GB229714A - Improvements in the manufacture and production of oxygenated organic compounds - Google Patents

Abstract

Catalytic materials for the manufacture of methyl alcohol or other oxygenated organic compounds by interaction of oxides of carbon and hydrogen are prepared by igniting a mixture of copper oxide and powdered aluminium either in the air or in an inert gas, or by adding an oxide of zinc, manganese, thallium, cerium, uranium, thorium or zirconium to molten potassium dichromate, breaking up the cooled mass and reducing it. Reference has been directed by the Comptroller to Specification 20488/13.ALSO:Methyl alcohol together with other oxygenated organic compounds are prepared by passing mixtures of carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide or both with hydrogen at increased temperature and pressure over a catalytic material containing non-reducible metal oxides or compounds thereof. By non-reducible metal oxides are meant those oxides which are not reduced by hydrogen or carbon monoxide or mixtures thereof under ordinary or increased pressure at temperatures up to 550 DEG C. Iron, nickel and cobalt must be excluded from the catalytic material. To the non-reducible metal oxide or oxides may be added inert materials or reducible metal oxides or the metals of the reducible or non-reducible oxides. The following are examples of the catalytic materials employed:-the oxides, hydroxides or carbonates of the alkali, alkaline earth or earth and rare earth materials (i.e. aluminium, glucinum, zirconium, thorium, cerium, &c.); mixtures or compounds of magnesia or alumina with oxides of lead, bismuth, thallium, zinc, cadmium, copper, tin, antimony, silicon, boron and titanium; potash-lime, or a mixture of caustic potash and alumina, or magnesium chromate; a mixture of lead chromate with alumina, together with a little caustic potash; magnesium or zinc oxide mixed with potassium or rubidium hydroxide or carbonate; the product obtained by igniting in the air or in an inert gas a mixture of copper oxide and powdered aluminium; mixtures of potassium, caesium or rubidium compounds with one or more oxides of uranium, aluminium, chromium, manganese, or of rare earth metals such as cerium, lanthanum, thorium, zirconium of yxttrium; mixtures or compounds of zinc oxide with oxides of aluminum, barium, rare earth metals, chromium, magnesium, manganese, tantalum, titanium, tungsten or vanadium; antimony oxide mixed with glucinum oxide; tungsten threads containing thoria; metallic molybdenum or thallium containing alumina; the product obtained by melting potassium dichromate and adding zinc oxide or an oxide of manganese, thallium, cerium, uranium, thorium or zirconium and breaking up the cooled mass, with or without subsequent leaching or reduction. The hydrogen should exceed in volume the oxides of carbon employed; the pressure should preferably be higher than 50 atmospheres and temperatures of 300-600 DEG C. are employed. The velocity of flow of the gases may vary between 5 and 200 cubic metres, calculated on atmospheric pressure, per hour for each kilogram of contact mass. Examples of the production of alcohols, chiefly methyl alcohol, are given. Reference has been directed by the Comptroller to Specification 20488/13.