Production of acetonitrile and/or hydrogen cyanide from ammonia and methanol

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11760718-B2
Application number	US-201816469841-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2018
Priority date	Feb 6, 2017
Publication date	Sep 19, 2023
Grant date	Sep 19, 2023

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for producing a product gas comprising acetonitrile and/or hydrogen cyanide from a feed stream comprising ammonia and methanol over a solid catalyst comprising a support, a first metal and a second metal on the support, wherein the first metal and the second metal are in the form of a chemical compound, wherein the first metal is Fe, Ru or Co and the second metal is Sn, Zn, or Ge. The pressure is ambient pressure or higher and the temperature lies in a range from about 400° C. to about 700° C. Thus, the process for producing acetonitrile and/or hydrogen cyanide from ammonia and methanol may be catalyzed by a single catalyst and may be carried out in a single reactor. The invention also relates to a catalyst, a method for activating a catalyst and use of a catalyst for catalysing production of acetonitrile and/or hydrogen cyanide from ammonia and methanol.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process comprising:
producing a product gas comprising acetonitrile and/or hydrogen cyanide from a feed stream comprising ammonia and methanol over a solid catalyst at a pressure and a temperature,
wherein the catalyst comprises a support, a first metal and a second metal on said support, wherein said first metal and said second metal are in the form of a chemical compound selected from the group consisting of an alloy consisting of the first metal and the second metal, a ternary carbide comprising the first metal and the second metal, and a mixture thereof, wherein said first metal is Fe, Ru, Ni or Co and said second metal is Sn, Zn, or Ge, wherein the catalyst comprises alloys between the first and second metals and/or ternary carbides comprising the first and the second metals,
wherein the pressure is atmospheric pressure or higher and the temperature lies in a range from about 400° C. to about 700° C., and
wherein the catalyst is capable of catalyzing the following reactions:
1a) formation of formamide from methanol and ammonia;
1b) decomposition of formamide to hydrogen cyanide; and
2) cyanation of methanol to acetonitrile.

2. A process according to claim 1 , where the temperature lies in a range from about 500° C. to about 600° C.

3. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the support is chosen between the following: alumina, a spinel of alumina, and a high temperature stable catalyst carrier in the form of an oxide, a carbide, or a nitride.

4. A process according to claim 1 , wherein further comprising controlling the ratio between acetonitrile and hydrogen cyanide in the product gas by controlling the ratio of ammonia and methanol in the feed stream and/or the process temperature.

5. A process according to claim 1 , wherein said first metal and said second metal are in the form of an alloy of the first metal and the second metal.

6. A process according to claim 1 , wherein said first metal and said second metal are in the form of an alloy consisting of the first metal and the second metal.

7. A process according to claim 1 , wherein said first metal and said second metal are in the form of a ternary carbide comprising the first metal and the second metal.

Assignees

• Haldor Topsoe As

Inventors

• Højlund Nielsen Poul Erik
• Nielsen Rasmus Munksgård
• Olsen Brian Kjærgaard

Classifications

• B01J2235/15

  X-ray diffraction · CPC title

• C07C253/16 Primary

  by reaction of cyanides with lactones or compounds containing hydroxy groups or etherified or esterified hydroxy groups · CPC title

• B01J23/80

  with zinc, cadmium or mercury · CPC title

• B01J23/835

  with germanium, tin or lead · CPC title

• C01C3/0241

  from alcohols or aldehydes · CPC title