Patents by Inventor George C. Sonnichsen

George C. Sonnichsen has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5569785
    Abstract: This invention provides an attrition resistant catalyst composition and method for producing such composition. The catalyst is comprised of an acidic zeolite, rho or chabazite, and a particulate binder, kaolin, bentonite, alpha-alumina, or titania, which can be optionally modified by treatment with a compound containing Si, Al, P or B.This invention further provides a process for producing methylamines, preferably dimethylamine, comprising reacting methanol and/or dimethyl ether and ammonia in the presence of a catalytic amount of an attrition resistant catalyst of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 29, 1996
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Konstantinos Kourtakis, Horacio E. Bergna, George C. Sonnichsen, David R. Corbin, Loren D. Brake
  • Patent number: 5543532
    Abstract: This invention relates to cation substituted catalysts based primarily upon vanadium pyrophosphate, useful in the oxidation of alkane hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1996
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Kostantinos Kourtakis, George C. Sonnichsen
  • Patent number: 5482909
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved catalyst for the selective synthesis of monomethylamine (MMA) and dimethylamine (DMA) at the expense of trimethylamine (TMA) for a starting feed of methanol and/or dimethyl ether and ammonia. The current industrial catalyst for this process is a standard SiO.sub.2 /Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 material. The present invention combines this standard catalyst with microporous carbon molecular sieves (CMS) to form a composite material (i.e., a CMS/SiO.sub.2 /Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 material) with higher selectivity for the desired products MMA and DMA. The invention also relates to methods of making the improved catalyst and a process of using the improved catalyst material in the production of MMA and DMA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1996
    Assignees: University of Delaware, E. I. Du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Henry C. Foley, George C. Sonnichsen, Loren D. Brake, Ravindra K. Mariwala, Davis S. Lafyatis
  • Patent number: 5470814
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved catalyst for the selective synthesis of monomethylamine (MMA) and dimethylamine (DMA) at the expense of trimethylamine (TMA) for a starting feed of methanol and/or dimethyl ether and ammonia. The current industrial catalyst for this process is a standard SiO.sub.2 /Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 material. The present invention combines this standard catalyst with microporous carbon molecular sieves (CMS) to form a composite material (i.e., a CMS/SiO.sub.2 /Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 material) with higher selectivity for the desired products MMA and DMA. The invention also relates to methods of making the improved catalyst and a process of using the improved catalyst material in the production of MMA and DMA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1995
    Assignees: University of Delaware, E. I. Du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Henry C. Foley, George C. Sonnichsen, Loren D. Brake, Ravindra K. Mariwala, David S. Lafyatis
  • Patent number: 5354893
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved catalyst for the selective synthesis of monomethylamine (MMA) and dimethylamine (DMA) at the expense of trimethylamine (TMA) for a starting feed of methanol and/or dimethyl ether and ammonia. The current industrial catalyst for this process is a standard SiO.sub.2 /Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 material. The present invention combines this standard catalyst with microporous carbon molecular sieves (CMS) to form a composite material (i.e., a CMS/SiO.sub.2 /Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 material) with higher selectivity for the desired products MMA and DMA. The invention also relates to methods of making the improved catalyst and a process of using the improved catalyst material in the production of MMA and DMA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1994
    Assignees: The University of Delaware, E. I. Du Pont de Nemours Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Henry C. Foley, George C. Sonnichsen, Loren D. Brake, Ravindra K. Mariwala, David S. Lafyatis
  • Patent number: 5235077
    Abstract: An improved process for preparing phenyl esters of alkanoyloxyacetic acids in which phenyl chloroacetate is reacted with the salt of a carboxylic acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1993
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Bijan Amini, Donald J. Dumas, Ronald A. Fong, George C. Sonnichsen
  • Patent number: 5153341
    Abstract: An improved process for preparing alkanoyloxyacetyloxybenzenesulfonate salts in which phenyl esters of alkanoyloxyacetic acids (alkanoyloxyacetyloxybenzenes) are sulfonated to yield novel alkanoyloxyacetyloxybenzenesulfonic acids which, on neutralization, yield the corresponding alkanoyloxyacetyloxybenzenesulfonate salts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1992
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Bijan Amini, Donald J. Dumas, George C. Sonnichsen
  • Patent number: 4985180
    Abstract: Phenyl esters of substituted acids are prepared by a two-step process in which a phenol derivative is first treated with an acid halide to yield a phenyl ester intermediate, and the intermediate is reacted with an appropriate nucleophile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 15, 1991
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Harold E. Bellis, Donald J. Dumas, George C. Sonnichsen, Vinayakam Subramanyam
  • Patent number: 4806689
    Abstract: A process is provided for producing dimethylamine, comprising reacting methanol and/or dimethylether and ammonia, in amounts sufficient to provide a carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio of from about 0.2 to about 1.5, at a temperature from about 250.degree. C. to about 450.degree. C., in the presence of a catalytic amount of an acidic zeolite rho.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1989
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Thurman E. Gier, Robert D. Shannon, George C. Sonnichsen, David R. Corbin, Michael Keane, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4752596
    Abstract: A process for producing dimethylamine is provided, comprising reacting methanol and/or dimethylether and ammonia, in amounts sufficient to provide a carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio from about 0.2 to about 1.5, and at a temperature from about 250.degree. C. to about 450.degree. C., in the presence of a catalytic amount of a modified acidic zeolite selected from the group consisting of chabazite, erionite, ZK-5, and rho, the zeolite having been modified by treatment with one or more compounds containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of silicon, aluminum, phosphorus, and boron, to deposit thereon at least 0.05 weight percent of the element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 21, 1988
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Horacio E. Bergna, David R. Corbin, George C. Sonnichsen
  • Patent number: 4737592
    Abstract: A process is provided for producing dimethylamine, comprising reacting methanol and/or dimethylether and ammonia in amounts sufficient to provide a carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio from about 0.2 to about 1.5, at a temperature from about 250.degree. C. to about 450.degree. C., in the presence of a catalytic amount of an acidic zeolite catalyst selected from the group consisting of natural, H-exchanged, and M-exchanged chabazites, each having a geometric selectivity index greater than about 3, wherein M is one or more alkali metal ions selected from the group consisting of Na, K, Rb, and Cs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 12, 1988
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Lloyd Abrams, Robert D. Shannon, George C. Sonnichsen
  • Patent number: 4602112
    Abstract: A process is provided for producing dimethylamine comprising reacting methanol and/or dimethylether and ammonia in amounts sufficient to provide a carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio from about 0.2 to about 1.5, at a temperature from about 250.degree. C. to about 450.degree. C., in the presence of a catalytic amount of an acidic H-ZK-5 zeolite catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1984
    Date of Patent: July 22, 1986
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Thurman E. Gier, Robert D. Shannon, George C. Sonnichsen