Patent GB-1389206-A (GB)
Title: Disproportionation catalyst
IPC: B01J23/36
Filed: 1971-06-25
Abstract: 1389206 Olefin disproportionation catalysts BP CHEMICALS INTERNATIONAL Ltd 19 June 1972 [25 June 1971] 29872/71 Heading B1E [Also in Divisions Cl and C5] Olefin disproportionation catalyst comprises rhenium heptoxide supported on gamma-alumina obtained by calcination, for example at a temperature of from 350 to 600‹C in air or nitrogen, of an alumina hydrate prepared by a procedure wherein an aluminium alkyl of relatively low molecular weight is reacted, for example at a temperature of from 65 to 155‹C and a pressure of from 200 to 5000 psig, with an alpha-mono-olefin, for example ethylene, propylene, butene-1, pentene-1 or hexene-1, to form an aluminium alkyl of relatively high molecular weight which is oxidised, for example by heating in air at a temperature of from 20 to 100‹C and a pressure of from 10 to 60 psig, to form the corresponding aluminium alkoxide which is hydrolysed, for example by a hydrolysing agent selected from water, steam, mineral acids (e.g. sulphuric acid) and bases (e.g. caustic soda, caustic potash) to form the corresponding fatty alcohol(s) and alumina hydrate which is recovered, for example by filtration, and optionally washed, for example with water, and dried, for example at elevated temperature and optionally under vacuum. The aluminium alkyl of relatively low molecular weight may be a trialkyl, a dialkyl hydride or an alkyl dihydride; the or each alkyl group preferably contains from 1 to 6 carbon atoms; specified aluminium alkyls are aluminium methyl, aluminium tripropyl, aluminium tributyl, aluminium tri-isobutyl, aluminium tri-isopentyl, aluminium trihexyl, aluminium di-isobutyl hydride and aluminium isobutyl dihydride. Hydrolysis of the aluminium alkoxide may be effected by the procedure disclosed in Specification 967053 or alternatively, by the use of a water/n-butanol mixture as disclosed in USA Specification 3394990; if water is used as hydrolysing agent, fatty alcohol adsorbed on the alumina hydrate preferably is extracted therefrom, for example by the use of water-immiscible alcohol solvent as disclosed in Specification 1064317. The catalyst, which may contain from 0.1 to 40 parts by weight of rhenium heptoxide per 100 parts by weight of gamma-alumina, may be prepared by a procedure wherein either the alumina hydrate is mixed with ammonium perthenate solution and the resulting mixture is dried and calcined, for example in air, to convert the alumina hydrate to gamma-alumina and the ammonium perthenate to rhenium heptoxide or wherein gamma-alumina derived from the alumina hydrate is impregnated with ammonium perthenate and heated to convert the ammonium perthenate to rhenium heptoxide. Prior to use, the catalyst may be activated by heating either in inert gas, for example nitrogen, carbon dioxide or helium, or in air or oxygen followed by treatment with nitrogen; preferably, the catalyst is heated in air or oxygen at a temperature of from 300 to 900‹C and then cooled in dry inert gas, for example nitrogen. After use, the catalyst may be regenerated by the procedure disclosed in Specification 1144085. As exemplified, commercially-available alumina hydrate having a boehmite-type crystallite structure, a surface area of 190 m<SP>2</SP>/g and specified impurity content in respect of carbon, silica, titania, soda and iron oxide is formed into 1/16 inch extrudates, calcined at 550‹C to convert the alumina to the gamma form, impregnated with an aqueous solution of ammonium perthenate, dried at 100‹C under vacuum and calcined at 580‹C in air to provide catalyst which, after use in an olefin disproportionation process, is regenerated by oxidative burn-off at 580‹C in air. Reference also is made to Specifications 1054864 and 1170498.