Catalysts and methods for natural gas processes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020017423-A1
Application number	US-201916413131-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 15, 2019
Priority date	Mar 16, 2016
Publication date	Jan 16, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Catalysts and catalytic methods are provided. The catalysts and methods are useful in a variety of catalytic reactions, for example, the oxidative coupling of methane.

First claim

1 . A catalyst comprising the following formula (IA):
A x B y C v D w O z    (IA)
wherein: A is a lanthanide or group 4 element; B is a group 2 element; C is a group 13 element; D is a lanthanide element; O is oxygen; v and w are independently numbers greater than 0; x, y and z are independently numbers greater than 0, and v, w, x, y and z are selected such that A x B y C v D w O z has an overall charge of 0.

2 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein A is a lanthanide.

3 . The catalyst of claim 2 , wherein A is lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium or neodymium.

4 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein A is a Group 4 element.

5 . The catalyst of claim 4 , wherein A is titanium, zirconium or hafnium.

6 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein B is magnesium, calcium, strontium or barium.

7 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein A is lanthanum and B is strontium, A is cerium and B is barium, A is praseodymium and B is barium, A is cerium and B is strontium, A is titanium and B is barium, A is titanium and B is strontium or A is titanium and B is calcium.

8 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein C is aluminum, gallium, indium or thallium.

9 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein D is lanthanum, neodymium, gadolinium or ytterbium.

10 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein:
A is titanium, zirconium or cerium; B is calcium, strontium or barium; C is aluminum, gallium or indium; and D is lanthanum, neodymium; gadolinium or ytterbium.

11 . The catalyst of claim 1 , comprising one of the following formulas: Ce x Ba y In v Nd w O 3 ; Ti x Ca y In v La w O 3 ; Ti x Ca y In v Nd w O 3 ; Ti x Ca y In v Gd w O 3 ; Ti x Ca y In v Yb w O 3 ; Zr x Ca y In v La w O 3 ; Zr x Ca y In v Nd w O 3 ; Zr x Ca y In v Gd w O 3 ; Zr x Ca y In v Yb w O 3 ; Ce x Ca y In v La w O 3 ; Zr x Ca y In v Nd w O 3 ; Zr x Ca y In v Gd w O 3 ; Zr x Ca y In v Yb w O 3 ; Ti x Sr y In v La w O 3 ; Ti x Sr y In v Nd w O 3 ; Ti x Sr y In v Gd w O 3 ; Ti x Sr y In v Yb w O 3 ; Zr x Sr y In v La w O 3 ; Zr x Sr y In v Nd w O 3 ; Zr x Sr y In v Gd w O 3 ; Zr x Sr y In v Yb w O 3 ; Ce x Sr y In v La w O 3 ; Ce x Sr y In v Nd w O 3 ; Ce x Sr y In v Gd w O 3 ; Ce x Sr y In v Yb w O 3 ; Ti x Ba y In v La w O 3 ; Ti x Ba y In v Nd w O 3 ; Ti x Ba y In v Gd w O 3 ; Ti x Ba y In v Yb w O 3 ; Zr x Ba y In v La w O 3 ; Zr x Ba y In v Nd w O 3 ; Zr x Ba y In v Gd w O 3 ; Zr x Ba y In v Yb w O 3 ; Ce x Ba y In v La w O 3 ; Ce x Ba y In v Nd w O 3 ; Ce x Ba y In v Gd w O 3 or Ce x Ba y In v Yb w O 3 .

12 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein z is 3.

13 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the sum of v, w, x and y is 2.

14 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein v and w each independently range from about 0.1 to about 0.6.

15 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein x ranges from about 0.2 to about 0.8.

16 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein y ranges from about 0.4 to about 1.0.

17 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein v ranges from about 0.25 to about 0.45, w ranges from about 0.4 to about 0.6, x ranges from about 0.3 to about 0.5 and y ranges from about 0.6 to about 1.0.

18 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is a nanostructured catalyst.

19 . The catalyst of claim 18 , wherein the catalyst is a nanowire.

20 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is a bulk catalyst.

21 . The catalyst of claim 1 , in combination with a diluent or support.

22 . A formed catalytic material comprising the catalyst of claim 1 .

23 . The formed catalytic material of claim 22 , wherein the formed catalytic material is an extrudate or a tableted catalytic material.

24 . (canceled)

25 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein a C2+ selectivity of the catalyst in an oxidative couple of methane (OCM) reaction is greater than about 50% when the OCM reaction is conducted at temperatures of about 700° C. or lower.

26 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst has a catalytic activity to achieve a methane conversion of greater than 10% and a C2+ selectivity of greater than 50% in an oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) reaction when the catalyst contacted with methane at temperatures of about 700° C. or lower.

27 . A method for the oxidative coupling of methane, the method comprising contacting methane with the catalyst of claim 1 , thereby converting the methane to C2 hydrocarbons, C2+ hydrocarbons, or combinations thereof.

28 . (canceled)

29 . A method for performing the oxidative coupling of methane, the method comprising flowing a gas comprising methane from a front end to a back end of a catalyst bed comprising an OCM active catalyst, the catalyst bed having a total length L and a total OCM active catalyst surface area, wherein greater than 50% of the total OCM active catalyst surface area resides in a portion of the catalyst bed ranging from the front end to a distance equal to 50% of L.

30 - 37 . (canceled)

38 . A catalyst bed comprising a front end, a back end and an OCM active catalyst, the catalyst bed having a total length L and a total OCM active catalyst surface area, wherein greater than 50% of the total OCM active surface area resides in a portion of the catalyst bed ranging from the front end to a distance equal to 50% of L.

39 . A formed catalytic material comprising first and second OCM active catalysts, wherein the first OCM active catalyst is a nanostructured catalyst having a BET surface area of greater than 5 m 2 /g, and the second OCM active catalyst is a catalyst having a BET surface area of less than 2 m 2 /g, and wherein the catalytic material has a volume loss of less than 20% when heated to 900° C. in air for 100 hours.

40 - 50 . (canceled)

51 . A method for preparing a formed catalytic material, the method comprising:
i) providing a first nanostructured OCM active catalyst having a BET surface area of greater than 5 m 2 /g; ii) sintering the first nanostructured OCM active catalyst at a temperature above 1000° C. to obtain a second OCM active catalyst having a BET surface area of less than 2 m 2 /g; iii) admixing the first and second OCM active catalysts; and iv) forming the mixture to obtain the formed catalytic material.

52 - 64 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Siluria Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Tanur Adrienne
• Usen Ndifreke Ini
• Schammel Wayne P
• Haroun Yacine
• Freer Erik M
• Cizeron Joel M

Classifications

• B01J37/08

  Heat treatment {(B01J37/0009, B01J37/0018 take precedence)} · CPC title

• C07C2521/02

  Boron or aluminium; Oxides or hydroxides thereof · CPC title

• C07C2523/08

  of gallium, indium or thallium · CPC title

• B01J37/04

  Mixing {(B01J37/0009, B01J37/0018 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B01J23/002

  Mixed oxides other than spinels, e.g. perovskite · CPC title