Liquid Phase Reduction of Copper Catalyst Precursors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for preparing copper-based catalysts for alcohol production face challenges in achieving high catalytic activity due to rapid heat generation during gas phase reduction, leading to decreased performance, especially in large-scale industrial applications.
Innovation Solution
A method involving liquid phase reduction of a molded catalyst precursor immersed in a solvent for a specified time, followed by hydrogen gas or a hydrogen-inert gas mixture in the presence of a solvent, to control heat generation and enhance catalytic activity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If gas phase reduction with high concentrate hydrogen is used for short time, then activation time is reduced, but heat generation becomes excessive causing catalyst performance degradation
Solution Approach 1:
An inert liquid solvent is introduced as an intermediary medium between the hydrogen gas and catalyst precursor. The solvent absorbs and dissipates the heat generated during reduction, preventing local overheating while allowing rapid activation. This mediator enables short-time high-concentration hydrogen treatment without the harmful temperature effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from gas phase reduction to liquid phase reduction. By changing the phase of the reaction medium from gas to liquid, the heat capacity and thermal conductivity increase significantly, allowing better heat management during the exothermic reduction process while maintaining short activation times.
2Productivity
If gas phase reduction is conducted in large scale industrial systems, then production capacity is increased, but temperature control becomes difficult leading to serious performance loss
Solution Approach 1:
The inert liquid solvent serves as a heat sink and temperature control mediator in large-scale systems. It uniformly distributes heat throughout the catalyst bed, preventing hot spots and ensuring reliable temperature control even in industrial-scale applications with high production capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the reduction environment by using liquid phase instead of gas phase. This fundamental parameter change provides superior heat capacity and thermal conductivity, enabling reliable temperature control in large-scale industrial systems while maintaining high productivity.
3Temperature
If liquid phase reduction is used, then heat generation is controlled, but the process becomes more complex compared to gas phase reduction
Solution Approach 1:
The inert liquid solvent is chosen specifically because it does not react with copper oxide or metallic copper, serving purely as a heat management intermediary. This non-reactive mediator simplifies the process by eliminating the need for additional purification steps while providing excellent heat control.
Solution Approach 2:
The use of inert liquid solvents creates an inert environment that prevents unwanted side reactions. This inert atmosphere (or rather, inert liquid environment) simplifies the overall process by eliminating the need for complex protection measures or post-treatment steps, making the liquid phase reduction as straightforward as gas phase reduction while providing superior heat control.
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
This approach enables the preparation of a catalyst with higher activity, resulting in high-quality alcohol production at high yields, while preventing performance degradation associated with rapid heat generation in gas phase reduction.
Implementation Method 1
reduction of a metal oxide with hydrogen generates a large amount of heat... it is important to gradually conduct reduction with controlling heat generation
Implementation Method 2
liquid phase reduction is performed by supplying hydrogen gas or a mixture of hydrogen gas with an inert gas to a catalyst layer in the presence of a solvent to reduce the catalyst precursor
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides the method for preparing a catalyst including the following steps 1 and 2, and the method for producing an alcohol including preparing a catalyst by the method and subjecting a carboxylic acid or a carboxylic acid ester to catalytic reduction with hydrogen in the presence of the prepared catalyst: step 1: immersing a molded precursor of a catalyst containing metal oxide in a solvent, step 2: supplying hydrogen gas or a mixture of hydrogen gas with an inert gas to a catalyst layer in the presence of a solvent to reduce the catalyst precursor prepared in the step 1.