Patent GB-1338498-A (GB)
Title: Preparation of oxidation catalysts
IPC: B01J37/03
Filed: 1971-11-19
Abstract: 1338498 Oxidation or ammoxidation processes UBE INDUSTRIES Ltd 19 Nov 1971 [1 Dec 1970] 53874/71 Heading C2C [Also in Divisions  B1 and C5]  An unsaturated aliphatic aldehyde (or nitrile) is prepared by a process wherein an olefin is contacted with molecular oxygen (or molecular oxygen and ammonia) under oxidative dehydrogenation (or ammoxidation) reaction conditions in the presence of catalyst which comprises molybdenum, antimony, bismuth, Group II metal and oxygen and which has been prepared by a process which comprises forming a mixture  of (a) an oxide of antimony or bismuth anti-  monate, (b) a solution of molybdic acid or of a salt thereof, (c) a solution of a bismuth salt and (d) a solution of a salt of a Group II metal selected for example from magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, zinc, cadmium and mercury, with the proviso that component (c) may be omitted if component (a) is bismuth antimonate,  adjusting the pH of the mixture to a value of from 1 to 8 thereby to form a coprecipitate containing molybdenum, antimony, bismuth and Group II metal components, separating the coprecipitate from the mother liquor, washing the separated coprecipitate, and calcining the washed coprecipitate at a temperature of from 400 to 800 C. for a period preferably of from 3 to 20 hours. Prior to calcining, the washed coprecipitate may be subjected to drying, comminuting, sieving and forming, optionally in the  presence of graphite, into for example pellets, granules or tablets. Components (a), (b), (c) and (d) may be used in relative amounts to provide a  mixture, and hence a catalyst, containing from 5 to 60 atoms of each of molybdenum, antimony, bismuth and Group II metal per 100 atoms of total molybdenum, antimony, bismuth and Group II metal; the mixture preferably is prepared to contain antimony and bismuth in equal atomic amounts and molybdenum and Group II metal in amounts such that the molybdenum: Group II metal atomic ratio is between 1 : 5 and 5 : 1. The catalyst additionally may comprise carrier material, for example silica, alumina, silica-alumina, a silicate, kaolin or diatomaceous earth, and/or impurity material selected from sodium, potassium, sulphur, phosphorus and arsenic. The contact between olefin and molecular oxygen (or molecular oxygen and ammonia) may be effected at a temperature of from 300 to 550 C. and a pressure which is sub-atmospheric, atmospheric or super-atmospheric, optionally in the presence of gaseous diluent, for example nitrogen, carbon dioxide or, especially, steam; the catalyst may be present in the form of a fixed bed, a moving bed or a fluidized bed. Examples relate to the preparation of acrolein (Examples 27, 41, 44, 46 and 51) and acrylonitrile (Examples 1 to 25, 34 to 40, 43, 45, 47 to 50 and 53) from propylene and of methacrolein (Examples 28 and 52) and methacrylonitrile (Example 26) from isobutylene in the presence of steam and nitrogen and of a fixed bed of catalyst which contains calcium (Examples 1 to 33 and 53) or barium (Examples 34 to 42) or magnesium (Examples 43 and 44) or zinc (Examples 45 and 46) or cadmium (Examples 47 to 52), all catalysts being unsupported except for the catalysts of Examples 24 and 25 which contain, as carrier material, kaolin or diatomaceous earth, respectively. Comparative examples relate to the preparation of acrylonitrile from propylene in the presence of steam and nitrogen and of a fixed bed of either unsupported calcium-containing catalyst prepared by a procedure which does not involve coprecipitation (Comparative Examples 1 to 4) or unsupported catalyst which contains no Group II metal (Comparative Example 5).