Vanadium catalysts maleic anhydride

Vapor-phase oxidation over a promoted vanadium pentoxide catalyst gives a 90% yield of maleic anhydride [108-31-6] (139). Liquid-phase oxidation with a supported palladium catalyst gives 55% of succinic acid [110-15-6] (140). 

Ma.leic Anhydride. The largest chemical use for / -butane is as feedstock for maleic anhydride. A dilute air—butane mixture is passed over a vanadium—phosphoms catalyst 400—500°C to produce maleic anhydride [108-31-6] in good yield. Formerly benzene was used as feedstock, but in the last few years nearly all maleic anhydride in the United States, and an increasing proportion worldwide, is made from butane. 

Maleic anhydride and the two diacid isomers were first prepared in the 1830s (1) but commercial manufacture did not begin until a century later. In 1933 the National Aniline and Chemical Co., Inc., installed a process for maleic anhydride based on benzene oxidation using a vanadium oxide catalyst (2). Maleic acid was available commercially ia 1928 and fumaric acid production began in 1932 by acid-catalyzed isomerization of maleic acid. 

The catalyst used in the production of maleic anhydride from butane is vanadium—phosphoms—oxide (VPO). Several routes may be used to prepare the catalyst (123), but the route favored by industry involves the reaction of vanadium(V) oxide [1314-62-1] and phosphoric acid [7664-38-2] to form vanadyl hydrogen phosphate, VOHPO O.5H2O. This material is then heated to eliminate water from the stmcture and irreversibly form vanadyl pyrophosphate, (V(123,124). Vanadyl pyrophosphate is befleved to be the catalyticaHy active phase required for the conversion of butane to maleic anhydride (125,126). 

The bulk stmcture of the catalyticaHy active phase is not completely known and is under debate in the Hterature (125,131—133). The central point of controversy is whether (Valone or in combination with other phases is the most catalyticaHy active for the conversion of butane to maleic anhydride. The heart of this issue concerns the role of stmctural disorder in the bulk and how it arises in the catalyst (125,134,135). Most researchers agree that the catalysts with the highest activity and selectivity ate composed mainly of (Vthat exhibits a clustered or distorted platelet morphology (125). It is also generaHy acknowledged that during operation of the catalyst, the bulk oxidation state of the vanadium in the catalyst remains very close to the +4 valence state (125). 

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). 

Butane-Based Fixed-Bed Process Technology. Maleic anhydride is produced by reaction of butane with oxygen using the vanadium phosphoms oxide heterogeneous catalyst discussed earlier. The butane oxidation reaction to produce maleic anhydride is very exothermic. The main reaction by-products are carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. Stoichiometries and heats of reaction for the three principal reactions are as follows ... 

Oxidation. Benzene can be oxidized to a number of different products. Strong oxidizing agents such as permanganate or dichromate oxidize benzene to carbon dioxide and water under rigorous conditions. Benzene can be selectively oxidized in the vapor phase to maleic anhydride. The reaction occurs in the presence of air with a promoted vanadium pentoxide catalyst (11). Prior to 1986, this process provided most of the world s maleic anhydride [108-31 -6] C4H2O2. Currendy maleic anhydride is manufactured from the air oxidation of / -butane also employing a vanadium pentoxide catalyst. 

The vapor-phase oxidation (VPO) of butadiene with air at 200—500°C produces maleic anhydride [108-31-6]. Catalysts used are based on vanadium and molybdenum oxides (89,90). Alternatively, when using a catalyst containing Al, Mo, and Ti, butadiene undergoes a complex series of condensations and oxidations to form anthraquinone at 250°C (91). 

Mixed Metal Oxides and Propylene Ammoxidation. The best catalysts for partial oxidation are metal oxides, usually mixed metal oxides. For example, phosphoms—vanadium oxides are used commercially for oxidation of / -butane to give maleic anhydride, and oxides of bismuth and molybdenum with other components are used commercially for oxidation of propylene to give acrolein or acrylonitrile. 

Maleic anhydride is commonly prepared by passing a mixture of benzene vapour and air over a catalyst (e.g. a vanadium derivative) at elevated temperatures (e.g. 450°C). It is a crystalline solid melting at 52.6°C (the acid melts at 130 C). 

Other catalyst systems such as iron V2O5-P2O5 over silica alumina are used for the oxidation. In the Monsanto process (Figure 6-4), n-butane and air are fed to a multitube fixed-bed reactor, which is cooled with molten salt. The catalyst used is a proprietary modified vanadium oxide. The exit gas stream is cooled, and crude maleic anhydride is absorbed then recovered from the solvent in the stripper. Maleic anhydride is further purified using a proprietary solvent purification system. ... 

A new process for the partial oxidation of n-butane to maleic anhydride was developed by DuPont. The important feature of this process is the use of a circulating fluidized bed-reactor. Solids flux in the rizer-reactor is high and the superficial gas velocities are also high, which encounters short residence times usually in seconds. The developed catalyst for this process is based on vanadium phosphorous oxides... 

The production of maleic anhydride from n-butenes is a catalyzed reaction occurring at approximately 400-440°C and 2-4 atmospheres. A special catalyst, constituted of an oxide mixture of molybdenum, vanadium, and phosphorous, may be used. Approximately 45% yield of maleic anhydride could be obtained from this route ... 

The industrial catalyst for n-butane oxidation to maleic anhydride (MA) is a vanadium/phosphoras mixed oxide, in which bulk vanadyl pyrophosphate (VPP) (VO)2P207 is the main component. The nature of the active surface in VPP has been studied by several authors, often with the use of in situ techniques (1-3). While in all cases bulk VPP is assumed to constitute the core of the active phase, the different hypotheses concern the nature of the first atomic layers that are in direct contact with the gas phase. Either the development of surface amorphous layers, which play a direct role in the reaction, is invoked (4), or the participation of specific planes contributing to the reaction pattern is assumed (2,5), the redox process occurring reversibly between VPP and VOPO4. 

ALMA [Alusuisse maleic anhydride] A process for making maleic anhydride by oxidizing -butane, using a fluid bed reactor and a special organic solvent recovery system. The catalyst contains vanadium and phosphoms on iron oxide. Developed jointly by Alusuisse Italia and ABB Lummus Crest. First licensed to Shin-Daikowa Petrochemical Company, Yokkaichi, Japan, in 1988. The world s largest plant plant was built for Lonza in Ravenna, Italy, in 1994. 

The selective oxidation of ra-butane to give maleic anhydride (MA) catalyzed by vanadium phosphorus oxides is an important commercial process (99). MA is subsequently used in catalytic processes to make tetrahydrofurans and agricultural chemicals. The active phase in the selective butane oxidation catalyst is identified as vanadyl pyrophosphate, (V0)2P207, referred to as VPO. The three-dimensional structure of orthorhombic VPO, consisting of vanadyl octahedra and phosphate tetrahedra, is shown in Fig. 17, with a= 1.6594 nm, b = 0.776 nm, and c = 0.958 nm (100), with (010) as the active plane (99). Conventional crystallographic notations of round brackets (), and triangular point brackets (), are used to denote a crystal plane and crystallographic directions in the VPO structure, respectively. The latter refers to symmetrically equivalent directions present in a crystal. 

Vanadium phosphorus oxides (VPO) are commercially used as catalysts for the s5mthesis of maleic anhydride from the partial oxidation of n-butane. The phase constitution and the morphology of the catalyst are found to be dependent on the preparation routes and the applied solvent [78]. Recently, a method to prepare VPO catalysts in aqueous solution at elevated temperature was reported [79]. In addition to the linear relationship between specific activity and surface area, a small group of catalysts exhibit enhanced activity, which could be due to the combination of a higher proportion of V phases in the bulk of vanadyl pyrophosphate (V0)2P207 catalyst [79, 80]. With high relevance to the catalytic properties, the microstructure characterisation of VPO therefore is of great importance. 

The solids analysis described above can be taken to yet another level by correlating the color measurement to chemical properties. An excellent model system is vanadium pyrophosphate (VPO), which is a well-known catalyst for butane oxidation to maleic anhydride. During the synthesis of the catalyst precursor, solid V2O5 particles are dispersed in a mixture of benzyl alcohol and i-butanol. In this slurry phase, the vanadium is partly reduced. Addition of phosphoric acid leads to a further reduction and the formation of the VPO structure. With a diffuse reflectance (DR) UV-vis probe by Fiberguide Ind., the surface of the suspended solid particles could be monitored during this slurry reaction. Four points can be noted from Figure 4.4 ... 

It is now considered, by most groups working in this area, that vanadyl pyrophosphate (VO)2P207 is the central phase of the Vanadium Phosphate system for butane oxidation to maleic anhydride (7 ). However the local structure of the catalytic sites is still a subject of discussion since, up to now, it has not been possible to study the characteristics of the catalyst under reaction conditions. Correlations have been attempted between catalytic performances obtained at variable temperature (380-430 C) in steady state conditions and physicochemical characterization obtained at room temperature after the catalytic test, sometimes after some deactivation of the catalyst. As a consequence, this has led to some confusion as to the nature of the active phase and of the effective sites. (VO)2P207, V (IV) is mainly detected by X-Ray Diffraction. 

Phosphorus-Vanadium Oxide Catalysts for Butane to Maleic Anhydride Oxidation... 

Complex vanadium-phosphorus-oxide catalysts are the most successful industrial catalysts for the selective oxidation of /i-butane to maleic anhydride (MA) with uses in tetrahydrofurans (THE) and polyurethane intermediates. A schematic diagram of the reaction is shown in figure 3.21(a). These catalysts have been studied extensively (e.g. Centi et al 1993, Bordes 1987). In the selective catalysation of a-butane to MA, the best active phase in the V-P-0 system is identified as the vanadyl pyrophosphate, (VO)2P207 (hereafter... 

A variety of metal oxides (e.g. V2O5) have been employed for oxidation reactions, besides noble metals (e.g. Pt and Ag). Auto-exhaust catalysts employ metals such as Rh, Pd and Pt besides Ce02 and other oxides. The use of metal oxide catalysts for oxidation reactions has been discussed quite widely in the literature (Grasselli Brazdil, 1985). Perovskite oxides of the type CaMn03 and Laj A jM03 (A = Ca, Sr M = Co, Mn) are excellent candidates as oxidation catalysts. The 14-electron oxidation of butane to maleic anhydride is effectively carried out over phosphorus vanadium oxide catalysts of the type VOPO4 (Centi et al., 1988). 

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