Acid Modified Red Mud Catalyst for 1-Butene Isomerization
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Solution Overview
Problem
The current methods for producing 1-butene, such as ethylene dimerization, are impractical due to high costs and competitive use of ethylene in polyethylene production, necessitating a more efficient and cost-effective catalyst for olefin isomerization.
Innovation Solution
The use of acid modified red mud (AMRM) catalyst, formed by dissolving red mud in water, neutralizing, precipitating, filtering, drying, calcining, and grinding to create particles less than 100 μm, which is then used in an isomerization reactor to convert trans-2-butene and cis-2-butene to 1-butene, leveraging the metals content of red mud for enhanced performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional catalysts (SiO2, MgO) are used for olefin isomerization, then the process is simple and well-established, but the isomerization yield and surface area are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the catalyst's chemical composition through acid treatment (adding HCl or H2SO4) and controlled precipitation. This transforms red mud into an acid-modified red mud catalyst with enhanced surface area (increasing from typical 5-15 m2/g to over 100 m2/g) and improved isomerization activity, directly resolving the contradiction between maintaining simplicity and improving productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material by combining red mud (waste material) with acid modifiers and precipitants to form acid-modified red mud catalyst. This composite structure integrates the advantages of red mud (low cost, abundant supply) with enhanced catalytic properties from the acid modification, achieving high isomerization yield while maintaining cost-effectiveness
2Ease of manufacture
If red mud is used as catalyst without modification, then the cost is low and availability is high, but the surface area and catalytic performance are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses parameter changes by applying acid treatment (changing pH and chemical composition) and controlled precipitation to red mud. This transformation increases the surface area from typical 5-15 m2/g to over 100 m2/g while maintaining the low-cost advantage of using red mud as the base material, effectively resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and surface area
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces acid (HCl or H2SO4) as an intermediary substance that modifies the red mud structure. The acid acts as a mediator that creates porous structures and increases surface area without requiring expensive catalyst materials, thus maintaining cost-effectiveness while achieving high surface area
3Productivity
If ethylene dimerization is used to produce 1-butene, then the production method is established, but the cost is high and ethylene availability is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts 1-butene production from the ethylene dimerization pathway and creates an alternative route using butene isomerization. By taking out the dependency on ethylene as feedstock and using red mud catalyst instead of traditional catalysts, the process achieves cost-effective 1-butene production without competing with polyethylene manufacturing for ethylene supply
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The AMRM catalyst significantly increases the surface area and isomerization yield, outperforming traditional catalysts like SiO2 and MgO, offering a cost-effective solution with improved selectivity and efficiency, reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions.
Implementation Method 1
dissolving red mud in water to form a red mud solution
Implementation Method 2
neutralizing the red mud solution with an acid
Implementation Method 3
forming a precipitant by adding a base to the red mud solution
Implementation Method 4
the precipitant is filtered from the red mud solution
Implementation Method 5
The precipitant is filtered from the red mud solution, dried, and ground
Implementation Method 6
The particles are calcined to form the AMRM catalyst
Implementation Method 7
A butene feedstock is flowed over the AMRM catalyst in an isomerization reactor
Data Source
AI summary
A system and a method for isomerizing a 2-butene feed stream to form a 1-butene product stream are provided. An exemplary method includes calcining the red mud, flowing a butene feedstock over the red mud in an isomerization reactor, and separating 1-butene from a reactor effluent.