Porous bodies with enhanced pore architecture

• US 9,776,169 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2016
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scientific Design Company, Inc. (Clariant AG)
• Original Assignee: Scientific Design Company, Inc. (Clariant AG)
• Inventors: Suchanek, Wojciech L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cam N.
• Application Number:
  US15/171,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20160354760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 488 Days
• Field of Search: 502243, 502263, 502348, 502355, 502439
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0013 Controlling the temperature of the process
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 21/04 Alumina
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00051 Controlling the temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/04 Alkali metals
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/36 Rhenium
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/50 Silver
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/56 Foraminous structures having flow-through passages or channels, e.g. grids or three-dimensional monoliths
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/612 less than 10 m2/g
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/633 less than 0.5 ml/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: B01J 35/66 Pore distribution
• 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 37/086 Decomposition of an organometallic compound, a metal complex or a metal salt of a carboxylic acid
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/0081 as catalysts or catalyst carriers
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/10 based on aluminium oxide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 38/00 Porous mortars, concrete, artificial stone or ceramic ware; Preparation thereof treating slag with gases or gas generating material C04B5/06 ; expanded graphite C04B35/536
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 38/0096 Pores with coated inner walls
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 38/08 by adding porous substances
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/009 characterised by the material treated
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/4535 : applied as a solution, emulsion, dispersion or suspension
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/455 : the coating or impregnating process including a chemical conversion or reaction
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/5116 : Ag or Au
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/88 : Metals
• CPC Class Codes: C07D 301/10 : with catalysts containing silver or gold
• CPC Class Codes: C07D 301/22 : by oxidation of saturated compounds with air or molecular oxygen of mixtures of unsaturated and saturated compounds C07D301/04
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/52 : using catalysts, e.g. selective catalysts

Abstract

A porous body is provided with enhanced fluid transport properties that is capable of performing or facilitating separations, or performing reactions and/or providing areas for such separations or reactions to take place. The porous body includes at least 80 percent alpha alumina and has a pore volume from 0.3 mL/g to 1.2 mL/g and a surface area from 0.3 m²/g to 3.0 m²/g. The porous body further includes a pore architecture that provides at least one of a tortuosity of 7.0 or less, a constriction of 4.0 or less and a permeability of 30 mdarcys or greater. The porous body can be used in a wide variety of applications such as, for example, as a filter, as a membrane or as a catalyst carrier.

Claims

1. A porous body comprising:

at least 80 percent alpha alumina and having a pore volume from 0.3 mL/g to 1.2 mL/g, a surface area from 0.3 m²/g to 3.0 m²/g, and a pore architecture that provides at least one of a tortuosity of 7 or less, a constriction of 4 or less and a permeability of 30 mdarcys or greater.

2. The porous body of claim 1, wherein at least 90 percent of said pore volume is attributed to pores having a pore size of 20 microns or less.

3. The porous body of claim 1, wherein at least 85 percent of said pore volume is attributed to pores having a size from 1 micron to 6 microns.

4. The porous body of claim 1, wherein less than 15 percent of said pore volume is attributed to pores having a size of less than 1 micron.

5. The porous body of claim 1, wherein at least 80 percent of said pore volume is attributed to pores having a size from 1 micron to 10 microns.

6. The porous body of claim 1, further comprising a silica content, as measured as SiO₂, of less than 0.2 weight percent, and a sodium content, as measured as Na₂O, of less than 0.2 weight percent.

7. The porous body of claim 1, further comprising an acid leachable sodium content of 40 ppm or less.

8. The porous body of claim 1, wherein said pore architecture provides said tortuosity and said constriction.

9. A silver-based epoxidation catalyst comprising:

a carrier comprising at least 80 percent alpha alumina and having a pore volume from 0.3 mL/g to 1.2 mL/g, a surface area from 0.3 m²/g to 3.0 m²/g, and a pore architecture that provides at least one of a tortuosity of 7 or less, a constriction of 4 or less and a permeability of 30 mdarcys or greater;

a catalytic amount of silver disposed on and/or in said carrier; and

a promoting amount of one or more promoters disposed on said carrier.

10. The silver-based epoxidation catalyst of claim 9, wherein said one or more promoters comprise Group 1 alkali metal promoters, one or more transition metals, one or more Group 2 alkaline earth metals or any combination thereof.

11. The silver-based epoxidation catalyst of claim 10, wherein said one or more transition metals are selected from the group consisting of Groups 4-10 of the Periodic Table of the Elements.

12. The silver-based epoxidation catalyst of claim 11, wherein said one or more transition metals are selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, rhenium, tungsten, chromium, titanium, hafnium, zirconium, vanadium, thorium, tantalum, and niobium.

13. The silver-based epoxidation catalyst of claim 10, wherein said one or more transition metals comprise rhenium, molybdenum, tungsten, or any combination thereof.

14. The silver-based epoxidation catalyst of claim 10, wherein said Group 1 alkali metal promoters are selected from the group consisting of cesium, lithium, sodium, potassium, and rubidium.

15. The silver-based epoxidation catalyst of claim 14, wherein said Group 1 alkali metal promoters comprise lithium and cesium.

16. The silver-based epoxidation catalyst of claim 9, wherein said one or more promoters comprises a promoting combination of rhenium, cesium and lithium.

17. The silver-based epoxidation catalyst of claim 9, wherein said catalytic amount of silver is from 10 to 50% by weight.

18. The silver-based epoxidation catalyst of claim 9, wherein at least 90 percent of said pore volume is attributed to a pore size of 20 microns or less.

19. The silver-based epoxidation catalyst of claim 9, wherein at least 85 percent of said pore volume is attributed to pores having a size from 1 micron to 6 microns.

20. The silver-based epoxidation catalyst of claim 9, wherein less than 15 percent of said pore volume is attributed to pores having a size of less than 1 micron.

21. The silver-based epoxidation catalyst of claim 9, wherein at least 80 percent of said pore volume is attributed to pores having a size from 1 micron to 10 microns.

22. The silver-based epoxidation catalyst of claim 9, wherein said carrier has a silica content, as measured as SiO₂, of less than 0.2 weight percent, and a sodium content, as measured as Na₂O, of less than 0.2 weight percent.

23. The silver-based epoxidation catalyst of claim 9, wherein said carrier has a water washing acid leachable sodium content of 40 ppm or less.

24. The silver-based epoxidation catalyst of claim 9, wherein said carrier has alumina crystallites having a platelet morphology in a content of less than 20 percent by volume.

25. The silver-based epoxidation catalyst of claim 9, wherein said pore architecture provides said tortuosity and said constriction.

26. A catalyst composition comprising:

a carrier comprising at least 80 percent alpha alumina and having a pore volume from 0.3 mL/g to 1.2 mL/g, a surface area from 0.3 m²/g to 3.0 m²/g, and a pore architecture that provides at least one of a tortuosity of 7 or less, a constriction of 4 or less and a permeability of 30 mdarcys or greater; and

a catalytic amount of at least one catalytically active material disposed on and/or in said carrier.

27. The catalyst composition of claim 26, wherein said carrier has a silica content, as measured as SiO₂, of less than 0.2 weight percent, and a sodium content, as measured as Na₂O, of less than 0.2 weight percent.