Composite Catalyst with Carbon Continuous Phase for Fixed Bed Strength
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Raney nickel catalysts, despite their high catalytic activity, are inconvenient to handle due to their flammable nature and lack of strength, limiting their application to small-scale reactions, and existing methods for shaping them into fixed bed catalysts result in low activity or sintering issues.
Innovation Solution
A composite catalyst is developed with carbon as the continuous phase and Raney alloy particles as the dispersed phase, where the Raney alloy particles are uniformly or non-uniformly dispersed in carbon, obtained by carbonizing a carbonizable organic matter, and activated with a caustic aqueous solution, enhancing the catalyst's strength and activity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If Raney nickel catalysts are shaped into fixed bed catalysts by conventional methods, then the catalyst gains shape and strength for fixed bed use, but the catalytic activity decreases due to polymer wrapping or particle sintering
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses carbonized organic matter as an intermediary carrier material that supports the Raney alloy particles. The carbonized material acts as a mediator that provides structural strength while maintaining catalyst activity, avoiding the harmful effects of polymer wrapping or sintering that occur with conventional shaping methods
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite catalyst structure consisting of Raney alloy particles dispersed in a carbonized organic matter matrix. This composite structure combines the high catalytic activity of Raney nickel with the structural strength and stability of carbonized material, resolving the contradiction between strength and activity
2Reliability
If polymer is burned off by high-temperature calcination to remove wrapping, then the catalyst structure is freed, but quite a number of particles are sintered so that activity is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of the carrier material from organic polymer to carbonized organic matter. This parameter change allows the structure to be removed or transformed without requiring high-temperature calcination that would sinter the Raney alloy particles, thus maintaining catalytic activity
3Ease of manufacture
If polymer is remained in the shaped catalyst, then the shaping is easier, but the Raney alloy is wrapped or covered by polymer so that catalytic activity is low or even no activity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of polymer presence by carbonizing the organic matter first. The carbonized material then serves as a beneficial carrier that provides both shaping ease and maintains catalytic activity, transforming the harmful wrapping effect into a useful supporting structure
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 composite catalyst exhibits high activity, good selectivity, and strong particle strength, enabling its use in fixed bed reactions such as hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, amination, dehalogenation, or desulfuration, with a simple preparation method and minimal impurities.
Implementation Method 1
wherein the carbon as a continuous phase is obtained by carbonizing at least one carbonizable organic matter
Implementation Method 2
leaching out at least one metal component, leaving a metal having a high catalytic activity and a porous structure
Implementation Method 3
when used in a hydrogenation reaction, the catalyst has a high activity and a good selectivity
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a composite catalyst, comprising carbon in a continuous phase and Raney alloy particles in a dispersed phase. The Raney alloy particles are dispersed evenly or unevenly in the carbon in a continuous phase, and the carbon in a continuous phase is obtained by carbonizing at least one carbonizable organic substance. The catalyst has good particle strength, high catalytic activity, and good selectivity.