Catalyst – solid sorbent – or support therefor: product or process – Miscellaneous
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-17
2002-04-09
Griffin, Steven P. (Department: 1754)
Catalyst, solid sorbent, or support therefor: product or process
Miscellaneous
C502S524000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06369000
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a metal aluminate catalyst support and to a process of making such metal aluminate catalyst support.
It is known that catalysts having a metal aluminate support, such as a zinc aluminate support, can be used in the selective hydrogenation and dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons. In general, prior art processes to produce such metal aluminate support typically involve physically mixing a metal component, such as metal oxide, and an aluminum component, such as aluminum oxide, followed by drying and calcining to produce a metal aluminate catalyst support containing a metal aluminate such as a zinc aluminate, also referred to as a zinc spinel. Another common process of producing such metal aluminate catalyst support comprises coprecipitating an aqueous solution of a metal component, such as metal nitrate, and an aqueous solution of an aluminum component, such as aluminum nitrate, followed by drying and calcining such as the process disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,641,182. However, these processes are costly and time-consuming. Consequently, a process to produce a metal aluminate catalyst support which does not involve physical mixing or coprecipitation would be of significant contribution to the art and to the economy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a process to produce a metal aluminate catalyst support that does not involve the physical mixing of a metal component and an aluminum component.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a process to produce a metal aluminate catalyst support that does not involve a coprecipitation of a metal component and an aluminum component.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a process to produce a metal aluminate catalyst support that is economically cheaper and easier than prior art methods.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process to produce a metal aluminate catalyst support. Such process comprises incorporating alumina with a metal component, preferably impregnating alumina with a melted metal component, to thereby provide a metal-incorporated alumina followed by drying and high temperature calcining to thereby provide a metal aluminate catalyst support. Such metal aluminate catalyst support contains a metal aluminate similar to those metal aluminate catalyst supports produced by physically mixing a metal component, such as metal oxide, and an aluminum component, such as aluminum oxide, or coprecipitating a metal-containing solution and an aluminum-containing solution, followed by drying and calcining.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a metal aluminate catalyst support prepared by a process comprising impregnating alumina with a metal component, preferably a melted metal component, followed by drying and high temperature calcining.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a metal aluminate catalyst support.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of the invention and the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
It has been discovered that a metal aluminate catalyst support can be readily prepared from existing pre-formed alumina (also referred to as aluminum oxide) tablets, pellets, extrudates, spheres, and the like and combinations thereof by incorporating, preferably impregnating, such alumina with a metal component, preferably a melted metal component, followed by drying and then high temperature calcining. The resulting metal aluminate catalyst support contains a metal aluminate such as a zinc aluminate, also referred to as a zinc spinel, which is readily formed on the outside of, i.e., on the surface of, the alumina. Such metal aluminate catalyst support preparation is considerably cheaper and easier than preparation techniques involving physically mixing a metal component, such as metal oxide, and an aluminum component, such as aluminum oxide, or coprecipitating metal-containing and aluminum-containing solutions, followed by extended calcining and then pelletizing and/or extruding to form catalyst pellets or granules.
Generally, the alumina used in producing the metal aluminate catalyst support according to the inventive process(es) disclosed herein can be any suitable alumina such as, but not limited to, alpha alumina, beta alumina, delta alumina, eta alumina, gamma alumina, and the like and combinations thereof. Preferably, such alumina is gamma alumina. The alumina can also contain minor amounts of other ingredients, such as, for example, silica in a range of from about 1 weight percent silica to about 10 weight percent silica, which do not adversely affect the quality of the metal aluminate catalyst support. Generally, it is desirable to have an essentially pure alumina, preferably essentially pure gamma alumina, as a starting material for preparing the metal aluminate catalyst support. The starting alumina can be made by any manner or method(s) known in the art. As an example, a suitable commercially available starting alumina for use in preparing the metal aluminate catalyst support according to the inventive process(es) described herein are gamma alumina tablets or extrudate pellets or spheres such as those manufactured by UOP Inc., McCook, Ill., and Engelhard Company, Elyria, Ohio.
Alumina suitable for use in the inventive process(es) described herein can also be characterized by having the following characteristics. Generally, the surface area of the alumina is in the range of from about 5 m
2
/g (measured by the Brunauer, Emmett, Teller method, i.e., BET method) to about 400 m
2
/g, preferably in the range of from about 10 m
2
/g to about 300 m
2
/g and, most preferably, in the range of from 50 m
2
/g to 200 m
2
/g.
The pore volume of the alumina is generally in the range of from about 0.05 mL/g to about 2 mL/g, preferably in the range of from about 0.10 mL/g to about 1.5 mL/g and, most preferably, in the range of from 0.20 mL/g to 1 mL/g.
The average pore diameter of the alumina is generally in the range of from about 5 angstroms to about 600 angstroms, preferably in the range of from about 10 angstroms to about 500 angstroms and, most preferably, in the range of from 25 angstroms to 200 angstroms.
The alumina can have any suitable shape or form. Preferably such alumina is in the form of tablets, pellets, extrudates, spheres, and the like and combinations thereof. The alumina generally has a particle size in the range of from about 0.5 millimeters (mm) to about 10 mm, preferably in the range of from about 1 mm to about 8 mm and, most preferably, in the range of from 1 mm to 6 mm.
Any metal component which can form a spinel when utilized in accordance with the inventive process(es) disclosed herein can be used. Examples of a potentially suitable metal component for incorporating the metal of such metal component, preferably impregnating the metal of such metal component into, onto, or with the alumina to thereby provide a metal-incorporated alumina include, but are not limited to, a zinc component, a magnesium component, a calcium component, a barium component, a beryllium component, a cobalt component, an iron component, a manganese component, a strontium component, a lithium component, a potassium component, and the like and combinations thereof. Preferable examples of a potentially suitable metal component for incorporating the metal of such metal component, preferably impregnating the metal of such metal component into, onto, or with the alumina to thereby provide a metal-incorporated alumina include, but are not limited to, a zinc component, a magnesium component, a calcium component, and the like and combinations thereof. More preferably, such metal component is a zinc component.
Examples of a potentially suitable zinc component for incorporating zinc, preferably impregnating zinc into, onto, or with the alumina include, but are not limited to, zinc nitrate hexahydrate, zinc nitrate, hydrated zinc nitrate, zinc
Cheung Tin-Tack Peter
Johnson Marvin M.
Tiedtke Darin B.
Griffin Steven P.
Ildebrando Christina
Phillips Petroleum Company
Sun H. N. Sean
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