MALEIC ANHYDRIDE CATALYST AND METHOD FOR ITS PREPARATION

• US 20100016644A1
• Filed: 08/24/2007
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huntsman Petrochemical LLC (Huntsman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Huntsman Petrochemical LLC (Huntsman Corporation)
• Inventors: Forkner, Matthew W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,143,461 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 568/956
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/002 Mixed oxides other than spinels, e.g. perovskite
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2523/00 Constitutive chemical elements of heterogeneous catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2523/51 Phosphorus
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2523/55 Vanadium
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 27/198 Vanadium
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/0018 Addition of a binding agent or of material, later completely removed among others as result of heat treatment, leaching or washing,(e.g. forming of pores; protective layer, desintegrating by heat)
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/0063 Granulating
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/08 Heat treatment B01J37/0009, B01J37/0018 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 51/215 of saturated hydrocarbyl groups
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 57/145 Maleic acid

Abstract

The present invention provides a process for producing a vanadium/phosphorus oxide catalyst by (i) preparing a catalyst precursor powder containing vanadium, phosphorus and an optional promoter element; (ii) converting the catalyst precursor powder into an activated catalyst by heat treatment; (iii) and compressing the activated catalyst into a desired shape to form the vanadium/phosphorus oxide catalyst. The vanadium/phosphorus oxide catalyst may be used in the production of maleic anhydride by the catalytic oxidation of hydrocarbon feed streams.

Claims

1. A process for the preparation of a vanadium/phosphorus oxide catalyst comprising:

(a) preparing a catalyst precursor powder by mixing a vanadium compound with a phosphorus compound in a medium comprising alcohol and drying the mixture;

(b) forming the catalyst precursor powder into catalyst precursor slugs under compression;

(c) converting the catalyst precursor slugs into an activated catalyst by heating the catalyst precursor slugs in three controlled stages; and

(d) forming the activated catalyst into a predetermined shape under compression to produce the vanadium/phosphorus oxide catalyst.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein prior to step (d), the activated catalyst is granulated and then mixed with a solvent-removable pore building agent in proportions sufficient to provide a pore building agent concentration of between about 6% and about 16% by weight based on the total weight of the activated catalyst.

3. The process of claim 2, wherein the solvent-removable pore building agent is removed by step (e) applying a solvent to the vanadium/phosphorus oxide catalyst.

4. The process of claim 3, wherein the solvent-removable pore building agent is trimethylolpropane, maleic anhydride, polyethylene oxide, 1,1,1-tris(hydroxymethyl)ethane, or combination thereof.

5. The process of claim 3, wherein the solvent-removable pore building agent is 1,1,1-tris(hydroxymethyl)ethane.

6. The process of claim 3, wherein the solvent comprises ethanol, methanol, methyl ethyl ketone, ethyl acetate, acetone, supercritical CO₂, or combination thereof.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein the predetermined shape is a pellet.

12. A vanadium/phosphorus oxide catalyst produced by the process of claim 1.

13. The catalyst of claim 12, wherein the catalyst comprises promoter elements comprising Mo, Nb, Cr, Fe, or combination thereof.

8. A process for the oxidation of a hydrocarbon comprising:

contacting a hydrocarbon with a vanadium/phosphorus oxide catalyst at a temperature between about 300°

C. and about 600°

C., wherein the vanadium/phosphorus oxide catalyst is prepared by converting catalyst precursor slugs comprising vanadium and phosphorus and optional promoter elements into an activated catalyst in three controlled stages;

granulating the activated catalyst to produce granules; and

shaping the granules into a predetermined shape thereby forming the vanadium/phosphorus oxide catalyst.

9. The process of claim 8, wherein a solvent-removable pore building agent is mixed with the granules.

10. The process of claim 8, wherein the hydrocarbon is a hydrocarbon having four carbons in a straight chain.

11. The process of claim 8, wherein the hydrocarbon is n-butane.