Copper hydrogenation catalysts

The activity of the usual metallic hydrogenation catalysts (nickel, cobalt, palladium, and platinum) for the hydrogenation of ethylenic substances is impaired by carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide also has been shown to inhibit the catalytic activity of a copper hydrogenation catalyst (Pease and Stewart, 6). 

Adkins investigated the preparation of nickel and copper hydrogenation catalysts in 1931 and attempted to optimize a nickel oxide/kieselguhr catalyst preparation. A typical method of production was to add sodium carbonate solution to a sluny of kieselguhr with a nickel salt solution and precipitate basic nickel carbonate. The mixed solid was then filtered, washed, dried, calcined at 400°C, and pelletted with a lubricant such as graphite. 

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. 

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 use of silver fluoroborate as a catalyst or reagent often depends on the precipitation of a silver haUde. Thus the silver ion abstracts a CU from a rhodium chloride complex, ((CgH )2As)2(CO)RhCl, yielding the cationic rhodium fluoroborate [30935-54-7] hydrogenation catalyst (99). The complexing tendency of olefins for AgBF has led to the development of chemisorption methods for ethylene separation (100,101). Copper(I) fluoroborate [14708-11-3] also forms complexes with olefins hydrocarbon separations are effected by similar means (102). 

Benzene Oxychlorin tion. In the benzene oxychlorination process, also known as the Raschig Hooker process, benzene is oxychlorinated with hydrogen chloride, air, and with the presence of iron and copper chloride catalyst to form chlorobenzene. The reaction occurs at 200—260°C and atmospheric pressure. The chlorobenzene is hydrolyzed at 480°C in the presence of a suitable catalyst to produce phenol and chloride. The yield of phenol is - 90 mol% of theoretical. These plants have been shut down for environmental and economic reasons. 

Trioctylamine has been prepared, in a continuous process, using 5,200 kg of -octanol, 100 kg of copper formate catalyst, 500 kg of -octylamine, 10 kg of calcium hydroxide, and 240 kg of ammonia (58). Ammonia was added over a 10-h period while 10 m of hydrogen/h was passed through the reactor at a reaction temperature of 180—200°C. The final product was composed of 94% trioctylamine, 2% dioctylamine, 1% octylamine, and 0.5% -octanol. A... 

Hydrogenation Catalysts. The key to catalytic hydrogenation is the catalyst, which promotes a reaction which otherwise would occur too slowly to be useful. Catalysts for the hydrogenation of nitro compounds and nitriles are generally based on one or more of the group VIII metals. The metals most commonly used are cobalt, nickel, palladium, platinum, rhodium, and mthenium, but others, including copper (16), iron (17), and tellurium... 

Acetophenone is separated for hydrogenation to 1-phenylethanol, which is sent to the dehydrator to produce styrene. Hydrogenation is done over a fixed-bed copper-containing catalyst at 115—120°C and pressure of 8100 kPa (80 atm), a 3 1 hydrogen-to-acetophenone ratio, and using a solvent such as ethylbenzene, to give 95% conversion of the acetophenone and 95% selectivity to 1-phenylethanol (186,187). 

Hydrogenation. Gas-phase catalytic hydrogenation of succinic anhydride yields y-butyrolactone [96-48-0] (GBL), tetrahydrofiiran [109-99-9] (THF), 1,4-butanediol (BDO), or a mixture of these products, depending on the experimental conditions. Catalysts mentioned in the Hterature include copper chromites with various additives (72), copper—zinc oxides with promoters (73—75), and mthenium (76). The same products are obtained by hquid-phase hydrogenation catalysts used include Pd with various modifiers on various carriers (77—80), Ru on C (81) or Ru complexes (82,83), Rh on C (79), Cu—Co—Mn oxides (84), Co—Ni—Re oxides (85), Cu—Ti oxides (86), Ca—Mo—Ni on diatomaceous earth (87), and Mo—Ba—Re oxides (88). Chemical reduction of succinic anhydride to GBL or THF can be performed with 2-propanol in the presence of Zr02 catalyst (89,90). 

Uses ndReactions. Nerol (47) and geraniol (48) can be converted to citroneUol (27) by hydrogenation over a copper chromite catalyst (121). In the absence of hydrogen and under reduced pressure, citroneUal is produced (122). If a nickel catalyst is used, a mixture of nerol, geraniol, and citroneUol is obtained and such a mixture is also useful in perfumery. Hydrogenation of both double bonds gives dimethyl octanol, another useful product. 

Formaldehyde also reacts with butadiene via the Prins reaction to produce pentenediols or their derivatives. This reaction is cataly2ed by a copper-containing catalyst in a carboxyUc acid solution (57) or RuCl (58). The addition of hydrogen also proceeds via 1,2- and 1,4-addition. 

Salts of neodecanoic acid have been used in the preparation of supported catalysts, such as silver neodecanoate for the preparation of ethylene oxide catalysts (119), and the nickel soap in the preparation of a hydrogenation catalyst (120). Metal neodecanoates, such as magnesium, lead, calcium, and zinc, are used to improve the adherence of plasticized poly(vinyl butyral) sheet to safety glass in car windshields (121). Platinum complexes using neodecanoic acid have been studied for antitumor activity (122). Neodecanoic acid and its esters are used in cosmetics as emoUients, emulsifiers, and solubilizers (77,123,124). Zinc or copper salts of neoacids are used as preservatives for wood (125). 

The preparation of methyl 12-ketostearate from methyl ricinoleate has been accompHshed using copper chromite catalyst. The ketostearate can also be prepared from methyl ricinoleate in a two-step process using Raney nickel. The first step is a rapid hydrogenation to methyl 12-hydroxystearate, the hydrogen coming from the catalyst, followed by a slower dehydrogenation to product (50,51). 

The fixed-bed catalyst is a siUca-based extmdate containing precipitated iron oxide promoted with potassium and copper. The catalyst is activated by hydrogen reduction of most of the iron cataly2ed by small amounts of copper. As the catalyst is used, additional reduction occurs and Hagg carbide [12127 5-6] Fe C2, is formed. 

Hydrogenation. Hydrogenation is one of the oldest and most widely used appHcations for supported catalysts, and much has been written in this field (55—57). Metals useflil in hydrogenation include cobalt, copper, nickel, palladium, platinum, rhenium, rhodium, mthenium, and silver, and there are numerous catalysts available for various specific appHcations. Most hydrogenation catalysts rely on extremely fine dispersions of the active metal on activated carbon, alumina, siHca-alumina, 2eoHtes, kieselguhr, or inert salts, such as barium sulfate. 

Continuous chlorination of benzene at 30—50°C in the presence of a Lewis acid typically yields 85% monochlorobenzene. Temperatures in the range of 150—190°C favor production of the dichlorobenzene products. The para isomer is produced in a ratio of 2—3 to 1 of the ortho isomer. Other methods of aromatic ring chlorination include use of a mixture of hydrogen chloride and air in the presence of a copper—salt catalyst, or sulfuryl chloride in the presence of aluminum chloride at ambient temperatures. Free-radical chlorination of toluene successively yields benzyl chloride, benzal chloride, and benzotrichloride. Related chlorination agents include sulfuryl chloride, tert-huty hypochlorite, and /V-ch1orosuccinimide which yield benzyl chloride under the influence of light, heat, or radical initiators. 

Significant quantities of ethyl chloride are also produced as a by-product of the catalytic hydrochlorination over a copper chloride catalyst, of ethylene and hydrogen chloride to produce 1,2-dichloroethane, which is used as feedstock in the manufacture of vinyl choride (see Vinyl polymers). This ethyl chloride can be recovered for sale or it can be concentrated and catalyticaHy cracked back to ethylene and hydrogen chloride (25). As the market for ethyl chloride declines, recovery as an intermediate by-product of vinyl chloride manufacture may become a predominant method of manufacture of ethyl chloride. 

Oxychl orin ation of ethylene has become the second important process for 1,2-dichloroethane. The process is usually incorporated into an integrated vinyl chloride plant in which hydrogen chloride, recovered from the dehydrochlorination or cracking of 1,2-dichloroethane to vinyl chloride, is recycled to an oxychl orin a tion unit. The hydrogen chloride by-product is used as the chlorine source in the chlorination of ethylene in the presence of oxygen and copper chloride catalyst ... 

Electroless reactions must be autocatalytic. Some metals are autocatalytic, such as iron, in electroless nickel. The initial deposition site on other surfaces serves as a catalyst, usually palladium on noncatalytic metals or a palladium—tin mixture on dielectrics, which is a good hydrogenation catalyst (20,21). The catalyst is quickly covered by a monolayer of electroless metal film which as a fresh, continuously renewed clean metal surface continues to function as a dehydrogenation catalyst. Silver is a borderline material, being so weakly catalytic that only very thin films form unless the surface is repeatedly cataly2ed newly developed baths are truly autocatalytic (22). In contrast, electroless copper is relatively easy to maintain in an active state commercial film thicknesses vary from <0.25 to 35 p.m or more. 

Aldehydes are formed by the reduction of the ester of the corresponding acid to the alcohol, and then oxidising the alcohol with heated copper as catalyst. It is well known that when primary alcohols in the gaseous state are passed over finely-divided copper dust, obtained by reduction of copper oxide, at 250° to 400°, they yield hydrogen, and aldehydes or ketones respectively. 

Ruthenium dioxide or ruthenium-on-carbon are effective catalysts for hydrogenation of mono- and dicarboxylic acids to the alcohol or glycol. High pressures (5,000-10,000 psig) and elevated temperatures (130-225 C) have been used in these hydrogenations 8,12,24). Yields of alcohol tend to be less than perfect because of esterification of the alcohol. Near quantitative yields of alcohol can be obtained by mixing ruthenium and copper chromite catalysts so as to reduce the ester as formed. 

Butadiene could also be obtained by the reaction of acetylene and formaldehyde in the vapor phase over a copper acetylide catalyst. The produced 1,4-butynediol is hydrogenated to 1,4-butanediol. Dehydration of 1,4-butanediol yields butadiene. 

Hydrogen cyanide is a reactant in the production of acrylonitrile, methyl methacrylates (from acetone), adiponitrile, and sodium cyanide. It is also used to make oxamide, a long-lived fertilizer that releases nitrogen steadily over the vegetation period. Oxamide is produced by the reaction of hydrogen cyanide with water and oxygen using a copper nitrate catalyst at about 70°C and atmospheric pressure ... 

Activation Energy of Hi-Di Equilibration Reaction on Nickel and Nickel-Copper Film Catalysts (a) Within Temperature Range —100°— - 20°C and (b) After Preheating in Hydrogen at Jfl-50°C (55)... 

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