Abstract: A process for catalytically directly producing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) product from hydrogen and oxygen-containing feeds by contacting them with a supported noble metal phase-controlled catalyst and a suitable organic liquid solvent having a Solvent Selection Parameter (SSP) between 0.14×10−4 and 5.0×10−4 at reaction condition of 0-100° C. temperature and 100-3,000 psig pressure. Unconverted feed gas and organic liquid solvent solution are usually recovered and recycled back to the reactor along with any recovered catalyst. If desired, the hydrogen peroxide product can be fed together with an organic chemical feedstock such as propylene and with the organic liquid solvent solution into a second catalytic reaction step which oxidizes the feedstock to produce a desired crude oxidized organic product such as propylene oxide, which may be purified by distillation steps and recovered from the solvent solution.

Abstract: A process for producing oxidized organic chemical products such as propylene oxide from various organic chemical feedstocks utilizing as oxidant directly produced hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) intermediate oxidizing agent. The hydrogen peroxide intermediate is directly produced from hydrogen and oxygen feeds plus a suitable solvent in a first catalytic reaction step utilizing an active supported phase-controlled noble metal catalyst at reaction conditions of 0-100° C. temperature and 300-3,000 psig pressure. An organic chemical feedstock such as propylene together with the hydrogen peroxide intermediate and solvent solution are fed into a second catalytic reactor maintained at 0-150° C. temperature and 15-1,500 psig pressure and oxidized to produce a desired crude oxidized organic product such as propylene oxide, which is purified by distillation steps and recovered from the solvent solution.

Abstract: Fine iron-based catalyst particles from. Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) synthesis processes are effectively separated from catalyst/liquid/wax slurry by contacting and/or mixing the slurry with a coalescence enhancing treating solution to facilitate gravity separation and settling of such catalyst, and thereby yield a substantially clean hydrocarbon liquid/wax product. The treating solution includes a surface tension reducing agent, an agglutinating agent, and a coalescing agent each in selected proportions in aqueous solution. Useful mixing and settling conditions are 10-250° C. temperature, 0-500 psig pressure and treating solution to slurry volume ratio of 0.5-5:1, with the settling time for at least about 90% and preferably substantially all of the catalyst fines after the mixing step being less than about 15 minutes. The treating solution can be desirably recovered and reused in the F-T synthesis process, and the recovered catalyst either recycled or disposed as desired.

Abstract: Particulate skeletal iron catalyst is provided which contain at least about 50 wt. % iron with the remainder being a minor portion of a suitable non-ferrous metal and having characteristics of 0.062-1.0 mm particle size, 20-100 m2/g surface area, and 10-40 nm average pore diameter. Such skeletal iron catalysts are prepared and utilized for producing synthetic hydrocarbon products from CO and H2 feeds by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process. Iron powder is mixed with non-ferrous powder selected from aluminum, antimony, silicon, tin or zinc powder to provide 20-80 wt. % iron content and melted together to form an iron alloy, then cooled to room temperature and pulverized to provide 0.1-10 mm iron alloy catalyst precursor particles. The iron alloy pulverized particles are treated with NaOH or KOH caustic solution at 30-95° C.

Abstract: A hydrocarbon liquid feedstock containing at least 50 wt. % chemically digested organic-MSW material is catalytically hydroconverted utilizing either a single stage or two-stage catalytic reaction process to produce desirable lower-boiling hydrocarbon liquid products. The catalyst can be either a particulate supported type catalyst such as containing cobalt and/or molybdenum and/or nickel on alumina support, or a dispersed slurry type catalyst containing mainly iron oxide with anions of molybdate, phosphate, sulfate or tungstate, and combinations thereof. Broad useful reaction conditions are 600-860° F. (315-460° C.) temperature, 1000-3000 psi hydrogen partial pressure, and fresh feed rate of 20-60 pounds/hr/ft3 reactor volume. Effluent material from the final stage catalytic reactor is phase separated and the resulting liquid portion is fractionated to produce the desired low-boiling hydrocarbon liquid products particularly useful as transportation fuels.

Abstract: Skeletal iron catalysts are prepared and utilized for producing hydrocarbon products from CO and H2 feeds by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process. Iron powder is mixed with aluminum, antimony, silicon, tin or zinc powder and 0.01-5 wt % metal promotor powder to provide 20-80 wt % iron content, then melted together, cooled to room temperature and pulverized to provide 0.1-10 mm iron alloy catalyst precursor particles. The iron alloy precursor particles are treated with NaOH or KOH caustic solution at 30-95° C. to extract or leach out a major portion of the non-ferrous metal portion from the iron, and then dried and reduced under hydrogen atmosphere to provide the skeletal iron catalyst material. Such skeletal iron catalyst is utilized with CO+H2 feedstream in either fixed bed or slurry bed type reactor at 200-350° C. temperature, 1.0-3.0 mPa pressure and gas hourly space velocity of 0.5-3.0 L/g Fe/h to produce desired hydrocarbon products.

Abstract: A multi-stage catalytic hydrogenation and hydroconversion process for heavy hydrocarbon feed materials such as coal, heavy petroleum fractions, and plastic waste materials. In the process, the feedstock is reacted in a first-stage, back-mixed catalytic reactor with a highly dispersed iron-based catalyst having a powder, gel or liquid form. The reactor effluent is pressure-reduced, vapors and light distillate fractions are removed overhead, and the heavier liquid fraction is fed to a second stage back-mixed catalytic reactor. The first and second stage catalytic reactors are operated at 700-850° F. temperature, 1000-3500 psig hydrogen partial pressure and 20-80 lb./hr per ft3 reactor space velocity. The vapor and light distillates liquid fractions removed from both the first and second stage reactor effluent streams are combined and passed to an in-line, fixed-bed catalytic hydrotreater for heteroatom removal and for producing high quality naphtha and mid-distillate or a full-range distillate product.

Abstract: A particulate supported noble metal phase-controlled catalyst material having 5-1000 &mgr;m surface area of 50&mgr;500 m2/gm is provided for use in direct catalytic production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) product from hydrogen and oxygen-containing feedstreams. The catalyst is made by depositing phase controlled crystals of a noble metal such as palladium on a suitable particulate support material such as carbon black, by utilizing a precursor solution of the metal and a suitable control ionic polymer having molecular weight of 300-8000 such as sodium polyacrylate in a selected metal to polymer molar ratio of 1:0.1 to 1:10, which procedure provides desired phase control of the noble metal atoms to form widely dispersed minute noble metal crystals on the support material. The invention includes methods for making the catalyst, and also a process for utilizing the catalyst to directly produce high yields of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) product from hydrogen and oxygen-containing gaseous feedstreams.

Abstract: A highly dispersed iron-based ionic liquid or liquid-gel catalyst which may be anion-modified and metals-promoted has high catalytic activity, and is useful for hydrocracking/hydrogenation reactions for carbonaceous feed materials. The catalyst is produced by aqueous precipitation from saturated iron salt solutions such as ferric sulfate and ferric alum, and may be modified during preparation with anionic sulfate (SO.sub.4.sup.2-) and promoted with small percentages of at least one active metal such as cobalt, molybdenum, palladium, platinum, nickel, or tungsten or mixtures thereof. The resulting catalyst may be used in a preferred ionic liquid form or in a liquid-gel form, and either fluidic form can be easily mixed and reacted with carbonaceous feed materials such as coal, heavy petroleum fractions, mixed plastic waste, or mixtures thereof.

Abstract: Municipal solid waste (MSW) material is sized to provide a particulate material which is density separated into organic and inorganic portions using a suitable polar acidic organic liquid medium. The organic-MSW portion is digested in the polar acidic organic medium such as phenol at conditions of 500-850.degree. F. temperature, 300-2000 psig pressure and 5-100 minutes residence time. The digested organic material is then fractionated to produce gas, a light liquid boiling below about 170.degree. C., the polar acidic organic liquid medium such as phenol, boiling between 170 and 220.degree. C., and a liquid slurry boiling above about 220.degree. C. and including a powder material melting above about 400.degree. C. The recovered acidic organic liquid fraction is preferably recycled back to the density separation and/or digesting steps for further use in the process. The liquid slurry fraction product having heating value of 9,000-16,000 Btu/lb.

Abstract: A process for catalytic two-stage hydrodesulfurization of metal-containing petroleum residua feedstocks to achieve at least about 75% desulfurization of the liquid product while also providing at least about 40% reduction in catalyst consumption. In the process, used catalyst having a catalyst equilibrium age of 0.3-5.0 bbl oil feed/lb catalyst is withdrawn from the second stage reactor, rejuvenated so as to remove 10-50 wt. % of the contaminant metals and at least 80 wt. % of carbon deposited on the catalyst, and then cascaded forward and added to the first stage reactor. Sufficient fresh make-up catalyst is added to the second stage reactor to replace the used catalyst withdrawn there, and only sufficient fresh catalyst is added to the first stage reactor to replace any catalyst transfer losses. Used catalyst having a catalyst equilibrium age of 0.6 to 10.0 bbl. oil per lb. catalyst is withdrawn from the first stage reactor for discard.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for rejuvenating particulate used catalysts in a single rejuvenation vessel and providing a rejuvenated catalyst material having properties that result in activity substantially equal to new catalyst. The pressurizable vertically-oriented vessel has inlet and outlet openings for the catalyst and washing liquids, and is arranged to facilitate successive solvent liquid washing, water washings, and acid treatment steps for the used particulate catalyst provided in a bed in the vessel conical-shaped lower portion which contains catalyst rotary stirring means. After rejuvenation of the used catalyst, it is withdrawn from the vessel conical-shaped lower portion downwardly through a central withdrawal conduit and control valve for further processing. The water-soluble solvent and acid treatment liquids can be usually recovered by distillation for reuse in the catalyst rejuvenation process.

Abstract: A dispersed fine-sized anion-modified and phosphorus-promoted iron-oxide slurry catalyst having high surface area exceeding 100 m.sup.2 /gm and high catalytic activity, and which is useful for hydrogenation and hydroconversion reactions for carbonaceous feed materials is disclosed. The catalyst is synthesized by rapid aqueous precipitation from saturated salt solutions such as ferric sulfate and ferric alum, and is promoted with phosphorus. The iron-based catalysts are modified during their preparation with anionic sulfate (SO.sub.4.sup.2-). The resulting catalyst has primary particle size smaller than about 50 Angstrom units, and may be used in a preferred wet cake or gel form which can be easily mixed with a carbonaceous feed material such as coal, heavy petroleum fractions, mixed waste plastics, or mixtures thereof. Alternatively, the catalyst can be dried and/or calcined so as to be in a fine dry particulate form suitable for adding to the feed material.

Abstract: A dispersed fine-sized anion-modified iron oxide slurry catalyst having high surface area exceeding about 100 m.sup.2 /gm and high catalytic activity, and which is useful for hydrogenation and hydroconversion reactions for carbonaceous feed materials is disclosed. The catalyst is synthesized by rapid aqueous precipitation from saturated salt solutions such as ferric alum or ferric sulfate, and is promoted with at least one active metal such as cobalt, molybdenum, nickel, tungsten and combinations thereof. The iron-based dispersed catalysts are modified during their preparation with anionic modifiers such as molybdate (MoO.sub.4.sup.2-), phosphate (PO.sub.4.sup.3-), sulfate (SO.sub.4.sup.2-), or tungstate (WO.sub.4.sup.2-). The resulting catalyst usually has primary particle size smaller than about 50 Angstrom units, and may be used in the form of a gel or wet cake which can be easily mixed with a hydrocarbonaceous feed material such as coal, heavy petroleum fractions, mixed waste plastics or mixtures thereof.

Abstract: A catalyst for effective oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) includes 0.010-2 wt. % of a noble metal such as platinum in combination with 0.5-15 wt. % of a transition metal oxide such as chromium oxide (Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3), with at least the noble metal being deposited as a thin outer layer or shell not exceeding 0.10 mm thickness on a porous inert support such as alumina or silica having surface area of 10-400 m.sup.2 /g. The catalyst is made by adding the transition metal oxide such as chromium oxide (Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3) to the support material particles, and then subsequently mixing a solution of ammonium platinum nitrate with a suitable carrier liquid so as to form a "cluster" structure on the support material and which limits penetration of the active noble metal into the porous support, then drying, reducing, and calcining the metals-loaded support material.

Abstract: A rare earth oxide stabilized, cobalt promoted nickel catalyst supported on refractory material, and a process employing said catalyst for the production of hydrogen-containing gases, such as synthesis gas, reducing gas or town's gas, or for the production of methane-enriched gases, such as pipe-line gas at low steam-to-carbon ratio not above 3.5 from various hydrocarbon feedstocks.

Abstract: Hydrocarbon feedstocks containing tetra-hydro-dicyclo-penta-diene (THDCPD) dissolved in a suitable solvent is substantially totally reformed and hydroconverted in a non-catalytic reactor having length/internal diameter ratio between 10/1 and 30/1 at critical controlled reaction conditions, including molar ratio of hydrogen-to-THDCPD of 5.0:1-12.0:1, reaction temperature of 1100.degree.-1350.degree. F., reactor pressure of 550-650 psig, and feedstream reactor residence time of 10-50 seconds so as to yield primarily benzene product together with minor aromatic materials. Suitable solvent materials can be an aromatic solvent, a non-aromatic solvent containing naphthenic and paraffinic compounds, or a combination of each. When the solvent is predominantly an alkyl aromatics mixture, these components are hydrodealkylated while the THDCPD material undergoes simultaneous reformation in the reactor.

Abstract: Three-way precious metal catalysts useful for conversion treatment of pollutants in fuel combustion gases from automotive exhausts, or gas emissions from stationary fuel combustion sources, have chemical activity and thermal stability of the catalysts appreciably enhanced by utilizing a composite oxygen-ion conducting support material. Such composite supports are composed of zirconia stabilized by yttria, calcia, magnesia or scandia, and at least 40 wt. % inert support material such as alumina or titania, and have surface area of 20-300 m.sup.2 /gm. The catalysts can be supported by composites of yttria-stabilized-zirconia (YSZ) and alumina, and contain 0.01-3.0 wt % total active metals, which may consist of major metals platinum or palladium and minor metals rhodium or ruthenium dispersed on the support. Such three-way catalysts are thermally stable, achieve a high level of pollutants (CO, NO.sub.x, H.sub.

Abstract: Three-way catalysts used for treatment of automobile exhaust gas or gas emissions from stationary combustion sources, which typically have consisted of platinum and rhodium and sometimes palladium and rhodium dispersed on an .gamma.-alumina support, can have the activities of the active metals in the catalysts appreciably enhanced by using an oxygen-ion conducting material such as yttria-stabilized-zirconia (YSZ) as the support material. Support material surface area is 20-300 m.sup.2 /gm, and useful concentrations of yttria on zirconia support are 1.0-50 wt. %. Useful concentrations of platinum or palladium on the support material is 0.01-2 wt. %, and the weight ratio of rhodium/platinum or rhodium/palladium is 0.01-0.1. YSZ-supported catalysts can achieve a substantially higher level of pollutants (CO, NO.sub.X, H.sub.2 and hydrocarbons) removal, without requiring increased loading of expensive precious active metals on the support material.

Abstract: A process for catalytic multi-stage hydrogenation and liquefaction of coal to produce high yields of low-boiling hydrocarbon liquids containing low concentrations of nitogen compounds. First stage catalytic reaction conditions are 700.degree.-800.degree. F. temperature, 1500-3500 psig hydrogen partial pressure, with the space velocity maintained in a critical range of 10-40 lb coal/hr ft.sup.3 catalyst settled volume. The first stage catalyst has 0.3-1.2 cc/gm total pore volume with at least 25% of the pore volume in pores having diameters of 200-2000 Angstroms. Second stage reaction conditions are 760.degree.-870.degree. F. temperature with space velocity exceeding that in the first stage reactor, so as to achieve increased hydrogenation yield of low-boiling hydrocarbon liquid products having at least 75% removal of nitrogen compounds from the coal-derived liquid products.