, preferably of greater than or equal to 0.20 ml/g, and

a macropore volume, measured by mercury intrusion, of greater than or equal to 0.40 ml/g, preferably of greater than or equal to 0.50 ml/g.

3. Active charcoal according to claim 1, characterized in that its iron content by weight is less than or equal to 2000 ppm, preferably less than or equal to 1000 ppm, advantageously less than or equal to 500 ppm and more advantageously still less than or equal to 300 ppm.

4. Active charcoal according to claim 1, characterized in that its bulk density is between 0.20 and 0.50, preferably between 0.3 and 0.4.

5. Active charcoal according to claim 1, characterized in that its ash content is less than or equal to 10%, preferably less than or equal to 7%, of the total weight of the active charcoal.

6. Active charcoal according to claim 1, characterized in that its particle size is such that the charcoal particles are retained by a sieve with a mesh size of 0.2 mm, preferably 0.4 mm and advantageously 0.6 mm, and pass through a sieve with a mesh size of 5 mm, preferably 2 mm, and are provided in the form of strands, preferably in the form of granules or beads.

7. Active charcoal according to claim 1, characterized in that it is based on fruit stones, preferably based on olive marc.

8. Process for the impregnation of active charcoal as defined in claim 1:

a) with an aqueous solution of a metal complex chosen from cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc and vanadium phthalocyanines, metal complexes of polyaminoalkylpolycarboxylic acid, such as complexes of EDTA or of one of its salts, preferably cobalt phthalocyanine, and optionally one or more promoting or doping additives, and

b) by impregnation with a basic solution, for example based on sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide or ammonia.

9. Catalyst for the oxidation of mercaptans to disulphides, characterized in that it is composed of at least one metal complex, such as a cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc or vanadium phthalocyanine, preferably cobalt phthalocyanine, or one metal complex of polyaminoalkylpolycarboxylic acid attached to an active charcoal as defined in claim 1.

10. Catalyst for the oxidation of mercaptans according to claim 9, characterized in that it is capable of being obtained according to the impregnation process of this invention, it being understood that the impregnation stage b) can take place during the reaction for the oxidation of the mercaptans.

11. Use of an active charcoal as defined in claim 1 as catalyst support, in particular for the oxidation of cyanide present in water or the synthesis of glyphosate.

12. Use of an active charcoal as defined in claim 1 as catalyst.

13. Use of an active charcoal as defined in claim 1 in processes for purification and/or separation by selective adsorption in a liquid phase and/or in a gas phase (decolouration of liquid foodstuffs, water treatment, air treatment, recovery of solvents, and the like).