Abstract: An expanded bed hydroprocessing system and related method includes at least one expanded bed reactor that employs a solid catalyst to catalyze hydroprocessing reactions involving hydrogen and a high molecular weight hydrocarbon feedstock (e.g., a Fischer-Tropsch wax) that is contaminated with solid particulates. Hydroprocessing the high molecular weight hydrocarbon feedstock in an expanded bed reactor results in formation of a hydroprocessed material from the hydrocarbon feedstock, while eliminating the risk of plugging of the supported catalyst bed by the solid particulates as compared to a reactor including a stationary catalyst bed.

Abstract: An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system, and also a method for upgrading a pre-existing ebullated bed hydroprocessing system, involves introducing a colloidal or molecular catalyst, or a precursor composition capable of forming the colloidal or molecular catalyst, into an ebullated bed reactor. The colloidal or molecular catalyst is formed by intimately mixing a catalyst precursor composition into a heavy oil feedstock and raising the temperature of the feedstock to above the decomposition temperature of the precursor composition to form the colloidal or molecular catalyst in situ. The improved ebullated bed hydroprocessing system includes at least one ebullated bed reactor that employs both a porous supported catalyst and the colloidal or molecular catalyst to catalyze hydroprocessing reactions involving the feedstock and hydrogen. The colloidal or molecular catalyst provides catalyst in what would otherwise constitute catalyst free zones within the ebullated bed hydroprocessing system.

Abstract: Methods and systems for hydroprocessing heavy oil feedstocks to form an upgraded material involve the use of a colloidal or molecular catalyst dispersed within a heavy oil feedstock, a hydrocracking reactor, and a hot separator. The colloidal or molecular catalyst promotes hydrocracking and other hydroprocessing reactions within the hydrocracking reactor. The catalyst is preferentially associated with asphaltenes within the heavy oil feedstock, which promotes upgrading reactions involving the asphaltenes rather than formation of coke precursors and sediment. The colloidal or molecular catalyst overcomes problems associated with porous supported catalysts in upgrading heavy oil feedstocks, particularly the inability of such catalysts to effectively process asphaltene molecules. The result is one or more of reduced equipment fouling, increased conversion level, and more efficient use of the supported catalyst if used in combination with the colloidal or molecular catalyst.

Abstract: A fixed bed hydroprocessing system, and also a method for upgrading a pre-existing fixed bed hydroprocessing system, involves preliminarily upgrading a heavy oil feedstock in one or more slurry phase reactors using a colloidal or molecular catalyst and then further hydroprocessing the upgraded feedstock within one or more fixed bed reactors using a porous supported catalyst. The colloidal or molecular catalyst is formed by intimately mixing a catalyst precursor composition into a heavy oil feedstock and raising the temperature of the feedstock to above the decomposition temperature of the precursor composition to form the colloidal or molecular catalyst in situ. Asphaltene or other hydrocarbon molecules otherwise too large to diffuse into the pores of the fixed bed catalyst can be upgraded by the colloidal or molecular catalyst.

Abstract: A particulate supported noble metal phase-controlled catalyst material having 5-1000 ?m surface area of 50?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 bi-functional oxidation catalyst and process for catalytic oxidation and removal of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from combustion gases derived from combustion of carbonaceous fuels such as coal, oil, or natural gas. The bi-functional catalyst includes adsorption and oxidation function metal oxides provided in adjacent close intimate contact by utilizing a binding agent, such as carboxylic acid and calcining to provide a metal oxide complex having a crystalline form. Such nitrogen oxides (NOx) contained in the combustion gases are initially catalytically oxidized to at least about 50 vol % NO2 and some higher oxides by contact with the bi-functional catalyst at 170-550° F. temperature. The combustion gas containing the partially oxidized NOx is then preferably further chemically oxidized by being mixed with a chemical oxidant such as ozone (O3) in a molar ratio of the chemical oxidant3 to NOx in the range of 0.5:1-1.2:1 to produce higher oxides of nitrogen such as substantially N2O5.

Abstract: A process for catalytically directly producing hydrogen peroxide (H.sub.2O.sub.2) 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.times.10.sup.−4 and 5.0.times.10.sup.−4 at reaction condition of 0-100.degree. 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 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 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: 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 (62-1000 micron), 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 metal powder selected from aluminum, antimony, silicon, tin or zinc powder to provide 20-80 wt. % initial 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 precursor particles are treated with NaOH or KOH caustic solution at 30-95° C.

Abstract: 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 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 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: 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: 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: 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: In a hydrocracking process a feed mixture comprising: heavy oil containing asphaltenes and sulfur moieties; an oil-soluble, metal-containing compound additive (such as iron pentacarbonyl or molybdenum 2-ethyl hexanoate), which additive is operative to impede coalescence of coke precursors and which forms hydrocracking catalytic particles in situ; and, optionally, a hydrocarbon diluent which is a solvent for asphaltenes and which will assist with dispersion of the additive; is mixed for a prolonged period at low temperature (e.g., 80.degree. C.-190.degree. C.) in a first vessel or vessels to disperse the additive without significantly decomposing the additive. Preferably, the product mixture is then digested in a second vessel or vessels by mixing it at an elevated temperature (e.g., 250.degree. C.), to decompose the additive. The resulting mixture is then heated to hydrocracking temperature (e.g., 450.degree. C.) and introduced into a reactor.