Metathesis Catalyst Enhancer for Poison Sequestration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing metathesis catalysts used in oleochemical feedstocks are inefficient due to sensitivity to poisons like water, alcohols, sulphur compounds, and peroxides, leading to variable catalyst efficiency and high costs due to the need for high catalyst loadings.
Innovation Solution
The use of a catalyst enhancer compound, specifically titanium-based compounds, which reacts with poisons to enhance catalyst performance, allowing for lower catalyst concentrations and improved efficiency by doubling or quadrupling the effectiveness of metathesis reactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional metathesis catalysts are used in oleochemical feedstocks, then catalyst activity is initially high, but catalyst efficiency varies significantly due to poisoning by water, alcohols, sulphur compounds, and peroxides
Solution Approach 1:
A titanium-based catalyst enhancer compound is introduced as an intermediary substance that preferentially reacts with poison molecules (water, alcohols, sulphur compounds, peroxides) in the feedstock. This mediator protects the precious metal metathesis catalyst from deactivation by sequestering the harmful substances, thereby maintaining consistent catalyst efficiency and activity throughout the reaction process
Solution Approach 2:
The catalyst enhancer compound is added to the reaction system before the metathesis catalyst encounters poisons. It performs preliminary neutralization of harmful substances in the feedstock, preventing them from deactivating the metathesis catalyst. This preemptive action ensures the catalyst maintains its activity and selectivity throughout the metathesis reaction
2Productivity
If high catalyst loadings are used to overcome poisoning effects, then catalyst activity is maintained, but process cost increases due to expensive precious metal catalysts
Solution Approach 1:
The titanium-based enhancer acts as a protective intermediary that allows the precious metal catalyst to operate at much lower loadings. By sequestering poisons that would otherwise deactivate the catalyst, the enhancer enables high catalyst activity to be maintained with minimal amounts of expensive precious metal, significantly reducing process costs
3Quantity of substance
If catalyst loadings are reduced to lower costs, then process cost decreases, but catalyst efficiency and product conversion become highly variable due to poisoning
Solution Approach 1:
The catalyst enhancer compound serves as a protective intermediary that enables the use of low catalyst loadings while maintaining reliable product conversion. It preferentially binds to poison molecules in the feedstock, preventing them from deactivating the precious metal catalyst. This ensures consistent catalyst performance and predictable product conversion even at reduced catalyst concentrations
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the chemical environment parameters by introducing the titanium-based enhancer compound. This parameter change modifies the interaction between poisons and the catalyst, transforming the system from one where poisons directly deactivate the catalyst to one where the enhancer mediates these interactions, ensuring stable conversion at low catalyst loadings
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 catalyst enhancer compounds significantly reduce metathesis catalyst deactivation, enabling lower catalyst loadings while maintaining high conversion rates and efficiency, thus overcoming the limitations of traditional catalysts.
Implementation Method 1
catalyst enhancer compound, specifically titanium-based compounds, which reacts with poisons to enhance catalyst performance
Implementation Method 2
Metathesis is a known chemical process in the art. The process typically involves catalytic reactions which result in the interchange of groups on either side of one or more carbon-carbon double bonds
Data Source
AI summary
A process of metathesising a feedstock in the presence of a metathesis catalyst and at least one catalyst enhancer. The catalyst enhancer can be selected from a sacrificial catalyst or a non-catalyst enhancer. The process exhibits improved reaction times and/or the metathesis catalyst can be used at very low concentrations.