Nickel-rhodium based catalysts for synthesis gas production
AssigneeConoco Inc.
InventorsAnne M. Gaffney, David R. Corbin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process of preparing a product gas mixture comprising CO and H2 from a light hydrocarbon and O2 mixture is disclosed. The process includes contacting a reactant gas mixture comprising a C1-C5 hydrocarbon and a source of molecular oxygen with a catalytically effective amount of a supported catalyst comprising nickel and rhodium. The catalyst and reactant gas mixture is maintained at catalytic partial oxidation promoting conditions of temperature and pressure during the contacting period, which is preferably 10 milliseconds or less. Certain preferred catalysts comprise an alloy of about 1-50 weight percent nickel and about 0.01-10 weight percent rhodium on a porous refractory support structure.
Claims36
A catalyst comprising about 1-50 weight percent nickel and about 0.01-10 weight percent rhodium, and a support structure, said catalyst having activity for catalyzing the production of H2 and CO in a molar ratio of about 2:1 from a reactant gas mixture comprising methane and O2 under partial oxidation promoting conditions of temperature, flowrate and feed composition in a millisecond contact time reactor.
A process of preparing a product gas mixture comprising CO and H2 from a C1-C5 hydrocarbon and O2, the process comprising:
- contacting a reactant gas mixture comprising said hydrocarbon and a source of molecular oxygen with a catalytically effective amount of a supported catalyst comprising about 1-50 weight percent nickel, about 0.01-10 weight percent rhodium, optionally, at least one metal chosen from the group consisting of lanthanide elements, zirconium, cobalt, manganese and magnesium, and a support structure;
- and
- maintaining said supported catalyst and said reactant gas mixture at catalytic partial oxidation promoting conditions of temperature, gas flow rate and feed composition during said contacting.
A process of converting a C1-C5 hydrocarbon comprising at least about 50 vol % methane to a product gas mixture comprising CO and H2 in a molar ratio of about 2:1, the process comprising:
- mixing a methane-containing feedstock and an oxygen-containing feedstock to provide a reactant gas mixture feedstock having a carbon:oxygen ratio of about 1.25:1 to about 3.3:1;
- in a millisecond contact time reactor, contacting said reactant gas mixture feedstock with a catalytically effective amount of a supported catalyst comprising about 1-50 weight percent nickel, about 0.01-10 weight percent rhodium, optionally, at least one metal chosen from the group consisting of a lanthanide element, zirconium, cobalt, manganese and magnesium, and a support structure comprising a substance chosen from the group consisting of spinels, perovskites, pyrochlores and brownmillerites;
- passing said reactant gas mixture feedstock over said catalyst at a space velocity of about 20,000 to about 100,000,000 normal liters of gas per kilogram of catalyst per hour (NL/kg/h);
- during said contacting, maintaining said supported catalyst and said reactant gas mixture at a temperature of about 600-1200° C.;
- and
- during said contacting, maintaining said supported catalyst and said reactant gas mixture at a pressure of about 100-12,500 kPa.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.