Catalysts and processes for making catalysts for producing neopentane

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10994264-B2
Application number	US-201916390844-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2019
Priority date	May 30, 2018
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

Catalysts and processes for producing catalysts for neopentane production are provided herein. A process includes reducing a catalyst precursor comprising a transition metal and an inorganic support at a temperature less than 500° C. to produce a catalyst. Also provided herein are processes to produce neopentane using the catalysts described herein and neopentane compositions produced therefrom.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for making a demethylation catalyst, the process comprising reducing a catalyst precursor comprising a transition metal and an inorganic support at a temperature less than 500° C. to produce the demethylation catalyst, wherein the catalyst precursor is reduced in the presence of at least 100 standard cubic centimeters per minute of hydrogen.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst precursor is reduced at a temperature less than 450° C.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst precursor is reduced at a temperature from 375° C. to 425° C.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst precursor is reduced in the presence of a reducing agent.

5. The process of claim 4 , wherein the reducing agent is hydrogen.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst precursor is reduced in the presence of 100 to 500 standard cubic centimeters per minute of hydrogen.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst precursor is reduced in the presence of at least 250 standard cubic centimeters per minute of hydrogen.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst precursor is reduced at a temperature less than 450° C. and in the presence of 100 to 500 standard cubic centimeters per minute of hydrogen.

9. The process of claim 1 , further comprising impregnating the inorganic support with the transition metal.

10. The process of claim 1 , further comprising precipitating the catalyst precursor from a solution including the transition metal, the inorganic support, and a precipitating agent.

11. The process of claim 10 , wherein the precipitating agent comprises urea.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the transition metal comprises iron, cobalt, nickel, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, platinum, or a combination thereof.

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein the transition metal comprises nickel.

14. The process of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic support comprises an inorganic oxide, talc, a zeolite, a clay, an organically modified clay, or a combination thereof.

15. The process of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic support comprises silica, a silicate, an aluminosilicate, alumina, an aluminate, or a combination thereof.

16. The process of claim 1 , wherein the demethylation catalyst exhibits an adsorption of hydrogen gas of at least 0.03H 2 :Ni.

17. A demethylation catalyst produced according to the process of claim 1 .

18. A process for producing neopentane, the process comprising:
(a) reducing a catalyst precursor comprising a transition metal and an inorganic support at a temperature less than 500° C. to produce a demethylation catalyst; and
(b) contacting a stream including a C 6 -C 8 alkane with hydrogen in the presence of the demethylation catalyst to produce a demethylation product including at least 10 wt % neopentane based on the weight of the demethylation product,
wherein the demethylation catalyst exhibits a conversion rate of the C 6 -C 8 alkane of at least 60%.

19. The process of claim 18 , wherein the C 6 -C 8 alkane comprises, neohexane, neoheptane, isooctane, or a combination thereof.

20. The process of claim 18 , further comprising separating at least part of the neopentane from the demethylation product.

21. The process of claim 18 , wherein contacting the stream with the demethylation catalyst is carried out at a temperature of 200° C. to 500° C.

22. The process of claim 18 , wherein contacting the stream with the demethylation catalyst is carried out in the presence of hydrogen at a hydrogen to hydrocarbon molar ratio of 1:1 to 14:1.

23. A composition comprising neopentane produced in accordance with claim 18 .

24. A process for producing neopentane, the process comprising:
(a) reducing a catalyst precursor comprising a transition metal and an inorganic support at a temperature less than 500° C. to produce a demethylation catalyst; and
(b) contacting a stream including a C 6 -C 8 alkane with hydrogen in the presence of the demethylation catalyst to produce a demethylation product including at least 10 wt % neopentane based on the weight of the demethylation product,
wherein the demethylation product comprises 25 wt % to 50 wt % neopentane based on the weight of the demethylation product and zero wt % to 10 wt % C 6 + hydrocarbon components based on the weight of the demethylation product.

Assignees

• Exxonmobil Chemical Patents Inc

Inventors

• Mazoyer Etienne
• Wang Kun
• Jaensch Helge

Classifications

• C07C4/10 Primary

  from acyclic hydrocarbons · CPC title

• B01J23/755 Primary

  Nickel · CPC title

• C07C2521/08

  Silica · CPC title

• C07C2523/755

  Nickel · CPC title

• B01J37/035

  Precipitation on carriers · CPC title