Patents by Inventor Mark Muraoka

Mark Muraoka 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: 10010877
    Abstract: A process has been developed for preparing a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst precursor and a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst made from the precursor. The process includes preparing a catalyst precursor by contacting a boehmite material with a stabilizer containing vanadium-phosphorus. The boehmite material includes two or more different crystalline boehmites having the same average crystallite size to the nearest whole nanometer and having differing properties selected from surface area, pore volume, density and combinations thereof. The boehmite material is subjected to at least one heat treatment at a temperature of at least 500° C., either before or after the contacting step to obtain a stabilized catalyst support having a pore volume of at least 0.3 cc/g. A catalytic metal or a compound containing cobalt is applied to the stabilized catalyst support to form the catalyst precursor. Finally, the catalyst precursor is reduced to activate the catalyst precursor to obtain the Fischer Tropsch catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Kandaswamy Jothimurugesan, Howard Steven Lacheen, Mark Muraoka
  • Publication number: 20170354960
    Abstract: A process has been developed for preparing a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst precursor and a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst made from the precursor. The process includes preparing a catalyst precursor by contacting a boehmite material with a stabilizer containing vanadium-phosphorus. The boehmite material includes two or more different crystalline boehmites having the same average crystallite size to the nearest whole nanometer and having differing properties selected from surface area, pore volume, density and combinations thereof. The boehmite material is subjected to at least one heat treatment at a temperature of at least 500° C., either before or after the contacting step to obtain a stabilized catalyst support having a pore volume of at least 0.3 cc/g. A catalytic metal or a compound containing cobalt is applied to the stabilized catalyst support to form the catalyst precursor. Finally, the catalyst precursor is reduced to activate the catalyst precursor to obtain the Fischer Tropsch catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Inventors: Kandaswamy Jothimurugesan, Howard Steven Lacheen, Mark Muraoka
  • Patent number: 9687825
    Abstract: A process to make a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst with improved hydrothermal stability, comprising: a. contacting a crystalline oxide material with a solution of a tungsten and a phosphorus to make a tungsten-phosphorus modified support; b. calcining the tungsten-phosphorus modified support at a temperature less than or equal to 750° C. to make a calcined tungsten-phosphorus modified support that has the improved hydrothermal stability and that can be used to support a Co-loaded Fischer-Tropsch catalyst. A Co-loaded Fischer-Tropsch catalyst having improved hydrothermal stability and higher C5+ hydrocarbon productivity is also provided. A Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process is provided, comprising contacting a gaseous mixture comprising a carbon monoxide and a hydrogen with the Co-loaded Fischer-Tropsch catalyst having the improved hydrothermal stability and higher C5+ productivity, at a pressure of from 0.1 to 3 MPa and at a reaction temperature of from 180 to 260° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Kandaswamy Jothimurugesan, Mark Muraoka
  • Patent number: 9233360
    Abstract: A process has been developed for preparing a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst precursor and a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst made from the precursor. The process includes contacting a gamma alumina catalyst support material with a first solution containing a compound containing zinc and optionally containing P, Ti, V, Co, Ga, Ge, Mo, W and/or Pr to obtain a modified catalyst support material. The modified catalyst support material is calcined at a temperature of at least 500° C. The calcined modified catalyst support has a pore volume of at least 0.4 cc/g. The modified catalyst support is less soluble in acid solutions than an equivalent unmodified catalyst support. The modified catalyst support is contacted with a second solution which includes a precursor compound of an active cobalt catalyst component to obtain a catalyst precursor. The catalyst precursor is reduced to activate the catalyst precursor to obtain the Fischer-Tropsch catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Kandaswamy Jothimurugesan, Mark Muraoka
  • Publication number: 20080033218
    Abstract: This invention is directed to a process for making alcohol from syngas, and a process for making olefin, as well as polyolefin, from the alcohol. The syngas is converted to a mixed alcohol stream using a catalyst comprising at least one oxide component. Upon contacting the catalyst with a desired syngas composition, a preferred mixed alcohol product is formed. Preferably, the syngas composition has a stoichiometric molar ratio of less than 2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Publication date: February 7, 2008
    Inventors: James R. Lattner, Matthew James Vincent, Kun Wang, Michel Molinier, Michael J. Veraa, Anthony F. Volpe, Hailian Li, Jeffrey C. Yoder, Mark Muraoka
  • Publication number: 20070100185
    Abstract: The synthesis of a crystalline material, in particular, a high silica zeolite, comprising a chabazite-type framework molecular sieve is conducted in the presence of an organic directing agent having the formula: [R1R2R3N—R4]+Q? wherein R1 and R2 are independently selected from hydrocarbyl groups and hydroxy-substituted hydrocarbyl groups having from 1 to 3 carbon atoms, provided that R1 and R2 may be joined to form a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic structure, R3 is an alkyl group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms and R4 is selected from a 4- to 8-membered cycloalkyl group, optionally, substituted by 1 to 3 alkyl groups each having from 1 to 3 carbon atoms; and a 4- to 8-membered heterocyclic group having from 1 to 3 heteroatoms, said heterocyclic group being, optionally, substituted by 1 to 3 alkyl groups each having from 1 to 3 carbon atoms and the or each heteroatom in said heterocyclic group being selected from the group consisting of O, N, and S, or R3 and R4 are hydrocarbyl groups having from 1 to 3 carbon a
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2006
    Publication date: May 3, 2007
    Inventors: Guang Cao, Machteld Mertens, Matu Shah, Marc Anthonis, Hailian Li, Anil Guram, Robert Saxton, Mark Muraoka, Jeffrey Yoder, Anthony Volpe
  • Publication number: 20050197519
    Abstract: A crystalline material is described that has an AEI framework type, wherein the material, in its calcined, anhydrous form, has a composition involving the molar relationship: (n)X2O3:YO2, wherein X is a trivalent element, Y is a tetravalent element n is from 0 to less than 0.01. The material is normally synthesized in a halide, typically a fluoride, medium and exhibits activity and selectivity in the conversion of methanol to lower olefins, especially ethylene and propylene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2004
    Publication date: September 8, 2005
    Inventors: Guang Cao, Karl Strohmaier, Hailian Li, Anil Guram, Robert Saxton, Mark Muraoka, Jeffrey Yoder, Karin Yaccato
  • Publication number: 20050197520
    Abstract: The synthesis of a crystalline material, in particular a high silica zeolite, having a chabazite-type framework is aided by the addition to the synthesis mixture of seeds of an AEI framework-type material. The chabazite-type product has a relatively small crystal size and exhibits activity and selectivity in the conversion of methanol to lower olefins, especially ethylene and propylene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2004
    Publication date: September 8, 2005
    Inventors: Machteld Mertens, Guang Cao, Hailian Li, Anil Guram, Robert Saxton, Mark Muraoka, Jeffrey Yoder