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US 7,404,936 B2Granted
Catalysts, in microchannel apparatus, and reactions using same
AssigneeVelocys, Inc.
InventorsTerry J. Mazanec, Yong Wang, Laura J. Silva, David P. VanderWiel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides new microreactor systems, catalysts, and chemical processes. Methods of making novel catalysts and reaction apparatus are also described.
Claims35
A method of conducting a reaction, comprising:
- flowing at least one reactant into a microchannel;
- wherein the microchannel comprises a graded catalyst;
- reacting the at least one reactant in the presence of the graded catalyst within the microchannel;
- wherein the reactant, or reactants, and catalyst are selected such that the step of reacting is selected from the group consisting of:
- acetylation, addition reactions, alkylation, dealkylation, hydrodealkylation, reductive alkylation, amination, ammoxidation, ammonia synthesis, aromatization, arylation, autothermal reforming, carbonylation, decarbonylation, reductive carbonylation, carboxylation, reductive carboxylation, reductive coupling, condensation, cracking, hydrocracking, cyclization, cyclooligomerization, dehalogenation, dimerization, epoxidation, esterification, exchange, Fischer-Tropsch, halogenation, hydrohalogenation, homologation, hydration, dehydration, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, hydrocarboxylation, hydroformylation, hydrogenolysis, hydrometallation, hydrosilation, hydrolysis, hydrotreating (HDS/HDN), isomerization, methylation, demethylation, metathesis, nitration, polymerization, reduction, reformation, reverse water gas shift, Sabatier, sulfonation, telomerization, transesterification, trimerization, and water gas shift;
- wherein the graded catalyst has a varying thermal conductivity such that the thermal conductivity in one part of the graded catalyst is at least 50% higher than in another part of the graded catalyst;
- and forming at least one product.
4 more elements
A method of conducting a reaction, comprising:
- flowing at least one reactant into a microchannel through a microchannel inlet;
- wherein the microchannel comprises a center;
- wherein the microchannel comprises a graded catalyst that has a varying thermal conductivity such that the thermal conductivity in one part of the graded catalyst is at least 25% higher than in another part of the graded catalyst;
- reacting the at least one reactant in the presence of the graded catalyst within the microchannel;
- wherein the reactant, or reactants, and catalyst are selected such that the step of reacting is selected from the group consisting of:
- acetylation, addition reactions, alkylation, dealkylation, hydrodealkylation, reductive alkylation, amination, ammoxidation, ammonia synthesis, aromatization, arvlation, autothermal reforming, carbonylation, decarbonylation, reductive carbonylation, carboxylation, reductive carboxylation, reductive coupling, condensation, cracking, hydrocracking, cyclization, cyclooligomerization, dehalogenation, dimerization, epoxidation, esterification, exchange, Fischer-Tropsch, halogenation, hydrohalogenation, homologation, hydration, dehydration, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, hydrocarboxylation, hydroformylation, hydrogenolysis, hydrometallation, hydrosilation, hydrolysis, hydrotreating (HDS/HDN), isomerization, methylation, demethylation, metathesis, nitration, polymerization, reduction, reformation, reverse water gas shift, Sabatier, sulfonation, telomerization, transesterification, trimerization, and water gas shift;
- and forming at least one product.
4 more elements
A method of conducting a reaction, comprising:
- flowing at least one reactant into a microchannel through a microchannel inlet;
- wherein the microchannel comprises a center and a microchannel wall;
- wherein the microchannel contains one catalyst that is a graded catalyst that has a higher concentration of catalytically active material in the catalyst nearer the microchannel wall than the concentration of the catalytically active material in the catalyst nearer the center of the microchannel;
- and
- wherein the microchannel wall is adjacent to a heat exchanger;
- reacting the at least one reactant in the presence of the graded catalyst within the microchannel;
- wherein the reactant, or reactants, and catalyst are selected such that the step of reacting is selected from the group consisting of:
- acetylation, addition reactions, alkylation, dealkylation, hydrodealkylation, reductive alkylation, amination, ammoxidation, ammonia synthesis, aromatization, arylation, autothermal reforming, carbonylation, decarbonylation, reductive carbonylation, carboxylation, reductive carboxylation, reductive coupling, condensation, cracking, hydrocracking, cyclization, cyclooligomerization, dehalogenation, dimerization, epoxidation, esterification, exchange, Fischer-Tropsch, halogenation, hydrohalogenation, homologation, hydration, dehydration, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, hydrocarboxylation, hydroformylation, hydrogenolysis, hydrometallation, hydrosilation, hydrolysis, hydrotreating (HDS/HDN), isomerization, methylation, demethylation, metathesis, nitration, polymerization, reduction, reformation, reverse water gas shift, Sabatier, sulfonation, telomerization, transesterification, trimerization, and water gas shift;
- simultaneous with the step of reacting, transferring heat between the microchannel and the heat exchanger;
- and forming at least one product.
7 more elements
A method of conducting a reaction, comprising:
- flowing at least one reactant into a first reaction microchannel;
- wherein a catalyst is disposed in the first reaction microchannel;
- reacting the at least one reactant in the presence of the graded catalyst within the first reaction microchannel;
- wherein the reactant, or reactants, and catalyst are selected such that the step of reacting is selected from the group consisting of:
- acetylation, addition reactions, alkylation, dealkylation, hydrodealkylation, reductive alkylation, amination, ammoxidation, ammonia synthesis, aromatization, arylation, autothermal reforming, carbonylation, decarbonylation, reductive carbonylation, carboxylation, reductive carboxylation, reductive coupling, condensation, cracking, hydrocracking, cyclization, cyclooligomerization, dehalogenation, dimerization, epoxidation, esterification, exchange, Fischer-Tropsch, halogenation, hydrohalogenation, homologation, hydration, dehydration, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, hydrocarboxylation, hydroformylation, hydrogenolysis, hydrometallation, hydrosilation, hydrolysis, hydrotreating (HDS/HDN), isomerization, methylation, demethylation, metathesis, nitration, polymerization, reduction, reformation, reverse water gas shift, Sabatier, sulfonation, telomerization, transesterification, trimerization, and water gas shift;
- wherein the catalyst is a graded catalyst that has a higher concentration of catalytically active material in the catalyst nearer the microchannel wall than the concentration of the catalytically active material in the catalyst nearer the center of the microchannel;
- exchanging heat between the first reaction microchannel and an adjacent, second reaction microchannel;
- wherein one of the first or second reaction channels comprises an exothermic reaction and the other of the reaction channels comprises an endothermic reaction;
- and forming at least one first product in the first reaction microchannel and forming at least one second product in the second reaction microchannel.
6 more elements
A method of conducting a reaction, comprising:
- flowing at least one reactant into a microchannel;
- wherein a catalyst is disposed in the microchannel;
- wherein the catalyst consists of a graded catalyst that has a higher concentration of catalytically active material in the catalyst nearer the microchannel wall than the concentration of the catalytically active material in the catalyst nearer the center of the microchannel;
- a step of reacting the at least one reactant in the presence of the graded catalyst within the microchannel;
- wherein the reactant, or reactants, and catalyst are selected such that the step of reacting is selected from the group consisting of:
- acetylation, addition reactions, alkylation, dealkylation, hydrodealkylation, reductive alkylation, amination, ammoxidation, ammonia synthesis, aromatization, arylation, autothermal reforming, carbonylation, decarbonylation, reductive carbonylation, carboxylation, reductive carboxylation, reductive coupling, condensation, cracking, hydrocracking, cyclization, cyclooligomerization, dehalogenation, dimerization, epoxidation, esterification, exchange, Fischer-Tropsch, halogenation, hydrohalogenation, homologation, hydration, dehydration, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, hydrocarboxylation, hydroformylation, hydrogenolysis, hydrometallation, hydrosilation, hydrolysis, hydrotreating (HDS/HDN), isomerization, methylation, demethylation, metathesis, nitration, polymerization, reduction, reformation, reverse water gas shift, Sabatier, sulfonation, telomerization, transesterification, trimerization, and water gas shift;
- and forming at least one product.
4 more elements
A method of conducting a reaction, comprising:
- flowing at least one reactant into a microchannel;
- wherein a catalyst is disposed in the microchannel;
- wherein the graded catalyst has a varying thermal conductivity such that the thermal conductivity in one part of the graded catalyst is at least 25% higher than in another part of the graded catalyst;
- a step of reacting the at least one reactant in the presence of the graded catalyst within the microchannel;
- wherein the reactant, or reactants, and catalyst are selected such that the step of reacting is selected from the group consisting of:
- acetylation, addition reactions, alkylation, dealkylation, hydrodealkylation, reductive alkylation, amination, ammoxidation, ammonia synthesis, aromatization, arylation, carbonylation, decarbonylation, reductive carbonylation, carboxylation, reductive carboxylation, reductive coupling, condensation, cracking, hydrocracking, cyclization, cyclooligomerization, dehalogenation, dimerization, epoxidation, esterification, exchange, Fischer-Tropsch, halogenation, hydrohalogenation, homologation, hydration, dehydration, hydrogenation, hydrocarboxylation, hydroformylation, hydrogenolysis, hydrometallation, hydrosilation, hydrolysis, hydrotreating (HDS/HDN), isomerization, methylation, demethylation, metathesis, nitration, polymerization, hydrocarbon reforming, reverse water gas shift, Sabatier, sulfonation, telomerization, transesterification, trimerization, and water gas shift;
- and forming at least one product.
4 more elements
A method of conducting a reaction, comprising:
- flowing at least one reactant into a microchannel;
- wherein the microchannel comprises a graded catalyst wherein the graded catalyst comprises at least a portion of at least one wall of a bulk flow path through the microchannel;
- reacting the at least one reactant in the presence of the graded catalyst within the microchannel;
- wherein the reactant, or reactants, and catalyst are selected such that the step of reacting is selected from the group consisting of:
- acetylation, addition reactions, ailcylation, dealkylation, hydrodealkylation, reductive alkylation, amination, ammoxidation, ammonia synthesis, aromatization, arylation, autothermal reforming, carbonylation, decarbonylation, reductive carbonylation, carboxylation, reductive carboxylation, reductive coupling, condensation, cracking, hydrocracking, cyclization, cyclooligomerization, dehalogenation, dimerization, epoxidation, esterification, exchange, Fischer-Tropsch, halogenation, hydrohalogenation, homologation, hydration, dehydration, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, hydrocarboxylation, hydroformylation, hydrogenolysis, hydrometallation, hydrosilation, hydrolysis, hydrotreating (HDS/HDN), isomerization, methylation, demethylation, metathesis, nitration, polymerization, reduction, reformation, reverse water gas shift, Sabatier, sulfonation, telomerization, transesterification, trimerization, and water gas shift;
- wherein the physical form of the catalyst varies over the length of the microchannel and forming at least one product.
3 more elements
A method of conducting a reaction, comprising:
- flowing at least one reactant into a microchannel;
- wherein the microchannel comprises a graded catalyst;
- reacting the at least one reactant in the presence of the graded catalyst within the microchannel;
- wherein the reactant, or reactants, and catalyst are selected such that the step of reacting is selected from the group consisting of:
- acetylation, addition reactions, alkylation, dealkylation, hydrodealkylation, reductive alkylation, amination, ammoxidation, ammonia synthesis, aromatization, arylation, autothermal reforming, carbonylation, decarbonylation, reductive carbonylation, carboxylation, reductive carboxylation, reductive coupling, condensation, cracking, hydrocracking, cyclization, cyclooligomerization, dehalogenation, dimerization, epoxidation, esterification, exchange, Fischer-Tropsch, halogenation, hydrohalogenation, homologation, hydration, dehydration, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, hydrocarboxylation, hydroformylation, hydrogenolysis, hydrometallation, hydrosilation, hydrolysis, hydrotreating (HDS/HDN), isomerization, methylation, demethylation, metathesis, nitration, polymerization, reduction, reformation, reverse water gas shift, Sabatier, sulfonation, telomerization, transesterification, trimerization, and water gas shift;
- wherein the physical form of the catalyst varies over the width of the microchannel;
- and forming at least one product.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.