Catalyst for partial oxidation of olefin, preparation method thereof, and process for preparing alkylene oxide

• US 8,008,515 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2007
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nippon Shokubai Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nippon Shokubai Company Limited
• Inventors: Shima, Masahide, Kawabata, Tatsuya, Sugio, Masafumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Witherspoon; Sikarl
• Application Number:
  US12/298,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20090299104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,582 Days
• Field of Search: 502/243, 502/348, 549/534
• US Class Current: 549/534
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 21/04 Alumina
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 21/12 Silica and alumina
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/66 Silver or gold
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/19 Catalysts containing parts with different compositions
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/0201 Impregnation
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/08 Heat treatment B01J37/0009, B01J37/0018 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C07D 301/02 Synthesis of the oxirane ring
• CPC Class Codes: C07D 301/10 with catalysts containing silver or gold
• CPC Class Codes: C07D 303/02 Compounds containing oxirane rings
• CPC Class Codes: C07D 303/04 containing only hydrogen and carbon atoms in addition to the ring oxygen atoms
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/52 using catalysts, e.g. selective catalysts

Abstract

A catalyst for partial oxidation of olefin, which comprises silver or silver oxide and an alkali metal or a compound thereof supported on an α-alumina carrier containing silicon or a compound thereof, wherein the silicon or the compound thereof exists at a position substantially identical to that of a particle of the alkali metal or the compound thereof, a preparation method thereof, and a process for preparing olefin oxide which comprises subjecting olefin to vapor-phase oxidation with a molecular oxygen-containing gas in the presence of the catalyst.

Claims

1. A catalyst for partial oxidation of olefin which comprises silver or silver oxide and an alkali metal or a compound thereof supported on an α

-alumina carrier containing silicon or a compound thereof, wherein the silicon or the compound thereof exists at a position substantially identical to that of a particle of the alkali metal or the compound thereof, wherein a localization frequency of the alkali metal or the compound thereof relative to the silicon or the compound thereof is 60% to 99.9%.

2. The catalyst according to claim 1, wherein a silver particle exists at a different position from that of (a) the silicon or the compound thereof and/or (b) the particle of the alkali metal or the compound thereof.

3. The catalyst according to claim 1, wherein content of (a) the silicon or the compound thereof, converted to as SiO₂, is 0.01 to 6% by mass relative to total amount of the carrier, and supported amount of (b) the alkali metal or the compound thereof (converted to as M₂O, wherein M is an alkali metal) and supported amount of (c) the silver are 0.01 to 5% by mass and 1 to 30% by mass, respectively, relative to α

-alumina.

4. The catalyst according to claim 1, wherein content of (a) the silicon or the compound thereof, converted to as SiO₂, is 0.1 to 5% by mass relative to α

-alumina, and supported amount of (b) the alkali metal or the compound thereof (converted to as M₂O, wherein M is an alkali metal) and supported amount (c) the silver are 0.01 to 5% by mass and 1 to 45% by mass, respectively, relative to α

-alumina.

5. The catalyst according to claim 1, wherein content of α

-alumina in the carrier is 89 to 99.9% by mass.

6. The catalyst according to claim 1, wherein the alkali metal is cesium.

7. A preparation method of the catalyst according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises impregnating an α

-alumina carrier containing silicon or a compound thereof with an aqueous solution containing a silver compound and an alkali metal compound, drying the impregnated carrier, calcining the carrier in an oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature of 150 to 250°

C. for 0.1 to 10 hours, further calcining the carrier in an oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature of 250 to 450°

C. for 0.1 to 10 hours, and heat-treating the carrier in an inert gas atmosphere at a temperature of 450 to 700°

C. for 0.1 to 10 hours.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein α

-alumina content in the carrier is 89 to 99.9% by mass and content of the silicon or the compound thereof, converted to as SiO₂, is 0.01 to 6% by mass.

9. A process for preparing olefin oxide which comprises subjecting olefin to vapor-phase oxidization with a molecular oxygen-containing gas in the presence of the catalyst set forth in claim 1.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the olefin is ethylene.

11. The catalyst according to claim 2, wherein content of (a) the silicon or the compound thereof, converted to as SiO₂, is 0.01 to 6% by mass relative to total amount of the carrier, and supported amount of (b) the alkali metal or the compound thereof (converted to as M₂O, wherein M is an alkali metal) and supported amount of (c) the silver are 0.01 to 5% by mass and 1 to 30% by mass, respectively, relative to α

-alumina.

12. The catalyst according to claim 2, wherein content of (a) the silicon or the compound thereof, converted to as SiO₂, is 0.1 to 5% by mass relative to α

-alumina, and supported amount of (b) the alkali metal or the compound thereof (converted to as M₂O, wherein M is an alkali metal) and supported amount (c) the silver are 0.01 to 5% by mass and 1 to 45% by mass, respectively, relative to α

-alumina.

13. The catalyst according to claim 3, wherein content of (a) the silicon or the compound thereof, converted to as SiO₂, is 0.1 to 5% by mass relative to α

-alumina, and supported amount of (b) the alkali metal or the compound thereof (converted to as M₂O, wherein M is an alkali metal) and supported amount (c) the silver are 0.01 to 5% by mass and 1 to 45% by mass, respectively, relative to α

-alumina.

14. The catalyst according to claim 2, wherein content of α

-alumina in the carrier is 89 to 99.9% by mass.

15. The catalyst according to claim 3, wherein content of α

-alumina in the carrier is 89 to 99.9% by mass.

16. The catalyst according to claim 4, wherein content of α

-alumina in the carrier is 89 to 99.9% by mass.

17. The catalyst according to claim 2, wherein the alkali metal is cesium.

18. The catalyst according to claim 3, wherein the alkali metal is cesium.

19. The catalyst according to claim 4, wherein the alkali metal is cesium.

20. The catalyst according to claim 5, wherein the alkali metal is cesium.

21. A process for preparing olefin oxide which comprises subjecting olefin to vapor-phase oxidization with a molecular oxygen-containing gas in the presence of the catalyst set forth in claim 2.

22. A process for preparing olefin oxide which comprises subjecting olefin to vapor-phase oxidization with a molecular oxygen-containing gas in the presence of the catalyst set forth in claim 3.

23. A process for preparing olefin oxide which comprises subjecting olefin to vapor-phase oxidization with a molecular oxygen-containing gas in the presence of the catalyst set forth in claim 4.

24. A process for preparing olefin oxide which comprises subjecting olefin to vapor-phase oxidization with a molecular oxygen-containing gas in the presence of the catalyst set forth in claim 5.

25. A process for preparing olefin oxide which comprises subjecting olefin to vapor-phase oxidization with a molecular oxygen-containing gas in the presence of the catalyst set forth in claim 6.

26. The catalyst according to claim 1, wherein the localization frequency of the alkali metal or the compound thereof relative to the silicon or the compound thereof is 80 to 99%.