Catalyst for the epoxidation of oelfins

• US 9,339,798 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2015
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saint-Gobain Ceramics & Plastics Incorporated (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Ceramics & Plastics Incorporated (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Inventors: Richard, Michael A., Lockemeyer, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailey, Patricia L
• Application Number:
  US14/788,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20150375213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 321 Days
• Field of Search: 502/219, 502/220, 502/305, 502/317, 502319-323, 502/347, 502/348
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 21/04 Alumina
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/50 Silver
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/66 Silver or gold
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 27/02 Sulfur, selenium or tellurium; Compounds thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 27/047 with chromium, molybdenum, tungsten or polonium
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 27/055 with alkali metals, copper, gold or silver
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/67 monomodal
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/69 bimodal
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/695 polymodal
• CPC Class Codes: C07D 301/04 with air or molecular oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: C07D 301/10 with catalysts containing silver or gold
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/52 using catalysts, e.g. selective catalysts

Abstract

The carrier of the present invention includes at least 85 wt percent alpha alumina, at least 0.06 wt percent SiO₂ and no more than 0.04 wt percent Na₂O. The carrier has a water absorption no greater than 0.35 g/g and a ratio of water absorption (g/g) to surface area (m²/g) no greater than 0.50 g/m². Another aspect of the invention is a catalyst for the epoxidation of olefins which comprises the above described carrier and silver dispersed thereon, where the carrier has a monomodal, bimodal or multimodal pore distribution and where the quantity of silver is between 5 and 50 wt/%, relative to the weight of the catalyst. A reactor system for the epoxidation of olefins is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A catalyst for the epoxidation of olefins comprising a carrier and silver dispersed thereon, said carrier comprising at least 85 wt percent alpha alumina, at least 0.06 wt percent SiO₂ and no more than 0.04 wt percent Na₂O, said carrier comprising a water absorption no greater than 0.35 gram of water/gram of carrier and a ratio of water absorption (gram of water/gram of carrier) to surface area (m² of carrier/gram of carrier) no greater than 0.50 gram of water/m² of carrier.

2. The catalyst of claim 1 wherein the carrier has a monomodal, bimodal or multimodal pore distribution.

3. The catalyst of claim 1 wherein the quantity of said silver is between 5 and 50 wt %, relative to the weight of the catalyst.

4. The catalyst of claim 3 wherein said catalyst further comprises a rhenium promoter, a first co-promoter and a second co-promoter, wherein the first co-promoter is selected from sulfur, phosphorus, boron, and mixtures thereof;

and the second co-promoter is selected from tungsten, molybdenum, chromium, and mixtures thereof.

5. The catalyst of claim 4 wherein the rhenium promoter is present in a quantity in the range of from 0.1 to 50 mmole/kg, relative to the weight of the catalyst.

6. The catalyst of claim 5 wherein the first co-promoter is sulfur and the second co-promoter is tungsten, and wherein the first co-promoter is present in a quantity in the range of from 0.2 to 50 mmole/kg, relative to the weight of the catalyst and the second co-promoter is present in a quantity in the range of from 0.1 to 40 mmole/kg, relative to the weight of the catalyst.

7. The catalyst of claim 6 wherein the molar ratio of the first co-promoter to the second co-promoter is no greater than 1.

8. The catalyst of claim 7 wherein the catalyst further comprises a further element selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, fluorine, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, titanium, hafnium, zirconium, vanadium, thallium, thorium, tantalum, niobium, gallium, germanium, and mixtures thereof.

9. The catalyst of claim 8 wherein said catalyst further comprises cesium, lithium and potassium.

10. The catalyst of claim 9 wherein said cesium is present in a quantity in the range of from 0.2 to 50 mmole/kg, relative to the weight of the catalyst;

said lithium is present in a quantity in the range of from 0.2 to 50 mmole/kg, relative to the weight of the catalyst; and

said potassium is present in a quantity in the range of from 0.2 to 50 mmole/kg, relative to the weight of the catalyst.

11. The catalyst of claim 1 wherein the quantity of said silver relative to the volume of a packed bed of catalyst is between 50 and 500 kg/m3.