Preparation of epoxides from alkanes using lanthanide-promoted silver catalysts
AssigneeSRI International
InventorsGuido Mul, Marianna F. Asaro, Albert S. Hirschon, Robert B. Wilson JR.
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Abstract
A process is provided for use in the conversion of alkanes into alkylene oxides, having particular utility in the conversion of propane to form propylene oxide, using a lanthanide-promoted, supported, silver catalyst prepared via precipitation. A preferred embodiment uses silver nitrate and lanthanum nitrate to form the catalyst on a BaCO3 support.
Claims44
A process for the conversion of alkane to alkylene oxide comprising, contacting at a temperature in the range of approximately 200° C. to 400° C.:
- (a) a feedstream comprising alkane and an oxygen-containing gas;
- and
- (b) a supported silver catalyst comprising
- (i) an inert refractory solid support comprised of alkaline earth metal carbonate,
- (ii) a catalytically effective amount of silver,
- (iii) an effective promoting amount of a halide anion,
- (iv) effective promoting amounts of a rare earth metal promoter and a sodium promoter, and
- (v) an optional promoting amount of a transition metal promoter.
A process for the conversion of propane to propylene oxide comprising, (a) contacting at a temperature in the range of approximately 250° C. to 350° C.:
- (a) a feedstream comprising propane and an oxygen-containing gas;
- and
- (b) a supported silver catalyst comprising
- (i) an inert refractory solid support comprised of alkaline earth metal carbonate,
- (ii) a catalytically effective amount of silver,
- (iii) an effective promoting amount of a halide anion,
- (iv) effective promoting amounts of a rare earth metal promoter and a sodium promoter, and
- (v) an optional promoting amount of a transition metal promoter.
A catalyst composition comprising:
- (a) an alkaline earth metal carbonate support;
- (b) a catalytically effective amount of silver;
- (c) an effective promoting amount of a lanthanide metal;
- (d) an effective promoting amount of an alkali metal halide;
- (e) an effective promoting amount an alkali metal nitrate;
- and
- (f) an effective promoting amount of a transition metal promoter.
A catalyst comprising about 40% w/w to about 60% w/w alkaline earth metal carbonate, about 20% w/w to about 50% w/w silver, about 0.1% w/w to about 2% w/w alkali metal halide, about 1% w/w to about 15% w/w rare earth metal promoter, and about 1% w/w to about 15% w/w transition metal promoter.
A process for the conversion of alkane to alkene comprising, contacting at a temperature in the range of approximately 200° C. to 400° C.:
- (a) a feedstream comprising alkane and an oxygen-containing gas;
- and
- (b) a supported silver catalyst comprising
- (i) an inert refractory solid support comprised of alkaline earth metal carbonate,
- (ii) a catalytically effective amount of silver,
- (iii) an effective promoting amount of a halide anion,
- (iv) an effective promoting amount of a rare earth metal promoter,
- (v) an effective promoting amount of a sodium promoter, and
- (vi) an optional effective promoting amount of a transition metal promoter.
A process for the conversion of propane to propylene comprising contacting at a temperature in the range of approximately 250° C. to 350° C.:
- (a) a feedstream comprising propane and an oxygen-containing gas;
- and
- (b) a supported silver catalyst comprising
- (i) an inert refractory solid support comprised of alkaline earth metal carbonate,
- (ii) a catalytically effective amount of silver,
- (iii) an effective promoting amount of a halide anion,
- (iv) an effective promoting amount of a rare earth metal promoter,
- (v) an effective promoting amount of a sodium promoter, and
- (vi) an optional effective promoting amount of a transition metal promoter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.