Oxidation process
View Patent ↗A process is disclosed for reacting an olefin, hydrogen, and oxygen in a reactor in the presence of an epoxidation catalyst comprising a transition metal zeolite and a noble metal to produce a product stream comprising an epoxide and an alkane. The alkane is separated and oxidized to at least one oxygenated product.
1. A process comprising:
(a) reacting an olefin, hydrogen, and oxygen in the presence of a buffer and an epoxidation catalyst comprising a transition metal zeolite and a noble metal to produce a product stream comprising an epoxide and an alkane;
(b) separating the alkane from the product stream; and
(c) oxidizing the alkane to at least one oxygenated product.
2. The process of claim 1 wherein the noble metal is supported on the transition metal zeolite.
3. The process of claim 2 wherein the transition metal zeolite is a titanium zeolite.
4. The process of claim 1 wherein the noble metal is supported on a carrier.
5. The process of claim 4 wherein the carrier is selected from the group consisting of carbon, titania, zirconia, niobia, silica, alumina, silica-alumina, titania-silica, zirconia-silica, niobia-silica, ion-exchange resins, and mixtures thereof.
6. The process of claim 4 wherein the transition metal zeolite is a titanium zeolite.
7. The process of claim 1 wherein step (c) is performed in the presence of an oxidation catalyst.
8. The process of claim 7 wherein the oxidation catalyst comprises a transition metal zeolite.
9. The process of claim 8 wherein the oxidation catalyst further comprises a noble metal.
10. The process of claim 9 wherein the noble metal is supported on the transition metal zeolite.
11. The process of claim 10 wherein the transition metal zeolite is a titanium zeolite.
12. The process of claim 9 wherein the noble metal is supported on a carrier.
13. The process of claim 12 wherein the carrier is selected from the group consisting of carbon, titania, zirconia, niobia, silica, alumina, silica-alumina, titania-silica, zirconia-silica, niobia-silica, ion-exchange resins, and mixtures thereof.
14. The process of claim 12 wherein the noble metal is selected from the group consisting of palladium, platinum, gold, rhenium, silver, and mixtures thereof.
15. The process of claim 12 wherein the transition metal zeolite is a titanium zeolite.
16. The process of claim 7 wherein step (c) is performed in the presence of an oxidizing reagent.
17. The process of claim 16 wherein the oxidizing reagent comprises oxygen.
18. The process of claim 16 wherein the oxidizing reagent comprises hydrogen peroxide.
19. The process of claim 7 wherein step (c) is performed in the presence of an acid.
20. The process of claim 19 wherein the acid is selected from the group consisting of hydrobromic acid, hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, carbonic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, and mixtures thereof.
21. The process of claim 1 wherein the olefin is propylene and the alkane is propane.
22. The process of claim 21 wherein the propane is separated from propylene by distillation.
23. The process of claim 21 wherein the oxygenated product is isopropanol, acetone, or a mixture of them.