Activated alumina catalysts

Automotive exhaust catalysts, activated alumina applications, 2 399 Automotive fuels, toluene in, 25 179-180 Automotive gear oils, 15 236-237 Automotive industry... 

Dienes undergo isomerization due to shifts of the double bonds. The reversible isomerization of allenes to acetylenes is catalyzed characteristically by basic reagents (see Section 4.2.2). Nonconjugated alkadienes tend to isomerize to conjugated alkadienes the conversion is usually accompanied by polymerization. Among other catalysts, activated alumina and chromia-alumina may be used to catalyze the formation of conjugated dienes.89,106-108... 

Vapor-phase hydrogenation results and experimental evidence of this type lead to the conclusion that catalysts on basic supports are suitable for nonsplitting prehydrogenation-type reactions and that acidic supports are best used for splitting catalysts. Activated alumina was found to be the best support because of rapid reduction of tar acids. Especially, alumina precipitated from aluminum salts at constant pH was satisfactory and produced catalysts that could be formed into pellets of high mechanical strength. 

B. C. Lippens and J. J. Steggerda, Physical and Chemical Aspects of Adsorbents and Catalysts Active Alumina, Academic Press, Inc., New York, 1970, p. 

This process was formerly the most widely used for the manufacture of butadiene by dehydrogenation. Using a feed containing 95 per cent or more n-C. it produces a mixture of butenes and butadiene in a single step. The butadiene is separated, and the unconverted butenes and butane are recycled. The catalyst, activated alumina containing 18 to 20 per cent weight of chromium oxide, has a life of more than six months. It is placed in a series of horizontal reactors lined with refractory bricks. The inert alumina is mixed with the catalyst to achieve the uniform distribution of the heat required for the reaction and a high heat capacity of the catalyst bed. 

The condition for Knudsen flow is that X must he considerably larger than the pore radius, r. Thus, for pores of 100 A. radius and smaller which are encountered in cracking catalysts, activated aluminas and activated carbons, the mean free path, X, is about ten times larger at one atmosphere pressure than is the pore radius (10 cm. vs. 10 cm.). In such pores Knudsen flow will predominate up to gas pressures of about 10 atmospheres. This question is more fully discussed below. 

SHica—alumina has been studied most extensively. Dehydrated sHica—alumina is inactive as isomerisation catalyst but addition of water increases activity until a maximum is reached additional water then decreases activity. The effect of water suggests that Brmnsted acidity is responsible for catalyst activity (207). SHica—alumina is quantitatively at least as acidic as 90% sulfuric acid (208). 

Natural gas contains both organic and inorganic sulfur compounds that must be removed to protect both the reforming and downstream methanol synthesis catalysts. Hydrodesulfurization across a cobalt or nickel molybdenum—zinc oxide fixed-bed sequence is the basis for an effective purification system. For high levels of sulfur, bulk removal in a Hquid absorption—stripping system followed by fixed-bed residual clean-up is more practical (see Sulfur REMOVAL AND RECOVERY). Chlorides and mercury may also be found in natural gas, particularly from offshore reservoirs. These poisons can be removed by activated alumina or carbon beds. 

Shaped products used for adsorbent purposes are generally less sophisticated and therefore less expensive than catalytic products. In 1985, it was reported that 10,000 t/yr of activated alumina adsorbents were produced in the United States. North American producers of Bayer process-based activated aluminas include Alcoa, La Roche (formerly Kaiser Chemicals), Discovery, and Alcan. Gel-based activated aluminas are produced by La Roche, Vista, and several of the major catalyst manufacturers. In Europe, principal sources of supply are Rhc ne-Poulenc and Condea. 

A number of smaller but nevertheless important apphcations in which activated alumina is used as the catalyst substrate include alcohol dehydration, olefin isomerization, hydrogenation, oxidation, and polymerization (43). 

This reaction is cataly2ed by silica, bauxite, and various metal sulfides. The usual catalyst is activated alumina, which also cataly2es the reduction by methane (228). Molybdenum compounds on alumina are especially effective catalysts for the hydrogen sulfide reaction (229). 

At temperatures of 300—600°C in the presence of an activated alumina catalyst, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide are formed in almost quantitative yields (29) ... 

Carbon disulfide reacts with alkanols or diaLkyl ethers at 250—500°C over activated alumina catalyst to give diaLkyl sulfides. For example, methanol yields dimethyl sulfide [75-18-3]. 

The activation energy for burning from a coked zeoHte has been reported as 109 kj/mol (29) and 125 kj/mol (30 kcal/mol) has been found for coke burning from a H-Y FCC catalyst. Activation energies of 167 kJ/mol (40 kcal/mol) (24) and 159 kJ/mol (25) have been reported for the burning of carbon from a coked amorphous siUca-alumina catalyst. 

In a typical oxychlorination reaction, preheated gas streams at temperatures of 180—200°C are fed onto a fixed- or fiuidized-catalyst bed containing 2—10% copper impregnated on an activated alumina. The reaction occurs during a 15—22 s residence time on the catalyst bed at a temperature of 230—315°C. Typical yields to 1,2-dichloroethane range from 92—97%. 

Gas Phase. The gas-phase methanol hydrochlorination process is used more in Europe and Japan than in the United States, though there is a considerable body of Hterature available. The process is typicaHy carried out as foHows vaporized methanol and hydrogen chloride, mixed in equimolar proportions, are preheated to 180—200°C. Reaction occurs on passage through a converter packed with 1.68—2.38 mm (8—12 mesh) alumina gel at ca 350°C. The product gas is cooled, water-scmbbed, and Hquefied. Conversions of over 95% of the methanol are commonly obtained. Garnma-alurnina has been used as a catalyst at 295—340°C to obtain 97.8% yields of methyl chloride (25). Other catalysts may be used, eg, cuprous or zinc chloride on active alumina, carbon, sHica, or pumice (26—30) sHica—aluminas (31,32) zeoHtes (33) attapulgus clay (34) or carbon (35,36). Space velocities of up to 300 h , with volumes of gas at STP per hour per volume catalyst space, are employed. 

Dehydration of ethanol has been effected over a variety of catalysts, among them synthetic and naturally occurring aluminas, siUca-aluminas, and activated alumina (315—322), hafnium and 2irconium oxides (321), and phosphoric acid on coke (323). Operating space velocity is chosen to ensure that the two consecutive reactions. 

Activated alumina and phosphoric acid on a suitable support have become the choices for an iadustrial process. Ziac oxide with alumina has also been claimed to be a good catalyst. The actual mechanism of dehydration is not known. In iadustrial production, the ethylene yield is 94 to 99% of the theoretical value depending on the processiag scheme. Traces of aldehyde, acids, higher hydrocarbons, and carbon oxides, as well as water, have to be removed. Fixed-bed processes developed at the beginning of this century have been commercialized in many countries, and small-scale industries are still in operation in Brazil and India. New fluid-bed processes have been developed to reduce the plant investment and operating costs (102,103). Commercially available processes include the Lummus processes (fixed and fluidized-bed processes), Halcon/Scientific Design process, NIKK/JGC process, and the Petrobras process. In all these processes, typical ethylene yield is between 94 and 99%. 

Isomerization of ethylene oxide to acetaldehyde occurs at elevated temperatures ia the presence of catalysts such as activated alumina, phosphoric acid, and metallic phosphates (75). Iron oxides also catalyze this reaction. Acetaldehyde may be found as a trace impurity ia ethylene oxide. 

Hiibenett and his colleagues have shown that propylene reacts with sulfur dioxide and ammonia in the presence of a catalyst such as activated alumina to give a high yield of isothiazole [Eq. (1)]- This reaction is applicable to certain substituted propenes thus, isobutylene... 

Methane reacts with sulfur (an active nonmetal element of group 6A) at high temperatures to produce carbon disulfide. The reaction is endothermic, and an activation energy of approximately 160 KJ is required. Activated alumina or clay is used as the catalyst at approximately 675°C and 2 atmospheres. The process starts by vaporizing pure sulfur, mixing it with methane, and passing the mixture over the alumina catalyst. The reaction could be represented as ... 

The product distrihution is influenced hy the catalyst properties as well as the various reaction parameters. The catalyst activity and selectivity are functions of acidity, crystalline size, silica/alumina ratio, and even the synthetic procedure. Since the discovery of the MTG process. 

Catalyst composition and feed chloride have a noticeable impact on hydrogen yield. Catalysts with an active alumina matrix tend to increase the dehydrogenation reactions. Chlorides in the feed reactivate aged nickel, resulting in high hydrogen yield. 

The alumina content of the E-cat is the total weight percent of alumina (active and inactive) in the bulk catalyst. The alumina content... 

The breakthrough in FCC catalyst was the use of X and Y zeolites during the early 1960s. The addition of these zeolites substantially increased catalyst activity and selectivity. Product distribution with a zeolite-containing catalyst is different from the distribution with an amorphous silica-alumina catalyst (Table 4-3). In addition, zeolites are 1,000 times more active than the amorphous silica alumina catalysts. 

For the methanation reaction in the process of converting coal to a high Btu gas, various catalyst compositions were evaluated in order to determine the optimum type catalyst. From this study, a series of catalysts were developed for studying the effect of nickel content on catalyst activity. This series included both silica- and alumina-based catalysts, and the nickel content was varied (Table I). 

The reaction between acyl halides and alcohols or phenols is the best general method for the preparation of carboxylic esters. It is believed to proceed by a 8 2 mechanism. As with 10-8, the mechanism can be S l or tetrahedral. Pyridine catalyzes the reaction by the nucleophilic catalysis route (see 10-9). The reaction is of wide scope, and many functional groups do not interfere. A base is frequently added to combine with the HX formed. When aqueous alkali is used, this is called the Schotten-Baumann procedure, but pyridine is also frequently used. Both R and R may be primary, secondary, or tertiary alkyl or aryl. Enolic esters can also be prepared by this method, though C-acylation competes in these cases. In difficult cases, especially with hindered acids or tertiary R, the alkoxide can be used instead of the alcohol. Activated alumina has also been used as a catalyst, for tertiary R. Thallium salts of phenols give very high yields of phenolic esters. Phase-transfer catalysis has been used for hindered phenols. Zinc has been used to couple... 

We initially tested Candida antarctica lipase using imidazolium salt as solvent because CAL was found to be the best enzyme to resolve our model substrate 5-phenyl-l-penten-3-ol (la) the acylation rate was strongly dependent on the anionic part of the solvents. The best results were recorded when [bmim][BF4] was employed as the solvent, and the reaction rate was nearly equal to that of the reference reaction in diisopropyl ether. The second choice of solvent was [bmim][PFg]. On the contrary, a significant drop in the reaction rate was obtained when the reaction was carried out in TFA salt or OTf salt. From these results, we concluded that BF4 salt and PFg salt were suitable solvents for the present lipase-catalyzed reaction. Acylation of la was accomplished by these four enzymes Candida antarctica lipase, lipase QL from Alcaligenes, Lipase PS from Burkholderia cepacia and Candida rugosa lipase. In contrast, no reaction took place when PPL or PLE was used as catalyst in this solvent system. These results were established in March 2000 but we encountered a serious problem in that the results were significantly dependent on the lot of the ILs that we prepared ourselves. The problem was very serious because sometimes the reaction did not proceed at all. So we attempted to purify the ILs and established a very successful procedure (Fig. 3) the salt was first washed with a mixed solvent of hexane and ethyl acetate (2 1 or 4 1), treated with activated charcoal and passed into activated alumina neutral type I as an acetone solution. It was evaporated and dried under reduced... 

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