Dehydrogenation catalysts
AssigneeThe Dow Chemical Company
InventorsFrederick J. Soderquist, Harold D. Boyce, William R. Butts
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Abstract
Self-regenerative dehydrogenation catalysts containing major proportions of Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 and ZnO and lesser amounts of alkali metal chromate and, optionally, cuprous oxide promoters together with a basic potassium-water-gas reaction promoter are improved in several respects when the basic potassium promoter is increased to 18-35 percent calculated as K.sub.2 CO.sub.3 based on the active ingredients. Significantly lower ratios of steam to hydrocarbon are thereby made practical and in the dehydrogenation of meta and paraethyltoluene to vinyltoluene, less "popcorn" polymer is formed in the product stream with these high K.sub.2 CO.sub.3 catalysts.
Claims9
A self-regenerative catalyst composition for the steam dehydrogenation of lower alkyl aromatic hydrocarbons to the corresponding vinyl aromatic compounds consisting essentially of about 55-75 percent by weight of Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 and ZnO in a weight ratio of from about 0.8 to about 1.8 Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 to one of ZnO, about 8-12 percent of a sodium or potassium chromate, and a basic potassium promoter of the water gas reaction from the group consisting of K.sub.2 CO.sub.3, K.sub.2 O and KOH, the improvement wherein said promoter constitutes about 18-35 percent of the total calculated as K.sub.2 CO.sub.3.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.