Patents by Inventor Vincent A. Durante

Vincent A. Durante 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: 6525232
    Abstract: The invention provides process and apparatus for conducting an endothermic reaction of an organic compound in the presence of molecular hydrogen and of multicomponent solids. The process comprises contacting the compound with a solid catalyst for the endothermic reaction and a hydrogen oxidizing solid reagent intermixed with the solid catalyst. Organic products of the endothermic reaction are produced, with evolution of molecular hydrogen. The solid catalyst becomes gradually deactivated by formation of carbonaceous deposits thereon. The evolved hydrogen undergoes an exothermic reaction with the hydrogen oxidizing solid reagent to form a reduction product which comprises deactivated hydrogen oxidizing solid reagent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Sunoco, Inc. (R&M)
    Inventors: Thomas W. Bierl, Vincent A. Durante, Lawrence H. Finkel, Daniel E. Resasco
  • Patent number: 5981424
    Abstract: Catalyst compositions are disclosed which are useful for the hydroxylation and the ammination of aromatic hydrocarbons using molecular oxygen as terminal oxidant. The catalysts comprise a support selected from the group consisting of metal oxides, molecular sieves, zeolites and clays; transition metal selected from the group consisting of vanadium, niobium, copper, palladium, nickel and silver, and combinations thereof; and at least one multidentate chelating, binucleating ligand. The catalysts may further comprise additional metal ions. The process is particularly suited, for example, to the one-step conversion of benzene to phenol and of benzene to aniline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Sunoco, Inc. (R&M)
    Inventors: Vincent A. Durante, Tilak P. Wijesekera, Swati Karmakar
  • Patent number: 5962752
    Abstract: A process is disclosed for the catalytic hydroxylation of aromatic hydrocarbons which comprises contacting aromatic feedstock with oxidant comprising molecular oxygen, under suitable reaction conditions, in the presence of a catalyst comprising vanadyl (V.sup.IV) on an alumina support, preferably on leached alumina. The process is particularly suited, for example, to the one-step conversion of benzene to phenol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: Sun Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Vincent A. Durante, Tilak P. Wijesekera, Swati Karmakar
  • Patent number: 5952532
    Abstract: A process is disclosed for the catalytic hydroxylation of aromatic hydrocarbons which comprises contacting aromatic feedstock with oxidant comprising molecular oxygen, under suitable reaction conditions, in the presence of a catalyst comprising three essential components: a support; transition metal selected from the group consisting of vanadium, niobium, copper, palladium, nickel and silver, or combinations thereof, and a promoter comprising a multidentate chelating, binucleating ligand. The catalysts may further comprise additional metal ions. The process is particularly suited, for example, to the one-step conversion of benzene to phenol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: Sunoco, Inc.
    Inventors: Vincent A. Durante, Tilak P. Wijesekera, Swati Karmakar
  • Patent number: 5861536
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a process for catalytic oxidative ammination of aromatic hydrocarbons which comprising contacting aromatic feedstock with oxidant, such as molecular oxygen, under suitable reaction conditions, in the presence of a catalyst comprising three essential components: a support; transition metal; and a mono- or binucleating ligand. In one embodiment of the invention the ligand comprises at least one nitro or nitroso group. In another embodiment, the ligand comprises a multidentate, chelating binuclear compound. The process is particularly suited, for example, to the one-step conversion of benzene to aniline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1999
    Assignee: Sun Company, Inc. (R&M)
    Inventors: Vincent A. Durante, Tilak P. Wijesekera, Swati Karmakar
  • Patent number: 5733518
    Abstract: The invention comprises a process for selectively oxidizing hydrogen in a mixture with other gaseous materials by contacting the hydrogen containing gas under oxidation conditions with a catalyst comprising a phosphate of a metal wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of germanium, tin, lead, arsenic, antimony and bismuth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1998
    Assignee: Sun Company, Inc. (R&M)
    Inventors: Vincent A. Durante, Daniel E. Resasco, Darrell W. Walker, Gary L. Haller, Eugene L. Coggins
  • Patent number: 5540833
    Abstract: New compositions of matter comprise a metal from the group consisting of platinum, rhodium and palladium, a metal from the first row of Group VIII of the Periodic Table and a nonacidic L-zeolite. A preferred composition is Pt--Ni/KL-zeolite. Such catalysts are prepared by coimpregnation of the zeolite with the metals. Methods of using the catalysts in reforming, aromatization or dehydrogenation are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1996
    Assignee: Sun Company, Inc. (R&M)
    Inventors: Gustavo Larsen, Gary L. Haller, Daniel E. Resasco, Vincent A. Durante
  • Patent number: 5489722
    Abstract: Organic compounds are dehydrogenated by contact with a catalyst prepared by oxidizing and then sulfiding a composition comprising Group VIIIA (first or second row) catalytic metal on a nonacidic porous support, for example alumina, to produce compositions which have good dispersion of a catalytically active metal component and of sulfide species over the surface of the compositions and high activity as catalysts for the dehydrogenation of organic compounds. In one embodiment of the invention the catalyst used in the process of the invention has ratios of nickel, and/or sulfide species to peak areas of aluminum in the support, as determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), which improve their activity and stability for use as dehydrogenation catalysts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1996
    Assignee: Sun Company, Inc. (R&M)
    Inventors: Daniel E. Resasco, Bonita K. Marcus, Chen-Shi Huang, Vincent A. Durante
  • Patent number: 5468710
    Abstract: Compositions of matter comprising sulfided nickel and nonacidic alumina, and having certain ratios of specific peak areas for nickel, for aluminum, for sulfide ion and/or for cesium, as determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, are useful as catalysts for dehydrogenation of organic compounds, and are superior as such catalysts to otherwise similar compositions not having such ratios.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1995
    Assignee: Sun Company, Inc. (R&M)
    Inventors: Daniel E. Resasco, Bonita K. Marcus, Chen-Shi Huang, Vincent A. Durante
  • Patent number: 5462904
    Abstract: The process of the invention comprises oxidizing and then sulfiding materials comprising Group VIA or Group VIIIA (first or second row) catalytic metal on a nonacidic porous support, to produce compositions which have good dispersion of a catalytically active metal component and of sulfide species over the surface of the compositions and high activity as catalysts for the dehydrogenation of organic compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1995
    Assignee: Sun Company, Inc. (R&M)
    Inventors: Daniel E. Resasco, Bonita K. Marcus, Chen-Shi Huang, Vincent A. Durante
  • Patent number: 5439859
    Abstract: Alkanes are dehydrogenated by passage through alternating dehydrogenation zones and selective oxidation zone(s), in which latter zone(s) hydrogen produced in the preceding endothermic dehydrogenation reaction is selectively oxidized to generate heat for the succeeding dehydrogenation reaction. New catalyst compositions are prepared comprising reduced and sulfided nickel crystallites on siliceous supports which have been treated with chromium compounds and oxidized to provide surface-anchored chromyl species. Also new catalyst compositions are prepared by sulfiding nickel-containing compositions with carbonaceous sulfur compounds such as dialkylsulfoxides. Another embodiment of the invention is catalyst and dehydrogenation therewith, in which pores having radius of 50 to 200 Angstroms occupy pore volume from 0.30 to 1.50 ml per gram of the support, and pores having radius of 20 to 50 Angstroms occupy pore volume less than 0.1 ml per gram of the support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1995
    Assignee: Sun Company, Inc. (R&M)
    Inventors: Vincent A. Durante, Daniel E. Resasco, Darrell W. Walker, Gary L. Haller, Eugene L. Coggins
  • Patent number: 5414157
    Abstract: Process and apparatus are provided for oxidation of oxidation of organic compounds in which a reaction zone is provided, containing an open space and a bed of solid granular catalyst, an organic feedstock and oxygen are passed in gas phase through the open space and then into contact with the catalyst bed, and reaction products are removed from the open space after relatively less contact with the catalyst, and from at least one other location after relatively greater contact with the catalyst. Greater yield of desired product may be obtained in such operation than in operation where all of the reaction products are removed after the greater contact with the catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1995
    Assignee: Sun Company, Inc. (R&M)
    Inventors: Vincent A. Durante, Darrell W. Walker, Steven M. Gussow, James E. Lyons, Robert C. Hayes
  • Patent number: 5386074
    Abstract: Barium peroxide in which has been incorporated a transition metal compound is used as a catalyst for the oxidative dehydrogenation of organic compounds in the presence of terminal oxidants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1995
    Assignee: Sun Company, Inc. (R&M)
    Inventors: Vincent A. Durante, James E. Lyons, Darrell W. Walker
  • Patent number: 5345010
    Abstract: A process for the direct catalytic oxidation of methane to methanol comprises separately contacting chromium chemically bound to the oxygen of a metal oxide support surface with (1) methane and (2) oxidant. The support may comprise silica, alumina, magnesia, titania, or zirconia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1994
    Assignee: Sun Company, Inc. (R&M)
    Inventors: James E. Lyons, Vincent A. Durante, Darrell W. Walker
  • Patent number: 5345011
    Abstract: Aluminophosphates containing manganese in the structural framework are employed for the oxidation of alkanes, for example the vapor phase oxidation of methane to methanol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1994
    Assignee: Sun Company, Inc. (R&M)
    Inventors: Vincent A. Durante, James E. Lyons, Darrell W. Walker, Bonita K. Marcus
  • Patent number: 5288390
    Abstract: A process for the processing or upgrading of heavy oil fractions containing polynuclear aromatics is disclosed. The process comprises selectively oxidizing a feedstock under low severity conditions in a multi-phase system, wherein one phase is an aqueous and contains water-soluble catalyst, deoxygenating that product followed by hydroprocessing to yield a substantially mononuclear product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 22, 1994
    Assignee: Sun Company, Inc. (R&M)
    Inventor: Vincent A. Durante
  • Patent number: 5276241
    Abstract: Barium peroxide oxidizer, together with a transition metal from Group I, III, IV, V, VII or VIII or compound thereof is used as stoichiometric reagent in the oxidative dimerization of hydrocarbons having three or four carbon atoms. Barium peroxide oxidizer, together with a transition metal from Group I, III, IV, V, VI, VII or VIII or compound thereof is used as stoichiometric reagent in the dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons having three or four carbon atoms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 4, 1994
    Assignee: Sun Company, Inc. (R&M)
    Inventors: Vincent A. Durante, James E. Lyons
  • Patent number: 5227565
    Abstract: Barium peroxide oxidizer, together with a transition metal from Group I, III, IV, V, VII or VIII or compound thereof is used as stoichiometric reagent in the oxidative dimerization of hydrocarbons having three or four carbon atoms. Barium peroxide oxidizer, together with a transition metal from Group I, III, IV, V, VI, VII or VIII or compound thereof is used as stoichiometric reagent in the dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons having three or four carbon atoms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1993
    Assignee: Sun Company, Inc. (R&M)
    Inventors: Vincent A. Durante, James E. Lyons
  • Patent number: 5221464
    Abstract: Supports for catalytic reforming catalysts are prepared by doping ZrO.sub.2 with tantalum. The catalyst may contain a Group VII or Group VIII metal and/or an acidic component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1993
    Assignee: Sun Company, Inc. (R&M)
    Inventors: Vincent A. Durante, Aristides Macris, Rangasamy Pitchai, Xenophon E. Verykios
  • Patent number: 5220080
    Abstract: A process for the direct catalytic oxidation of methane to methanol comprises chromium chemically bound to the oxygen of a metal oxide catalytic support surface. The support may comprise silica, alumina, magnesia, titania, or zirconia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1993
    Assignee: Sun Company, Inc. (R&M)
    Inventors: James E. Lyons, Vincent A. Durante, Darrell W. Walker