Patent ID: 9073849
Filing Date: 2015-07-07
Classification: B01J,C07C

Abstract:
1. A process for making dimethyl carbonate in yield a greater than 40 wt % of catalyst and with 100 wt % selectivity wherein the process comprises the steps of: (a) providing reusable, water-tolerant, solid, calcined catalyst consisting of zirconium pyrophosphate derived from zirconium phosphonate having a molecular formula: wherein, X refers to phenyl phosphonate, Y refers to HPO (b) contacting methanol with carbon dioxide in the presence of the catalyst as provided in step (a) wherein the amount of the catalyst ranges from 0.5 to 5% by weight of methanol, pressure of carbon dioxide ranges from 1 to 60 bar and a molar ratio of methanol and carbon dioxide varies from 0.25:1 to 10:1; and (c) subjecting the reaction mixture as obtained in step (b) to a temperature in the range of 80 to 200° C. and for a period in the range of 3 to 12 hrs followed by lowering the temperature, venting out or recycling unreacted carbon dioxide and separating product dimethyl carbonate from the left out methanol, by-product water and catalyst.