Sulfate-supported metal oxides industrial processes

The selective oxidation of ethylene to ethylene oxide (EO) is performed on supported silver catalysts at temperatures of250—280 °C, and a pressure of roughly 20 bar. In this process, it is necessary to avoid secondary reactions of EO. Typical industrial catalysts may contain 8—15 wt% silver dispersed on low surface area (X-AI2O3 (0.5-1.3 m g ) with a porosity of about 0.2—0.7 cm g In addition, the catalyst may contain several promoters in varying amounts (ppm by weight) 500—1200 ppm alkali metal (mostly cesium), 5-300 ppm of sulfur as cesium or ammonium sulfate, 10-300 ppm offluorine as ammonium fluoride, or alkaft metal fluoride (427). 

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