Patents by Inventor Ekkehard Schwab

Ekkehard Schwab 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: 8293675
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing a catalyst comprising a metal of the platinum group and a second metal selected from among the metals of the platinum group or the transition metals, in which a catalyst comprising the metal of the platinum group is mixed with a complex comprising the second metal to give a dry powder in a first step and the powder is subsequently heat treated to form a compound between the metal of the platinum group and the second metal. The invention further relates to the use of the catalyst produced according to the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Stefan Kotrel, Gerhard Cox, Ekkehard Schwab, Alexander Panchenko
  • Patent number: 8293945
    Abstract: Processes for preparing an amine, which processes comprise: reacting a reactant selected from the group consisting of primary alcohols, secondary alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, and mixtures thereof, with hydrogen and a nitrogen compound selected from the group consisting of ammonia, primary amines, secondary amines and mixtures thereof, in the presence of a zirconium dioxide-and nickel-containing catalyst; wherein the catalyst comprises a catalytically active composition which comprises, before reduction with hydrogen, oxygen compounds of zirconium, nickel, and iron, and 0.2 to 5.5% by weight of at least one oxygen compound of tin, lead, bismuth, molybdenum, antimony or phosphorus, calculated as SnO, PbO, Bi2O3, MoO3, Sb2O3 and H3PO4 respectively; and wherein the catalytically active composition of the catalyst does not comprise any copper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Petr Kubanek, Wolfgang Mägerlein, Ekkehard Schwab, Johann-Peter Melder, Manfred Julius
  • Patent number: 8278489
    Abstract: Processes for preparing an amine, which processes comprise: reacting a reactant selected from the group consisting of primary alcohols, secondary alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, and mixtures thereof, with hydrogen and a nitrogen compound selected from the group consisting of ammonia, primary amines, secondary amines and mixtures thereof, in the presence of a zirconium dioxide-, copper- and nickel-containing catalyst; wherein the catalyst comprises a catalytically active composition which comprises, before reduction with hydrogen, oxygen compounds of zirconium, copper, nickel and tin, and 0.5 to 8.0% by weight of an oxygen compound of cobalt, calculated as CoO, and wherein the catalytically active composition does not comprise any ruthenium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Petr Kubanek, Wolfgang Mägerlein, Ekkehard Schwab, Johann-Peter Melder, Manfred Julius
  • Patent number: 8268995
    Abstract: Processes for preparing an amine, which processes comprise: reacting a reactant selected from the group consisting of primary alcohols, secondary alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, and mixtures thereof, with hydrogen and a nitrogen compound selected from the group consisting of ammonia, primary amines, secondary amines and mixtures thereof, in the presence of a zirconium dioxide-, copper- and nickel-containing catalyst; wherein the catalyst comprises a catalytically active composition which comprises, before reduction with hydrogen, oxygen compounds of zirconium, copper, and nickel, and 0.2 to 40% by weight of an oxygen compound of cobalt, calculated as CoO, 0.1 to 5% by weight of an oxygen compound of iron, calculated as Fe2O3, and 0.1 to 5% by weight of at least one oxygen compound of lead, tin, bismuth or antimony, calculated as PbO, SnO, Bi2O3 and Sb2O3 respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Petr Kubanek, Wolfgang Mägerlein, Ekkehard Schwab, Johann-Peter Melder, Manfred Julius
  • Publication number: 20120232267
    Abstract: A process continuously hydrogenating unsaturated compounds, in which particles of a first hydrogenation catalyst are suspended in a liquid phase in which an unsaturated compound is dissolved, the liquid phase, in the presence of a hydrogenous gas at a first partial hydrogen pressure and at a first temperature, is conducted through a packed bubble column reactor in cocurrent counter to the direction of gravity, the effluent from the bubble column reactor is sent to a gas-liquid separation, the liquid phase is sent to a crossfiltration to obtain a retentate and a filtrate, the retentate is recycled into the bubble column reactor and the filtrate, in the presence of a hydrogenous gas at a second partial hydrogen pressure and at a second temperature, is passed over a bed of a second hydrogenation catalyst, the second partial hydrogen pressure is at least 10 bar higher than the first partial hydrogen pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Bram Willem Hoffer, Hartwig Voss, Ekkehard Schwab, Udo Rheude, Gerd Kaibel, Mathias Haake, Jan Eberhardt, Michael Karcher
  • Publication number: 20120178018
    Abstract: The invention relates to a catalyst for fuel cells which comprises a support, at least one catalytically active metal from the platinum group or an alloy comprising at least one metal of the platinum group and also at least one oxide of at least one metal selected from among Ti, Sn, Si, W, Mo, Zn, Ta, Nb, V, Cr and Zr. The invention further relates to a process for producing such a catalyst and its use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2010
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Claudia Querner, Stefan Kotrel, Ekkehard Schwab, Oemer Uensal, Sigmar Braeuninger
  • Patent number: 8207327
    Abstract: The invention relates to a shell catalyst containing ruthenium as an active metal, alone or together with at least one other metal of the auxiliary group IB, VIIB or VIII of the periodical system of the elements (CAS version), and applied to a carrier containing silicon dioxide as a carrier material. The invention also relates to a method for producing said shell catalyst, and to a method for hydrogenating an organic compound containing hydrogenable groups, preferably for hydrogenating a carbocyclic aromatic group to form the corresponding carbocyclic aliphatic groups or for hydrogenating aldehydes to form the corresponding alcohols, using the inventive shell catalyst. The invention further relates to the use of the inventive shell catalyst for hydrogenating an organic compound containing hydrogenable groups, preferably for hydrogenating a carbocyclic aromatic group to form the corresponding carbocyclic aliphatic groups or for hydrogenating aldehydes to form the corresponding alcohols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Frederik Van Laar, Michael Becker, Ekkehard Schwab, Jochem Henkelmann, Peter Polanek
  • Publication number: 20120129686
    Abstract: Catalyst comprising a support and a catalytically active material for use as heterogeneous catalyst for electrochemical reactions, wherein the support is a carbon support having a BET surface area of less than 50 m2/g. The invention further relates to the use of the catalyst as electrode catalyst in a fuel cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Claudia Querner, Ekkehard Schwab, Oemer Uensal, Sigmar Braeuninger, Thomas Justus Schmidt
  • Publication number: 20120100455
    Abstract: A catalyst material comprising an electrically conducting support material, a proton-conducting, acid-doped polymer based on a polyazole salt, and a catalytically active material. A process for preparing the catalyst material. A catalyst material prepared by the process of the invention. A catalyst ink comprising the catalyst material of the invention and a solvent. A catalyst-coated membrane (CCM) comprising a polymer electrolyte membrane and also catalytically active layers comprising a catalyst material of the present invention. A gas diffusion electrode (GDE) comprising a gas diffusion layer and a catalytically active layer comprising a catalyst material of the invention. A membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) comprising a polymer electrolyte membrane, catalytically active layers comprising a catalyst material of the invention, and gas diffusion layers. And a fuel cell comprising a membrane-electrode assembly of the present invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Oemer UENSAL, Sigmar Bräuninger, Claudia Querner, Ekkehard Schwab
  • Publication number: 20120100457
    Abstract: A process for preparing a catalyst material comprising an electrically conducting support material, a proton-conducting, polyazole-based polymer and a catalytically active material. A catalyst material prepared by the process of the invention. A catalyst ink comprising a catalyst material of the invention and a solvent. A catalyst-coated membrane (CCM) comprising a polymer electrolyte membrane and also catalytically active layers comprising a catalyst material of the present invention. A gas diffusion electrode (GDE) comprising a gas diffusion layer and a catalytically active layer comprising a catalyst material of the invention. A membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) comprising a polymer electrolyte membrane, catalytically active layers comprising a catalyst material of the invention, and gas diffusion layers. And a fuel cell comprising a membrane-electrode assembly of the present invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Ömer Ünsal, Sigmar Bräuninger, Claudia Querner, Ekkehard Schwab
  • Patent number: 8163963
    Abstract: A process is described for continuously hydrogenating unsaturated compounds, in which particles of a first hydrogenation catalyst are suspended in a liquid phase in which an unsaturated compound is dissolved, the liquid phase, in the presence of a hydrogenous gas at a first partial hydrogen pressure and at a first temperature, is conducted through a packed bubble column reactor in cocurrent counter to the direction of gravity, the effluent from the bubble column reactor is sent to a gas-liquid separation, the liquid phase is sent to a crossfiltration to obtain a retentate and a filtrate, the retentate is recycled into the bubble column reactor and the filtrate, in the presence of a hydrogenous gas at a second partial hydrogen pressure and at a second temperature, is passed over a bed of a second hydrogenation catalyst, wherein the second partial hydrogen pressure is at least 10 bar higher than the first partial hydrogen pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Bram Willem Hoffer, Hartwig Voβ, Ekkehard Schwab, Udo Rheude, Gerd Kaibel, Mathias Haake, Jan Eberhardt, Michael Karcher
  • Publication number: 20120094199
    Abstract: The invention relates to a catalyst for electro-chemical applications comprising an alloy of platinum and a transition metal, wherein the transition metal has an absorption edge similar to the absorption edge of the transition metal in oxidic state, measured with x-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) wherein the measurements are performed in concentrated H3PO4 electrolyte. The invention further relates to a process for an oxygen reduction reaction using the catalyst as electrocatalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Ekkehard Schwab, Sigmar Braeuninger, Alexander Panchenko, Claudia Querner, Oemer Uensal, Markus Vogt, Qinggang He, Nagappan Ramaswamy, Sanjeev Mukerjee
  • Publication number: 20120071316
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of conditioning suspended catalysts, wherein at least part of the catalyst-comprising reaction medium is taken from one or more reactors and the suspended, at least partially inactivated catalysts are separated off and purified by means of at least one membrane filtration, with at least one of the membrane filtrations being carried out as a diafiltration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2010
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Hartwig Voss, Ekkehard Schwab, Bram Willem Hoffer, Till Gerlach
  • Publication number: 20120065431
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing aromatic amines by catalytically hydrogenating the corresponding aromatic nitro compound, which comprises using a copper catalyst with a support comprising SiO2, the SiO2 having been prepared by wet grinding and subsequent spray drying.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2010
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Lucia Koenigsmann, Ekkehard Schwab, Michael Hesse, Christian Schneider, Thomas Heidemann, Celine Liekens, Jutta Bickelhaupt, Dirk Theis
  • Publication number: 20120035049
    Abstract: A catalytically active composition comprising, prior to reduction with hydrogen: 10 to 75% by weight of an oxygen compound of zirconium, calculated as ZrO2; 1 to 30% by weight of an oxygen compound of copper, calculated as CuO; 10 to 50% by weight of an oxygen compound of nickel, calculated as NiO; 10 to 50% by weight of an oxygen compound of cobalt, calculated as CoO; and 0.1 to 10% by weight of one or more oxygen compounds of one or more metals selected from the group consisting of Pb, Bi, Sn, Sb and In, calculated as PbO, Bi2O3, SnO, Sb2O3 or In2O3, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Publication date: February 9, 2012
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Petr Kubanek, Bram Willem Hoffer, Ekkehard Schwab, Johann-Peter Melder, Holger Evers, Till Gerlach
  • Publication number: 20110313186
    Abstract: The present invention relates to catalysts and processes for preparation thereof, said catalysts being obtainable by contacting a monolithic catalyst support with a suspension which comprises one or more insoluble or sparingly soluble compounds of the elements selected from the group of the elements cobalt, nickel and copper. The invention further relates to the use of the inventive catalyst in a process for hydrogenating organic substances, especially for hydrogenating nitriles, and to a process for hydrogenating organic compounds, which comprises using an inventive catalyst in the process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Christof Wilhelm Wigbers, Jochen Steiner, Martin Ernst, Bram Willem Hoffer, Ekkehard Schwab, Johann-Peter Melder
  • Publication number: 20110313187
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for improving the catalytic properties of a catalyst comprising one or more elements selected from the group consisting of cobalt, nickel and copper, said catalyst being present in the form of a structured monolith, by contacting the catalyst with one or more basic compounds selected from the group of the alkali metals, alkaline earth metals and rare earth metals. The invention further relates to a process for hydrogenating compounds which comprise at least one unsaturated carbon-carbon, carbon-nitrogen or carbon-oxygen bond in the presence of a catalyst comprising one or more elements selected from the group consisting of cobalt, nickel and copper, said catalyst being present in the form of a structured monolith, by contacting the catalyst with one or more basic compounds selected from the group of the alkali metals, alkaline earth metals and rare earth metals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Inventors: Christof Wilhelm Wigbers, Jochen Steiner, Martin Ernst, Bram Willem Hoffer, Ekkehard Schwab, Johann-Peter Melder
  • Publication number: 20110313188
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a catalyst comprising one or more elements selected from the group consisting of cobalt, nickel and copper, said catalyst being present in the form of a structured monolith, wherein said catalyst comprises one or more elements selected from the group of the alkali metals, alkaline earth metals and rare earth metals. The invention further relates to processes for preparing the inventive catalyst and to the use of the inventive catalyst in a process for hydrogenating organic substances, especially for hydrogenating nitriles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2010
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Christof Wilhelm Wigbers, Jochen Steiner, Martin Ernst, Bram Willem Hoffer, Ekkehard Schwab, Johann-Peter Melder
  • Patent number: 8063252
    Abstract: Processes comprising: (i) providing a reactant selected from the group consisting of primary alcohols, secondary alcohols, aldehydes, ketones and mixtures thereof; and (ii) reacting the reactant with hydrogen and a nitrogen compound selected from the group consisting of ammonia, primary amines, secondary amines and mixtures thereof, in the presence of a catalyst comprising a zirconium dioxide- and nickel-containing catalytically active composition, to form an amine; wherein the catalytically active composition, prior to reduction with hydrogen, comprises oxygen compounds of zirconium, copper, nickel and cobalt, and one or more oxygen compounds of one or more metals selected from the group consisting of Pb, Bi, Sn, Sb and In.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Petr Kubanek, Bram Willem Hoffer, Ekkehard Schwab, Johann-Peter Melder, Holger Evers, Till Gerlach
  • Publication number: 20110275858
    Abstract: A process for preparing tolylenediamine by hydrogenating dinitrotoluene with hydrogen in the presence of a suspended catalyst in a vertically upright reactor (1), at the upper end of which is arranged a motive jet nozzle (2) through which the reaction mixture drawn off from the reactor bottom, via an external loop, is sprayed into the upper region of the reactor (1) and then flows into a central inserted tube (4) which is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the reactor, flows through the latter from the top downward and flows upward again outside the inserted tube (4) in an internal loop motion, with a heat exchanger (6) in the interior of the reactor (1), through which cooling water flows, and absorbs some of the heat of reaction as it does so, with a feed for the dinitrotoluene at the upper end of the reactor (1) and a feed for the hydrogen at the lower end of the reactor (1), and wherein, in addition to the heat exchanger (6) arranged in the interior of the reactor (1), a further heat exchanger (W
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Joana Coelho Tsou, Steffen Oehlenschlaeger, Ekkehard Schwab, Wolfgang Mackenroth, Hartwig Voss, Stefan Maixner, Samuel Neto, Sven Boehmeke, Frederik van Laar