Molybdate catalyst

In 1957 Standard Oil of Ohio (Sohio) discovered bismuth molybdate catalysts capable of producing high yields of acrolein at high propylene conversions (>90%) and at low pressures (12). Over the next 30 years much industrial and academic research and development was devoted to improving these catalysts, which are used in the production processes for acrolein, acryUc acid, and acrylonitrile. AH commercial acrolein manufacturing processes known today are based on propylene oxidation and use bismuth molybdate based catalysts. 

Fig. 2. Mechanism of selective ammoxidation and oxidation of propylene over bismuth molybdate catalysts. (31).

Alternative means for removal of carbonyl sulfide for gas streams iavolve hydrogenation. For example, the Beavon process for removal of sulfur compounds remaining ia Claus unit tail gases iavolves hydrolysis and hydrogenation over cobalt molybdate catalyst resulting ia the conversion of carbonyl sulfide, carbon disulfide, and other sulfur compounds to hydrogen sulfide (25). 

When the Claus reaction is carried out in aqueous solution, the chemistry is complex and involves polythionic acid intermediates (105,211). A modification of the Claus process (by Shell) uses hydrogen or a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide to reduce sulfur dioxide, carbonyl sulfide, carbon disulfide, and sulfur mixtures that occur in Claus process off-gases to hydrogen sulfide over a cobalt molybdate catalyst at ca 300°C (230). 

Catalysts. In industrial practice the composition of catalysts are usuaUy very complex. Tellurium is used in catalysts as a promoter or stmctural component (84). The catalysts are used to promote such diverse reactions as oxidation, ammoxidation, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, halogenation, dehalogenation, and phenol condensation (85—87). Tellurium is added as a passivation promoter to nickel, iron, and vanadium catalysts. A cerium teUurium molybdate catalyst has successfliUy been used in a commercial operation for the ammoxidation of propylene to acrylonitrile (88). 

Carbon monoxide has been found to poison cobalt molybdate catalysts. It causes not only instantaneous deactivation but a cumulative deactivation as well. It should be removed from treat gas entirely or at least reduced to a very low value. Carbon dioxide also must be removed since it is converted to CO in the reducing atmosphere employed in Hydrofining. Liquid water can damage the structural integrity of the catalyst. Water, in the form of steam does not necessarily hurt the catalyst. In fact 30 psig steam/air mixtures are used to regenerate the catalyst. Also, steam appears to enhance the catalyst activity in... 

Effect of Catalyst The catalysts used in hydrotreating are molybdena on alumina, cobalt molybdate on alumina, nickel molybdate on alumina or nickel tungstate. Which catalyst is used depends on the particular application. Cobalt molybdate catalyst is generally used when sulfur removal is the primary interest. The nickel catalysts find application in the treating of cracked stocks for olefin or aromatic saturation. One preferred application for molybdena catalyst is sweetening, (removal of mercaptans). The molybdena on alumina catalyst is also preferred for reducing the carbon residue of heating oils. 

Lapidus (LI) described liquid residence-time distribution studies for air-water and air-hydrocarbon in cocurrent, downward flow through a column of 2-in. diameter and 3-ft height. Spherical glass beads of 3.5. mm diameter and cobalt molybdate catalyst cylinders of -in. diameter were used as packing materials. 

These and similar results can be explained if the simultaneous reduction of hydrogen peroxide is due to an induced reaction. To show the characteristic features of this reaction some results are presented in Table 19 and Table 20. The procedure for these measurements was as follows. The solution of peroxy compounds given in columns 1 and 2 was made up to 20 ml and the pH was adjusted to the given value. Then potassium thiocyanate solution was added and, after the reaction time noted, the process was quenched by adding potassium iodide solution (0.3 g KI). After 5 sec the solution was acidified with 1 ml 2 iV sulphuric acid then using, molybdate catalyst solution, the iodine liberated was titrated with standard thiosulphate. 

Selective oxidation and ammoxldatlon of propylene over bismuth molybdate catalysts occur by a redox mechanism whereby lattice oxygen (or Isoelectronlc NH) Is Inserted Into an allyllc Intermediate, formed via or-H abstraction from the olefin. The resulting anion vacancies are eventually filled by lattice oxygen which originates from gaseous oxygen dlssoclatlvely chemisorbed at surface sites which are spatially and structurally distinct from the sites of olefin oxidation. Mechanistic details about the... 

Using the pulse microreactor method( ), the general rate expression for reoxldatlon of bismuth molybdate catalysts was found to be ... 

The activity shown by unsupported Mo sulfide or Co molybdate catalysts W Is not Inconsistent with the nature of the active sites postulated. The essential pair members and Interactions could all exist on unsupported catalysts. Either Co or Mo alone can cause desulfurization. The support serves mainly to Increase the amount of exposed Co and Mo In some desirable configuration. 

The following data given in Tables 16.15, 16.16 and 16.17 on the oxidation of propylene over bismuth molybdate catalyst were obtained at three temperatures, 350,375, and 390°C (Watts, 1994). 

Mixed condensation of 4-sulfophthalic acid with other substituted phthalic acids (typically >200 °C, metal salt, urea, ammonium molybdate catalyst Figure 6) again gives mixtures.246-248 Routes which lead predominantly to monosulfonic acids of zinc(II) phthalocyanine and related compounds have been described.247,250... 

Initial tests using the pulse reactor described in this paper have been done on the selective oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde using molybdate catalysts. 

Formox [Formaldehyde by oxidation] A process for oxidizing methanol to formaldehyde, using a ferric molybdate catalyst. Based on the Adkins-Peterson reaction, developed by Reichold Chemicals, and licensed by that company and Perstorp, Sweden. Acquired by Dyno Industries in 1989. The process uses formaldehyde produced in this way to make formaldehyde-urea resin continuously. A plant using this process was to be built in Ghent by 1991, owned jointly by Dyno and AHB-Chemie. Licensed to 35 sites worldwide. Several other companies operate similar processes. 

Trickle-bed reactors are used in catalytic hydrotreating (reaction with H2) of petroleum fractions to remove sulfur (hydrodesulfurization), nitrogen (hydrodenitrogena-tion), and metals (hydrodemetallization), as well as in catalytic hydrocracking of petroleum fractions, and other catalytic hydrogenation and oxidation processes. An example of the first is the reaction in which a sulfur compound is represented by diben-zothiophene (Ring and Missen, 1989), and a molybdate catalyst, based, for example, on cobalt molybdate, is used ... 

Figure 11.26 Plot of the position sensitivity of the degree of conversion for a set of 48 bismuth-molybdate catalysts (same batch) in propylene to acrolein conversion in a Stage II 48-fold-screening reactor (reaction conditions 2% hydrocarbon in air at GHSV of 3000 h-1, column no. 8 contains only inert carrier material).

Figure 2. Arrhenius plot of pseudo-first order rates of H2S production from Mequinenza lignite, with sulfided ammonium molybdate catalyst...

Table II. Reaction Conditions and Results for Hydrogenation of Mequinenza Lignite with Sulfided Ammonium Molybdate Catalyst...

Figure 5. Rate/concentration as a function of concentration for Mequinenza lignite, sulfided ammonium molybdate catalyst, 325°C, average H2S partial pressure 1.4 MPa.

Acrolein Production. Adams et al. [/. Catalysis, 3,379 (1964)] studied the catalytic oxidation of propylene on bismuth molybdate catalyst to form acrolein. With a feed of propylene and oxygen and reaction at 460°C, the following three reactions occur. 

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