Regeneration of catalyst for hydrogenation of sugars
AssigneeArcher Daniels Midland Company
InventorChiCheng Ma
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Abstract
A process for regenerating catalysts that have been deactivated or poisoned during hydrogenation of biomass, sugars and polysaccharides is described, in which polymerized species that have agglomerated to catalyst surfaces can be removed by means of washing the catalyst with hot water at subcritical temperatures. A feature of the process can regenerate the catalysts in situ, which allows the process to be adapted for used in continuous throughput reactor systems. Also described is a continuous hydrogenation process that incorporated the present regeneration process.
Claims11
A method of regenerating hydrogenation catalyst activity in-situ, the method comprising:
- a) providing a hydrogenation reactor, said reactor being configured to have at least a first and a second vessel, said first vessel having a first catalyst and said second vessel having a second catalyst, said first and second catalysts being either the same or of a different material;
- and b) rinsing each respective vessel and catalyst with subcritical deionized water of between about 130° C.-250° C. for an extended period.
The method according to claim wherein said method further comprises:
- introducing a subcritical deionized aqueous solution containing H2O2 in a concentration of ≦7% by volume to said first catalyst in said first vessel of said reactor when catalytic activity of said first catalyst decreases to a predetermined level;
- or introducing periodically an aqueous salt solution to either 1) said first catalyst in first vessel or 2) said second catalyst when catalytic activity of said second catalyst decreases to a predetermined level;
- removing respectively said aqueous H2O2 solution from said first vessel and said aqueous salt solution from said first or second vessels of said reactor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.