Cobalt catalyst products from

Table I reports the results of typical polymerization runs of pentadiene by cobalt catalysts prepared from Al(C2H5)Cl2 complexed with thiophene or pyridine. The crude polymerization products obtained by these systems have a cis-1,4 content of about 75-80%. Fractions having a higher cis-1,4 content (about 85%) could be isolated by dissolving the crude polymers in benzene and reprecipitating with methylethyl ketone (MEK). This solvent dissolves only the low molecular weight polymers, which, in this case, have also a low cis-1,4 unit content.

Because of its volatility, the cobalt catalyst codistills with the product aldehyde necessitating a separate catalyst separation step known as decobalting. This is typically done by contacting the product stream with an aqueous carboxyhc acid, eg, acetic acid, subsequently separating the aqueous cobalt carboxylate, and returning the cobalt to the process as active catalyst precursor (2). Alternatively, the aldehyde product stream may be decobalted by contacting it with aqueous caustic soda which converts the catalyst into the water-soluble Co(CO). This stream is decanted from the product, acidified, and recycled as active HCo(CO)4. 

Cobalt. There is no U.S. mine production of cobalt. Refining of imported nickel—cobalt mattes has not occurred since the mid-1980s. About 1600 t of secondary cobalt was recycled from scrap by 13 faciUties in the United States representing - 22% of total U.S. consumption. The price of the metal was around 44/kg. Most is imported from Zaire and Zambia. Increasing quantities are coming from Russia. Historically, the price of cobalt has been quite volatile and dependent on the pohtical environment in those countries. Cobalt is used in superaHoys, 40% catalysts, 14% paint driers, 11% magnetic alloys, 10% and cemented carbides and other uses, 16%. 

Benzoic Acid. Ben2oic acid is manufactured from toluene by oxidation in the liquid phase using air and a cobalt catalyst. Typical conditions are 308—790 kPa (30—100 psi) and 130—160°C. The cmde product is purified by distillation, crystallization, or both. Yields are generally >90 mol%, and product purity is generally >99%. Kalama Chemical Company, the largest producer, converts about half of its production to phenol, but most producers consider the most economic process for phenol to be peroxidation of cumene. Other uses of benzoic acid are for the manufacture of benzoyl chloride, of plasticizers such as butyl benzoate, and of sodium benzoate for use in preservatives. In Italy, Snia Viscosa uses benzoic acid as raw material for the production of caprolactam, and subsequendy nylon-6, by the sequence shown below. 

The basic process usually consists of a large reaction vessel in which air is bubbled through pressuri2ed hot Hquid toluene containing a soluble cobalt catalyst as well as the reaction products, a system to recover hydrocarbons from the reactor vent gases, and a purification system for the ben2oic acid product. 

Primary Amyl Alcohols. Primary amyl alcohols (qv) are manufactured by hydroformylation of mixed butenes, followed by dehydrogenation (114). Both 1-butene and 2-butene yield the same product though in slightly different ratios depending on the catalyst and conditions. Some catalyst and conditions produce the alcohols in a single step. By modifying the catalyst, typically a cobalt carbonyl, with phosphoms derivatives, such as tri( -butyl)phosphine, the linear alcohol can be the principal product from 1-butene. 

A Belgian patent (178) claims improved ethanol selectivity of over 62%, starting with methanol and synthesis gas and using a cobalt catalyst with a hahde promoter and a tertiary phosphine. At 195°C, and initial carbon monoxide pressure of 7.1 MPa (70 atm) and hydrogen pressure of 7.1 MPa, methanol conversions of 30% were indicated, but the selectivity for acetic acid and methyl acetate, usehil by-products from this reaction, was only 7%. Ruthenium and osmium catalysts (179,180) have also been employed for this reaction. The addition of a bicycHc trialkyl phosphine is claimed to increase methanol conversion from 24% to 89% (181). 

In a typical process adiponitrile is formed by the interaction of adipic acid and gaseous ammonia in the presence of a boron phosphate catalyst at 305-350°C. The adiponitrile is purified and then subjected to continuous hydrogenation at 130°C and 4000 Ibf/in (28 MPa) pressure in the presence of excess ammonia and a cobalt catalyst. By-products such as hexamethyleneimine are formed but the quantity produced is minimized by the use of excess ammonia. Pure hexamethylenediamine (boiling point 90-92°C at 14mmHg pressure, melting point 39°C) is obtained by distillation, Hexamethylenediamine is also prepared commercially from butadience. The butadiene feedstock is of relatively low cost but it does use substantial quantities of hydrogen cyanide. The process developed by Du Pont may be given schematically as ... 

Ammonia production from natural gas includes the following processes desulfurization of the feedstock primary and secondary reforming carbon monoxide shift conversion and removal of carbon dioxide, which can be used for urea manufacture methanation and ammonia synthesis. Catalysts used in the process may include cobalt, molybdenum, nickel, iron oxide/chromium oxide, copper oxide/zinc oxide, and iron. 

Cobalt carbonyl complexes with tertiary phosphine ligands are not volatile. This makes possible a distillative separation of the reaction products from the cobalt catalyst system (Fig. 5). 

In the hydroformylation of lower alkenes using a modified cobalt catalyst complex separation is achieved by distillation. The ligands are high-boiling so that they remain with the heavy ends when these are removed from the alcohol product. Distillation is not possible when higher alcohols or aldehydes are produced, because of decomposition of the catalyst ligands at the higher temperatures required. Rhodium complexes can usually also be removed by distillation, since these complexes are relatively stable. 

Huang, X. W., Elbashir N. O., and Roberts, C. B. 2004. Supercritical solvent effects on hydrocarbon product distributions from Fischer-Tropsch synthesis over an alumina-supported cobalt catalyst. Industrial Engineering Chemistry Research 43 6369-81. 

Although the FTS is considered a carbon in-sensitive reaction,30 deactivation of the cobalt active phase by carbon deposition during FTS has been widely postulated.31-38 This mechanism, however, is hard to prove during realistic synthesis conditions due to the presence of heavy hydrocarbon wax product and the potential spillover and buildup of inert carbon on the catalyst support. Also, studies on supported cobalt catalysts have been conducted that suggest deactivation by pore plugging of narrow catalyst pores by the heavy (> 40) wax product.39,40 Very often, regeneration treatments that remove these carbonaceous phases from the catalyst result in reactivation of the catalyst.32 Many of the companies with experience in cobalt-based FTS research report that these catalysts are negatively influenced by carbon (Table 4.1). 

Tucci (54), studying mainly terminal olefins, cited two reasons for the high selectivity for linear products in the phosphine-modified cobalt catalysts (a) stereoselective addition of the hydride species to the olefinic double bond, and (b) inhibition of olefin isomerization. However, the results obtained with internal olefins as substrate tended to discount the likelihood of the second reason, and it is generally accepted that selective anti-Markovnikov addition arising from steric hindrance is the principal cause for linear products from nonfunctional olefins. 

The most direct information on the state of cobalt has come from Mossbauer spectroscopy, applied in the emission mode. As explained in Chapter 5, such experiments are done with catalysts that contain the radioactive isotope 57Co as the source and a moving single-line absorber. Great advantages of this method are that the Co-Mo catalyst can be investigated under in situ conditions and the spectrum of cobalt can be correlated to the activity of the catalyst. One needs to be careful, however, because the Mossbauer spectrum one obtains is strictly speaking not that of cobalt, but that of its decay product, iron. The safest way to go is therefore to compare the spectra of the Co-Mo catalysts with those of model compounds for which the state of cobalt is known. This was the approach taken... 

X. Huang, N. O. Elbashir and C. B. Roberts, Supercritical Solvent Effects on Hydrocarbon Product Distributions from Fischer-Tropsch synthesis over an Alumina-Supported Cobalt Catalyst, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2004, 43, 6369-6381. 

The trianionic cobalt catalyst has been successfully employed in the hydrogenation of 1,3-butadiene in [bmim][BF4] [10], The product from this reaction is 1-butene which is formed with 100% selectivity. Unfortunately the catalyst undergoes a transformation to an inactive species during the course of the reaction and reuse is not possible. The cationic rhodium catalyst together with related derivatives have been used for numerous reductions, including the hydrogenation of 1,3-cyclohexadiene to cyclohexane in [bmim][SbF6] [11],... 

The higher alkene feed (C10-14) for the production of detergent alcohols is either a product from the wax-cracker (terminal and internal alkenes) or the byproduct of the ethene oligomerisation process (internal alkenes). In the near future a feed from high-temperature Fischer-Tropsch may be added to this. The desired aldehyde (or alcohol) product is the linear one and the cobalt catalyst must therefore perform several functions ... 

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