Copper-based

As an example of the application of a fixed-bed tubular reactor, consider the production of methanol. Synthesis gas (a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide) is reacted over a copper-based cat dyst. The main reactions are... 

Manufacture. Furfuryl alcohol has been manufactured on an industrial scale by employing both Hquid-phase and vapor-phase hydrogenation of furfural (56,57). Copper-based catalysts are preferred because they are selective and do not promote hydrogenation of the ring. 

Protecting the Sufaces of Copper and Copper-Base Alloys, International Copper Research Association, New York. 

Dimethyl Ether. Synthesis gas conversion to methanol is limited by equiUbrium. One way to increase conversion of synthesis gas is to remove product methanol from the equiUbrium as it is formed. Air Products and others have developed a process that accomplishes this objective by dehydration of methanol to dimethyl ether [115-10-6]. Testing by Air Products at the pilot faciUty in LaPorte has demonstrated a 40% improvement in conversion. The reaction is similar to the Hquid-phase methanol process except that a soHd acid dehydration catalyst is added to the copper-based methanol catalyst slurried in an inert hydrocarbon Hquid (26). 

The chemical complex includes the methanol plant, methyl acetate plant, and acetic anhydride plant. The methanol plant uses the Lurgi process for hydrogenation of CO over a copper-based catalyst. The plant is capable of producing 165,000 t/yr of methanol. The methyl acetate plant converts this methanol, purchased methanol, and recovered acetic acid from other Eastman processes into approximately 440,000 t/yr of methyl acetate. 

The one-step route from 2-propanol coproduces diisobutyl ketone and acetone, and is practiced in the United States by Union Carbide (61). The details of a vapor-phase 2-propanol dehydrogenation and condensation process for the production of acetone, MIBK, and higher ketones have been described in recent patents (62,63). The process converts an a2eotropic 2-propanol—water feed over a copper-based catalyst at 220°C and produces a product mixture containing 2-propanol (11.4%), acetone (52.4%), MIBK (21.6%), diisobutyl ketone (6.5%), and 4-methyl-2-pentanol (2.2%). 

Economic Aspects. Lithium metal is available commercially in ingots, special shapes, shot, and dispersions. Ingots are sold in 0.11-, 0.23-, 0.45-, and 0.91-kg sizes. Special shapes include foil, wire, and rod. Lithium is available in hermetically sealed copper cartridges and in sealed copper tubes for use in treating molten copper and copper-base alloys. Shot is sold in 1.19—4.76 mm (16—4 mesh) sizes. Lithium dispersions (30% in mineral oil) of 10—50-p.m particle size are used primarily in organic chemical reactions. Dispersions in other solvents and of other size fractions can be suppHed. 

Copper Development Association P.O. Box 1840 Greenwich, Conn. 06836 Standards for wrought and cast copper and copper alloy products a standards handbook is pubUshed with tolerances, alloy data, terminology, engineering data, processing characteristics, sources and specifications cross-indexes for six coppers and 87 copper-based alloys that are recognized as standards. 

The process is used for ferrous P/M stmctural parts that have densities of at least 7.4 g/cm and mechanical properties superior than those of parts that have been only compacted and sintered. Depending on the appHcation, the porous matrix may be infiltrated only partially or almost completely. Copper-base alloy infiltrants have been developed to minimise erosion of the iron matrix. 

The United States has the largest metal powder producing and consuming industry of any country. The value of U.S. metal powder shipments, including paste and flake, was 1,243 bHHon in 1992. Approximately 307,000 t of Hon and steel powder and 21,000 t of copper and copper-base powders were shipped in North America in 1994. Estimated annual world metal powder production exceeds 950,000 t. 

About 88% of Hon powder production is used in the manufacture of P/M parts and friction materials. Detailed statistical data are available (16). About 86% of the copper and copper-base powder produced is used in the production of self-lubricating bearings and P/M parts. 

Fig. 10. Stmctural P/M parts made from iron- and copper-based powders. Other P/M parts can be made from a range of materials. See text.

Copper-based thermal stabilizers are also effective photostabilizers for nylon. They can be added before polymerization, or the soluble salts (eg, CuSO can be appHed to fibers as part of the finish or to fabrics as post-treatments. The effectiveness of the copper salt—alkah haUde system added to prepolymer in retarding phototendering and photoyeUowing of the resulting spun yam is illustrated in Figure 5. 

Dehydrogenation processes for acetone, methyl isobutyl ketone [108-10-1], and higher ketones (qv) utilizing, in one process, a copper-based catalyst have been disclosed (18,19). Dehydrogenation reaction is used to study the acid—base character of catalytic sites on a series of oxides (20,21). 

Table 5. Chemical Composition Requirements for Copper-Based Filler Metals ...

Other Metals. Tellurium has been added to copper-base, lead-base, and tin-base bearing aUoys. In babbit-type aUoys, teUurium controls the stmcture and improves uniformity and fatigue resistance by restraining the tendency to segregation (see Bearing Materials). 

Corrosion. Copper-base alloys are seriously corroded by sodium thiosulfate (22) and ammonium thiosulfate [7783-18-8] (23). Corrosion rates exceed 10 kg/(m yr) at 100°C. High siUcon cast iron has reasonable corrosion resistance to thiosulfates, with a corrosion rate <4.4 kg/(m yr)) at 100°C. The preferred material of constmction for pumps, piping, reactors, and storage tanks is austenitic stainless steels such as 304, 316, or Alloy 20. The corrosion rate for stainless steels is <440 g/(m yr) at 100°C (see also Corrosion and corrosion control). 

Molten tin wets and adheres readily to clean iron, steel, copper, and copper-base alloys, and the coating is bright. It provides protection against oxidation of the coated metal and aids in subsequent fabrication because it is ductile and solderable. Tin coatings can be appHed to most metals by electro deposition (see Electroplating). 

Tin is used in various industrial appHcations as cast and wrought forms obtained by rolling, drawing, extmsion, atomizing, and casting tinplate, ie, low carbon steel sheet or strip roUed to 0.15—0.25 mm thick and thinly coated with pure tin tin coatings and tin alloy coatings appHed to fabricated articles (as opposed to sheet or strip) of steel, cast iron, copper, copper-base alloys, and aluminum tin alloys and tin compounds. 

Antimony may be added to copper-base alloys such as naval brass. Admiralty Metal, and leaded Muntz metal in amounts of 0.02—0.10% to prevent dezincification. Additions of antimony to ductile iron in an amount of 50 ppm, preferably with some cerium, can make the graphite fliUy nodular to the center of thick castings and when added to gray cast iron in the amount of 0.05%, antimony acts as a powerflil carbide stabilizer with an improvement in both the wear resistance and thermal cycling properties (26) (see Carbides). 

Copper and Copper-Base Powder Alloys, Metal Powder Industries Federation, Princeton, N.J., 1976. 

Electrical conductivity is comparatively easy to measure, whereas thermal conductivity is not. Electrical conductivity values for the important cast alloys are Hsted in Table 2. Eigure 1 schematically shows the electrical conductivity of cast copper-base alloys compared with various other cast metals and alloys. The equation Y = 4.184 + 3.93a gives an approximation of thermal conductivity in relation to electrical conductivity, where Tis in W/(m-K) at 20°C and X is the % lACS at 20°C. 

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