Rigid porous carbon structures, methods of making, methods of using and products containing same
AssigneeHyperion Catalysis International, Inc.
InventorsHoward Tennent, David Moy, Chun-Ming Niu
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Abstract
This invention relates to rigid porous carbon structures and to methods of making same. The rigid porous structures have a high surface area which are substantially free of micropores. Methods for improving the rigidity of the carbon structures include causing the nanofibers to form bonds or become glued with other nanofibers at the fiber intersections. The bonding can be induced by chemical modification of the surface of the nanofibers to promote bonding, by adding “gluing” agents and/or by pyrolyzing the nanofibeirs to cause fusion or bonding at the interconnect points.
Claims39
A supported catalyst for conducting a fluid phase catalytic chemical reaction which comprises:
- (a) a catalyst support comprising a rigid porous carbon structure which comprises intertwined, interconnected, substantially pure carbon nanofibers, said rigid porous carbon structure having a density greater than 0.8 g/cm3 and a crush strength greater than 5 lb/in2;
- and
- (b) a catalytically effective amount of a catalyst supported on said catalyst support.
A method of making a supported catalyst for conducting a fluid phase catalytic chemical reaction comprising incorporating a catalytically effective amount of a catalyst onto a catalyst support which comprises a rigid porous carbon structure, comprising intertwined, interconnected, substantially pure carbon nanofibers and having a density greater than 0.8 g/cm3 and a crush strength greater than 5 lb/in2.
A method of making a supported catalyst for conducting a hydrogenation reaction, a dehydrogenation reaction, Fischer-Tropsch reaction, an ammonia synthesis, an isomerization reaction, a hydrodesulfurization reaction, a carbonylation reaction, a Wacker process, a discrete fibril-forming reaction or a fibril aggregate-forming reaction, comprising incorporating a catalytically effective amount of a catalyst onto a catalyst support which comprises a rigid porous carbon structure, comprising intertwined, interconnected, substantially pure carbon nanofibers and having a density greater than 0.8 g/cm3 and a crush strength greater than 5 lb/in2.
A method of making a supported catalyst for conducting a substitution reaction, an addition reaction, a P-elimination reaction, a rearrangement reaction, an oxidation reaction, a reduction reaction, two or more of the foregoing reactions, comprising incorporating a catalytically effective amount of a catalyst onto a catalyst support which comprises a rigid porous carbon structure, comprising intertwined, interconnected, substantially pure carbon nanofibers and having a density greater than 0.8 g/cm3 and a crush strength greater than 5 lb/in2.
A supported catalyst for conducting a substitution reaction, an addition reaction, a β-elimination reaction, a rearrangement reaction, an oxidation reaction, a reduction reaction, two or more of the foregoing reactions, comprising:
- (a) a catalyst support comprising a rigid porous carbon structure which comprises intertwined, interconnected, substantially pure carbon nanofibers, said rigid porous carbon structure having a density greater than 0.8 g/cm3 and a crush strength greater than 5 lb/in2;
- and
- (b) a catalytically effective amount of a catalyst supported on said catalyst support.
A supported catalyst for conducting a hydrogenation reaction, a dehydrogenation reaction, Fischer-Tropsch reaction, an ammonia synthesis, an isomerization reaction, a hydrodesulfurization reaction, a carbonylation reaction, a Wacker process, a discrete fibril-forming reaction or a fibril aggregate forming reaction, comprising:
- (a) a catalyst support comprising a rigid porous carbon structure which comprises intertwined, interconnected, substantially pure carbon nanofibers, said rigid porous carbon structure having a density greater than 0.8 g/cm3 and a crush strength greater than 5 lb/in2;
- and
- (b) a catalytically effective amount of a catalyst supported on said catalyst support.
A method of making a supported catalyst with a rigid porous carbon structure having a crush strength greater than 5 lb/in2, comprising:
- (a) forming a first slurry of alumina and/or magnesia particles and carbon fibril aggregates, wherein said fibril aggregates are interconnected to form a rigid porous carbon structure of fibril aggregates bonded at the fibril aggregate intersections within the structure and have a crush strength greater than 5 lb/in2;
- (b) mixing said slurry of step (a) with a solution of salts of a catalytically effective amount of a catalyst for a fluid phase catalytic reaction thereby causing a precipitate to form which incorporates said catalyst onto said alumina and/or magnesia particles;
- and
- (c) calcining said second slurry to form said supported catalyst.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.