Hydrogen BASF catalysts

SELOP C4 A process for upgrading the C4 petroleum fraction by selective catalytic hydrogenation. Different catalysts, containing palladium on alumina, are used for different feedstock compositions. Developed by BASF and used in its Antwerp plant since 1994. 

As the potential of this technology is tremendous, companies are putting their effort in investigating the reaction kinetics and stability of hydrogen peroxide formation in a microreactor. Some such studies are performed at BASF Catalyst [57] and give a promising input for optimizing the reaction for more efficient... 

Survey of the patent Hterature reveals companies with processes for 1,4-butanediol from maleic anhydride include BASF (94), British Petroleum (95,96), Davy McKee (93,97), Hoechst (98), Huels (99), and Tonen (100,101). Processes for the production of y-butyrolactone have been described for operation in both the gas (102—104) and Hquid (105—108) phases. In the gas phase, direct hydrogenation of maleic anhydride in hydrogen at 245°C and 1.03 MPa gives an 88% yield of y-butyrolactone (104). Du Pont has developed a process for the production of tetrahydrofuran back-integrated to a butane feedstock (109). Slurry reactor catalysts containing palladium and rhenium are used to hydrogenate aqueous maleic acid to tetrahydrofuran (110,111). 

Liquid-Ph se Processes. Prior to 1980, commercial hquid-phase processes were based primarily on an AIQ. catalyst. AIQ. systems have been developed since the 1930s by a number of companies, including Dow, BASF, Shell Chemical, Monsanto, SociStH Chimique des Charboimages, and Union Carbide—Badger. These processes generally involve ethyl chloride or occasionally hydrogen chloride as a catalyst promoter. Recycled alkylated ben2enes are combined with the AIQ. and ethyl chloride to form a separate catalyst—complex phase that is heavier than the hydrocarbon phase and can be separated and recycled. 

All tests reported here were performed with a special methanation catalyst developed by BASF, Ludwigshafen, for the process. The catalyst had a relatively high nickel content on a carrier. It was charged to reactors D2 and D3 in unreduced form and had to be activated by reduction with hydrogen. 

BASF/Scholven A pretreatment process for benzole, the product formed by hydrogenating hard coal. The benzole is hydrogenated at 300 to 400°C using a molybdenum or cobalt/molybdenum catalyst. The product is a mixture of aromatic hydrocarbons, suitable for separation by a variety of physical processes. The process was invented by BASF in 1925 and adopted by Scholven-Chemie in 1950. Eleven plants in France and Germany subsequently adopted the process. 

Catasulf A catalytic process for converting hydrogen sulfide in gas streams to elemental sulfur. The gas, to which a stoichiometric quantity of air or oxygen has been added, is passed over the hot catalyst. Invented in 1983 by BASF. One plant had been built as of 1990. 

Dimersol X A process for dimerizing mixed butenes to mixed octenes. Selective hydrogenation, catalyzed by a soluble Ziegler catalyst, is used. The spent catalyst is discarded. The process was developed by IFP and first operated at Kashima, Japan, in 1980. BASF has used the process in Ludwigshafen since 1985. 

Kombi [Kombinations-Verfahren] A liquid-phase petroleum hydrogenation process which combined hydrogenation with hydrorefining. The catalyst contained molybdenum and tungsten on an aluminosilicate. Developed by BASF. 

An industrial process to produce methanol from carbon monoxide and hydrogen was developed by BASF in 1923 using a zinc oxide-chromia catalyst.361 362 Since this catalyst exhibited relatively low specific activity, high temperature was required. The low equilibrium methanol concentration at this high temperature was compensated by using high pressures. This so-called high-pressure process was operated typically at 200 atm and 350°C. The development of the process and early results on methanol synthesis were reviewed by Natta 363... 

Because of the importance of the promotion effect and because many of the central questions surrounding TMS catalysis are about promotion, it is valuable to review a history of the effect. The first reference to a catalyst based on molybdenum and cobalt sulfides capable of desulfurizing coal oils in the presence of hydrogen was a patent from I. G. Farben Industrie dated May 24, 1928 (5). Before this, M. Pier and his team at BASF (1924-1925)... 

The three themes of the symposium selective hydrogenation, selective oxidation and acid-base catalysis were introduced by four plenary lectures and two invited communications. A panel concerned with the future of zeolites and other shape-selective materials for fine chemical synthesis was conducted by specialists in the field D. Barthomeuf (University of Paris 6), E. Derouane (University of Namur), L. Forni (University of Milan), M. Gubelmann (Rhone-Poulenc, St Fons), W. Hoelderich (BASF, Ludwigshafen) and G. Perot (University of Poitiers). An exhibition of equipment was held during the symposium on October 3 and 4. Over 20 firms exhibited equipment, chemicals and catalysts which were of interest to researchers involved with the synthesis of functional compounds by heterogeneous catalysis. 

The Inventa-NO process is similar to the BASF process in that the first source of by-product ammonium sulfate is eliminated. Like the BASF process the Inventa process prepares hydroxylamine sulfate by the reduction of nitric oxide with hydrogen over a noble metal catalyst suspended in sulfuric acid. The differences between the BASF and Inventa processes are ... 

The kinetic experiments, activity tests, and poisoning experiments were carried out in a gas-flow isothermal fixed bed reactor [6) at the benzene partial pressure of 7.55 kPa hydro gen partial pressure 99.82 kPa thiophene partial pressure 0.032 kPa and the reaction temperatures 403, 427 and 448 K. The size of the commercial cylindrical catalyst pellet was 5x5mm (21% Ni on alumina, supplied by BASF). The nickel oxide containing precursor was activated by reduction with hydrogen at 743 K for 10 hr. 

The system ESKA (Expert System for Selection and Optimization of Catalysts [20]) was designed at BASF specifically for hydrogenation reactions. The main component of a catalyst is proposed on the basis of activity patterns which describe the applicability of catalysts for different types of hydrogenations. The system also is able to propose secondary catalyst components and, if necessary, a support material which is stable under reaction conditions and does not have any undesired catalytic properties. Based on heuristics for required as well as undesired side reactions and for different catalytically active components, the system also proposes reaction conditions as temperature, pressure, the solvent or the pH. 

Low-pressure methanol synthesis relies almost exclusively on catalysts based on copper, zinc oxide, and alumina. The catalysts are produced by ICI (now Johnson Matthay), Siidchemie (now Clariant), Haldor Topsoe, in the past also by BASF, and other chemical enterprises and contain 50-70 atomic % CuO, 20%-50% ZnO, and 5%-20% Al203. Instead of alumina, chromium oxide and rare earth oxides have also been used. The mixed oxide catalysts are usually shipped as 4-6 mm cylindrical pellets with specific surface area of 60-100 m2/g. The catalysts are activated in situ with dilute hydrogen, often derived from off-gases from synthesis gas... 

The CO used for the carbonylation reaction always contains some hydrogen. The side products in the BASF carbonylation process arise due to Fischer-Tropsch reaction catalyzed by the cobalt catalyst. The high temperatures and pressures used in the BASF process are conditions under which the Fischer-Tropsch reaction with soluble cobalt catalyst can take place. In the Monsanto process the reaction conditions are much milder, and the side-product-forming Fischer-Tropsch reaction is avoided. 

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