Catalysts and methods for alcohol dehydration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9452420-B2
Application number	US-201314417404-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2013
Priority date	Aug 30, 2012
Publication date	Sep 27, 2016
Grant date	Sep 27, 2016

Abstract

Provided is a process for preparing a diaryl ether compound through the dehydration of an aromatic alcohol compound in the presence of a dehydration catalyst. The dehydration catalyst is an oxide of a medium rare earth element, wherein the medium rare earth element is samarium, europium, gadolinium, or mixtures thereof.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for preparing a diaryl ether, the method comprising dehydrating an aromatic alcohol compound over a dehydration catalyst, wherein the dehydration catalyst is an oxide of samarium, europium, gadolinium or mixtures thereof and further comprises a halogen.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the halogen is chloride or fluoride ion.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the dehydration catalyst further comprises a binder.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the dehydration catalyst is supported.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the dehydration catalyst is unsupported.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the dehydration of the alcohol is conducted at a temperature from 250 to 600° C.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the alcohol feed is diluted with a diluent.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the aromatic alcohol compound is phenol and the diaryl ether produced is diphenyl oxide.

9. A method for producing a heat transfer fluid, the method comprising:
preparing a diaryl ether by contacting an aromatic alcohol compound with a dehydration catalyst, wherein the dehydration catalyst is an oxide of samarium, europium, gadolinium or mixtures thereof and further comprises a halogen;
isolating the diaryl ether from the dehydration catalyst; and
mixing the isolated diaryl ether with biphenyl such that the mixture forms a eutectic mixture.

Assignees

• Dow Global Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Barton David G
• Chojecki Adam
• Elowe Paul R
• Kilos Beata A

Classifications

• B01J37/0201

  Impregnation · CPC title

• B01J37/08

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

• B01J37/031

  Precipitation · CPC title

• C09K5/00

  Heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants; Materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion · CPC title

• C07C41/09

  by dehydration of compounds containing hydroxy groups · CPC title