Abstract:
A process for the epoxidation of ethylene comprising: contacting an inlet feed gas comprising ethylene, oxygen and one or more reaction modifiers consisting of organic chlorides with an epoxidation catalyst comprising a carrier, and having silver, a rhenium promoter, and one or more alkali metal promoters deposited thereon; wherein the inlet feed gas has an overall catalystchloriding effectiveness value (Cleff) represented by the formula (I): wherein [MC], [EC], [EDC], and [VC] are the concentrations in ppmv of methyl chloride (MC), ethylchloride (EC), ethylene dichloride (EDC), and vinylchloride (VC), respectively, and [CH4], [C2H6] and [C2H4] are the concentrations in mole percent of methane, ethane, and ethylene, respectively, in the inlet feedgas; wherein at a cumulative ethylene oxide production cumEO1 of at least 0.2 kton ethylene oxide/m3 catalyst, said process is operating at a reaction temperature having a value T1 and with the inlet feed gas having an optimum overall catalyst chloriding effectiveness value of Cleff1 to produce ethylene oxide with an ethylene oxide production parameter at a value EO1; and characterised in that the carrier is a fluoride-mineralized alpha-alumina carrier and said process is subsequently operated such that at a cumulative ethylene oxide production cumEOx, wherein cumEOx is at least 0.6 kton ethylene oxide/m3 catalyst greater than cumEO1, the reaction temperature 5 has an increased value Tx to maintain said ethylene oxide production parameter at a value EO1 whilst the optimum overall catalyst chloriding effectiveness value of the inlet feed gas Cleffx is controlled such that the ratio of Cleffx/Cleff1 is in the range of from 0.8 to 1.2.
Abstract:
A process for treating a carrier, or a precursor thereof, to at least partly remove impurities from the carrier, or the precursor thereof, comprising: contacting the carrier, or the precursor thereof, with a treatment solution comprising a salt in a concentration of at most 0.05 molar, wherein the salt comprises a cation and an anion, and wherein the cation is selected from ammonium, phosphonium, organic cations and combinations thereof, and wherein the anion is selected from organic anions, inorganic carboxylates, oxyanions of elements from Groups IIIA through VIIA of the Periodic Table of Elements, and combinations thereof; and separating at least part of the treatment solution from the carrier, or the precursor thereof.
Abstract:
An ethylene epoxidation catalyst is disclosed that comprises a fluoride-mineralized carrier having silver and a rhenium promoter deposited thereon, wherein the fluoride-mineralized carrier has: a total fluorine (TF) content less than 5000 ppm as measured by XRF, a water extractable fluorine (WEF) content greater than 45 ppm as measured by microwave extraction and ion specific electrode, and wherein the ratio of TF:WEF is between 10 and 110. Associated methods of manufacturing such catalysts and epoxidation methods using such catalysts are similarly provided.