Method and apparatus for preparing a catalyst

1. Method for preparing a catalyst, comprising:

preparing a first solution comprising a gold precursor and a palladium precursor;

preparing an alumina suspension;

heating the alumina suspension to a preferred temperature range between 45° C. and 60° C.;

normalizing the pH of the alumina suspension comprising adjusting the pH of the alumina suspension to a pH of 7.0+/−0.1 prior to introducing the first solution to the alumina suspension;

introducing the first solution to the alumina suspension and coincidentally introducing sodium carbonate to the alumina suspension to maintain the pH of the resulting solution at a preferred pH level of 7.0+/−0.1 and maintaining temperature of the resulting solution between 45° C. and 60° C.;

separating solids in the resulting solution; and

calcining the separated solids to form a catalyst including gold and palladium co-deposited onto alumina.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein normalizing the pH of the alumina suspension prior to introducing the first solution to the alumina suspension comprises adding nitric acid to the alumina suspension prior to introducing the first solution to the alumina suspension.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein preparing the first solution comprising the gold precursor and the palladium precursor comprises:

preparing the gold precursor comprising a solution including HAuCl 4 *3H 2 O;

preparing the palladium precursor comprising a solution including Pd(NO 3 ) 2 in nitric acid; and

combining the gold precursor and the palladium precursor.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein combining the gold precursor and the palladium precursor comprises combining the gold precursor and the palladium precursor at a 2:1 Pd:Au wt. ratio.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein combining the gold precursor and the palladium precursor at the 2:1 Pd:Au wt, ratio comprises preparing a solution containing 1.492 wt % Pd and 0.736 wt % Au at the 2:1 Pd:Au wt. ratio.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein preparing the gold precursor comprising the solution including HAuCl 4 *3H 2 O further comprises adding water to the gold precursor such that the solution including HAuCl 4 *3H 2 O comprises 1% mass wt. of the first solution.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein introducing the first solution to the alumina suspension comprises introducing the first solution to the alumina suspension in a drop-wise manner.

8. Method for preparing a catalyst, comprising:

preparing a Au—Pd solution, including

preparing a Au precursor,

preparing a Pd precursor, and

combining the Au precursor and the Pd precursor at a 2:1 Pd:Au wt. ratio;

adding the Au—Pd solution to a continuously stirred alumina suspension while maintaining a resulting solution within a preferred temperature range and at a pH of 7.0+/−0.1 including normalizing the pH of the alumina suspension to a pH of 7.0+/−0.1 prior to adding the Au—Pd solution to the alumina suspension;

separating solids in the resulting solution; and

calcining the separated solids;

wherein adding the Au—Pd solution to the continuously stirred alumina suspension while maintaining the resulting solution within the preferred temperature range and at the pH of 7.0+/−0.1 comprises coincidentally adding the Au—Pd solution in a drop-wise manner and adding sodium carbonate in a drop-wise manner; and

wherein adding the Au—Pd solution to the continuously stirred alumina suspension while maintaining the resulting solution within the preferred temperature range and at the pH of 7.0+/−0.1 comprises maintaining the resulting solution within a temperature range between 45° C. and 60° C.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein normalizing the pH of the alumina suspension to a pH of 7.0+/−0.1 prior to adding the Au—Pd solution to the alumina suspension comprises adding nitric acid to the alumina suspension.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein preparing the Au precursor comprises preparing a solution including HAuCl 4 *3H 2 O.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein preparing the Pd precursor comprises preparing a solution including Pd(NO 3 ) 2 in nitric acid.