Molybdenum selectivities

The alkyl derivatives of thiazoles can be catalytically oxidized in the vapor phase at 250 to 400°C to afford the corresponding formyl derivatives (21). Molybdenum oxide, V2O5, and tin vanadate are used as catalysts either alone or with a support. The resulting carbonyl compounds can be selectively oxidized to the acids. 

Early catalysts for acrolein synthesis were based on cuprous oxide and other heavy metal oxides deposited on inert siHca or alumina supports (39). Later, catalysts more selective for the oxidation of propylene to acrolein and acrolein to acryHc acid were prepared from bismuth, cobalt, kon, nickel, tin salts, and molybdic, molybdic phosphoric, and molybdic siHcic acids. Preferred second-stage catalysts generally are complex oxides containing molybdenum and vanadium. Other components, such as tungsten, copper, tellurium, and arsenic oxides, have been incorporated to increase low temperature activity and productivity (39,45,46). 

Although acrylonitrile manufacture from propylene and ammonia was first patented in 1949 (30), it was not until 1959, when Sohio developed a catalyst capable of producing acrylonitrile with high selectivity, that commercial manufacture from propylene became economically viable (1). Production improvements over the past 30 years have stemmed largely from development of several generations of increasingly more efficient catalysts. These catalysts are multicomponent mixed metal oxides mostly based on bismuth—molybdenum oxide. Other types of catalysts that have been used commercially are based on iron—antimony oxide, uranium—antimony oxide, and tellurium-molybdenum oxide. 

Benzene-Based Catalyst Technology. The catalyst used for the conversion of ben2ene to maleic anhydride consists of supported vanadium oxide [11099-11-9]. The support is an inert oxide such as kieselguhr, alumina [1344-28-17, or sUica, and is of low surface area (142). Supports with higher surface area adversely affect conversion of benzene to maleic anhydride. The conversion of benzene to maleic anhydride is a less complex oxidation than the conversion of butane, so higher catalyst selectivities are obtained. The vanadium oxide on the surface of the support is often modified with molybdenum oxides. There is approximately 70% vanadium oxide and 30% molybdenum oxide [11098-99-0] in the active phase for these fixed-bed catalysts (143). The molybdenum oxide is thought to form either a soUd solution or compound oxide with the vanadium oxide and result in a more active catalyst (142). 

The oxidative dehydration of isobutyric acid [79-31-2] to methacrylic acid is most often carried out over iron—phosphoms or molybdenum—phosphoms based catalysts similar to those used in the oxidation of methacrolein to methacrylic acid. Conversions in excess of 95% and selectivity to methacrylic acid of 75—85% have been attained, resulting in single-pass yields of nearly 80%. The use of cesium-, copper-, and vanadium-doped catalysts are reported to be beneficial (96), as is the use of cesium in conjunction with quinoline (97). Generally the iron—phosphoms catalysts require temperatures in the vicinity of 400°C, in contrast to the molybdenum-based catalysts that exhibit comparable reactivity at 300°C (98). 

The first-stage catalysts for the oxidation to methacrolein are based on complex mixed metal oxides of molybdenum, bismuth, and iron, often with the addition of cobalt, nickel, antimony, tungsten, and an alkaU metal. Process optimization continues to be in the form of incremental improvements in catalyst yield and lifetime. Typically, a dilute stream, 5—10% of isobutylene tert-huty alcohol) in steam (10%) and air, is passed over the catalyst at 300—420°C. Conversion is often nearly quantitative, with selectivities to methacrolein ranging from 85% to better than 95% (114—118). Often there is accompanying selectivity to methacrylic acid of an additional 2—5%. A patent by Mitsui Toatsu Chemicals reports selectivity to methacrolein of better than 97% at conversions of 98.7% for a yield of methacrolein of nearly 96% (119). 

Additions of selected alloying elements raise the recrystaUization temperature, extending to higher temperature regimes the tensile properties of the cold-worked molybdenum metal. The simultaneous additions of 0.5% titanium and 0.1% zirconium produce the TZM aUoy, which has a corresponding... 

Steels having adequate hardenabiHty develop martensitic stmctures in practical section sizes. Molybdenum is a potent contributor to hardenabiHty, and has been shown to be even more effective in the presence of carehiUy selected amounts of other alloying elements (26). The end-quench test has become the accepted method for measuring hardenabiHty, and the data can be correlated with section size. Technical societies worldwide have standardized hardenabiHty limits (bands) for a large number of carbon and alloy steels standards of the Society of Automotive Engineers are examples (27). 

Divalent molybdenum compounds occur in mononuclear, dinuclear, and hexanuclear forms. Selected examples are shown in Figure 6. The mononuclear compounds are mostiy in the realm of organometaUic chemistry (30—32). Seven-coordinate complexes are common and include MoX2(CO)2(PR3)2, where X = Cl, Br, and I, and R = alkyl MoCl2(P(CH3)3)4, heptakis(isonitrile) complexes of the form Mo(CNR) 2 (Fig. 6d), and their chloro-substituted derivatives, eg, Mo(CNR)3CR. The latter undergo reductive coupling to form C—C bonds in the molybdenum coordination sphere (33). 

The tert-huty hydroperoxide is then mixed with a catalyst solution to react with propylene. Some TBHP decomposes to TBA during this process step. The catalyst is typically an organometaHic that is soluble in the reaction mixture. The metal can be tungsten, vanadium, or molybdenum. Molybdenum complexes with naphthenates or carboxylates provide the best combination of selectivity and reactivity. Catalyst concentrations of 200—500 ppm in a solution of 55% TBHP and 45% TBA are typically used when water content is less than 0.5 wt %. The homogeneous metal catalyst must be removed from solution for disposal or recycle (137,157). Although heterogeneous catalysts can be employed, elution of some of the metal, particularly molybdenum, from the support surface occurs (158). References 159 and 160 discuss possible mechanisms for the catalytic epoxidation of olefins by hydroperoxides. 

EBHP is mixed with a catalyst solution and fed to a horizontal compartmentalized reactor where propylene is introduced into each compartment. The reactor operates at 95—130°C and 2500—4000 kPa (360—580 psi) for 1—2 h, and 5—7 mol propylene/1 mol EBHP are used for a 95—99% conversion of EBHP and a 92—96% selectivity to propylene oxide. The homogeneous catalyst is made from molybdenum, tungsten, or titanium and an organic acid, such as acetate, naphthenate, stearate, etc (170,173). Heterogeneous catalysts consist of titanium oxides on a siUca support (174—176). 

A number of substances, such as the most commonly used sulfur dioxide, can reduce selenous acid solution to an elemental selenium precipitate. This precipitation separates the selenium from most elements and serves as a basis for gravimetry. In a solution containing both selenous and teUurous acids, the selenium may be quantitatively separated from the latter by performing the reduction in a solution which is 8 to 9.5 W with respect to hydrochloric acid. When selenic acid may also be present, the addition of hydroxylamine hydrochloride is recommended along with the sulfur dioxide. A simple method for the separation and deterrnination of selenium(IV) and molybdenum(VI) in mixtures, based on selective precipitation with potassium thiocarbonate, has been developed (69). 

Only about 10 elements, ie, Cr, Ni, Zn, Sn, In, Ag, Cd, Au, Pb, and Rh, are commercially deposited from aqueous solutions, though alloy deposition such as Cu—Zn (brass), Cu—Sn (bronze), Pb—Sn (solder), Au—Co, Sn—Ni, and Ni—Fe (permalloy) raise this number somewhat. In addition, 10—15 other elements are electrodeposited ia small-scale specialty appHcations. Typically, electrodeposited materials are crystalline, but amorphous metal alloys may also be deposited. One such amorphous alloy is Ni—Cr—P. In some cases, chemical compounds can be electrodeposited at the cathode. For example, black chrome and black molybdenum electrodeposits, both metal oxide particles ia a metallic matrix, are used for decorative purposes and as selective solar thermal absorbers (19). 

Selectivities to various isomers are more difficult to predict when metal oxides are used as catalysts. ZnO preferentially produced 79% 1-butene and several percent of i7j -2-butene [624-64-6] (75). CdO catalyst produced 55% 1-butene and 45% i7j -2-butene. It was also reported that while interconversion between 1-butene and i7j -2-butene was quite facile on CdO, cis—trans isomeri2ation was slow. This was attributed to the presence of a TT-aHyl anion intermediate (76). High i7j -2-butene selectivities were obtained with molybdenum carbonyl encapsulated in 2eohtes (77). On the other hand, deuteration using H1O2 catalyst produced predominantly the 1,4-addition product, trans-2-huX.en.e-d2 with no isotope scrambling (78). 

Fatty acids are corrosive at high temperatures and selection of materials of constmction for distillation systems is critical. Stainless steels with various contents of molybdenum have proved satisfactory. For example, 316 L has 2% Mo and is satisfactory for service up to 260°C 317 L has 3% Mo and can be used satisfactorily up to 285°C, whereas 904 L can be used up to 310°C (31). 

The first catalysts used commercially to convert the propylene with high selectivity were mixed oxides of bismuth and molybdenum, referred to as bismuth molybdates. Improved catalysts consisting of a number of soHd phases have been developed, with each generation becoming more compHcated than its predecessor. Among the catalysts cited in a patent is the following Co gNi 2"Fe 3Bi (Mo0 22 Si02 with some P and K (88). Sihca is the... 

The selective oxidation is catalyzed by silver, which is the only good catalyst. Other olefins are not converted selectively to the epoxides in the presence of silver. However, propylene epoxidation is appHed commercially the catalysts are either molybdenum complexes in solution or soHd Ti02—Si02 (see... 

Another example of steric selectivity involves the homopoly and heteropoly ions of molybdenum, tungsten, etc. Each molybdenum(VI) and tungsten(VI) ion is octahedraHy coordinated to six oxygen (0x0) ligands. Chromium (VT) is too small and forms only the weU-known chromate-type species having four 0x0 ligands. The abiUty of other cations to participate in stable heteropoly ion formation is also size related. 

Recently (79MI50500) Sharpless and coworkers have shown that r-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) epoxidations, catalyzed by molybdenum or vanadium compounds, offer advantages over peroxy acids with regard to safety, cost and, sometimes, selectivity, e.g. Scheme 73, although this is not always the case (Scheme 74). The oxidation of propene by 1-phenylethyl hydroperoxide is an important industrial route to methyloxirane (propylene oxide) (79MI5501). 

A reaction of mixed molybdenum polyoxometalates (POMs) with cyanine dye has been used for highly selective and sensitive spectrophotometric determination of phosphorus(V) and arsenic(V). Color of the solution is considerably changed by reaction of Keggin POMs with styrene cyanine dyes. Derivatives of l,3,3-threemethyl-3//-indol - astrazone violet (AV 3R), astrazone rose, astrazone yellow, astrazone red were investigated. 

Wlien tlie diiral molybdenum -K-allyl-substituted enone 147 was treated witli litliium dimetliylciiptate, formation of adduct 148 witli fait selectivity was observed tSdieme 6.29) [69], Interestingly, bigber selectivities were obtained in tlie presetice of boron ttlbuotlde etlierate. It is assumed tliat Lewis acid coordination induces tlie s-trans reactive conformation 149 [64], Consequently, nudeopb de attack anti to tlie molybdetiLim ftagmetit sbould afford tlie major diastereomer 148. 

Steel is the most common constructional material, and is used wherever corrosion rates are acceptable and product contamination by iron pick-up is not important. For processes at low or high pH, where iron pick-up must be avoided or where corrosive species such as dissolved gases are present, stainless steels are often employed. Stainless steels suffer various forms of corrosion, as described in Section 53.5.2. As the corrosivity of the environment increases, the more alloyed grades of stainless steel can be selected. At temperatures in excess of 60°C, in the presence of chloride ions, stress corrosion cracking presents the most serious threat to austenitic stainless steels. Duplex stainless steels, ferritic stainless steels and nickel alloys are very resistant to this form of attack. For more corrosive environments, titanium and ultimately nickel-molybdenum alloys are used. 

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