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.
Claims17
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.