PHENOL ALKYLATION CATALYST PRECURSOR AND CATALYST, AND METHOD OF ALKYLATING PHENOL

1 . A catalyst precursor composition for forming a phenol alkylation catalyst, the composition comprising:

70 to 98 weight percent of a base oxide comprising:

magnesium oxide with a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area from 75 meter 2 /gram to 220 meter 2 /gram; or

magnesium carbonate with a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of from 100 meter 2 /gram to 220 meter 2 /gram;

at least one metal promoter precursor comprising:

an iron precursor in an amount effective to provide 0.05 to 3 weight percent of iron to the alkylation catalyst,

a manganese precursor in an amount effective to provide 0.05 to 1.5 weight percent of manganese to the alkylation catalyst,

a vanadium precursor in an amount effective to provide 0.05 to 1.5 weight percent of vanadium to the alkylation catalyst, or

a copper precursor in an amount effective to provide 0.05 to 1.5 weight percent of copper to the catalyst;

1 to 10 weight % of a pore former;

a lubricant;

a coke inhibitor;

0 to 1.5 weight percent of a strength additive; and

0 to 1.0 weight percent of a binder; wherein each weight percent is based on total weight of the composition excluding water.

2 . The catalyst precursor composition of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst precursor comprises less than 0.5 weight percent of the binder based on the total weight of the composition excluding water.

3 . The catalyst precursor composition of claim 1 , wherein the strength additive is present in an amount of less than 0.5 weight percent, based on the total weight of the composition excluding water.

4 . The catalyst precursor composition of claim 1 , wherein:

the iron precursor is iron(III) oxide;

the manganese precursor is manganese(IV) oxide or manganese(II) oxide;

the vanadium precursor is vanadium(V) oxide; and

the copper precursor is a copper(II) compound.

5 . The catalyst precursor composition of claim 1 , comprising at least two of the iron precursor, the manganese precursor, the vanadium precursor, and the copper precursor.

6 . The catalyst precursor composition of claim 1 , wherein the metal promoter comprises one of the following;

the iron precursor and the manganese precursor thereof;

the iron precursor and the copper precursor thereof;

the iron precursor; or

the copper precursor;

each of which optionally further comprises from 0.05 to 0.25 weight percent of the vanadium precursor, based on the total weight of the composition excluding water.

7 . The catalyst precursor composition of claim 1 , wherein the coke inhibitor is present in an amount from 1 to 1000 ppm by weight, based on the total weight of the composition excluding water.

8 . The catalyst precursor composition of claim 7 , wherein the coke inhibitor comprises:

a sulfur compound that is dimethyl disulfide, ethylmercaptane, dimethyl sulfide, carbon disulfide, benzothiophene, thiophene, or a combination thereof;

a phosphorous compound that is triphenylphosphine oxide, triphenylphosphine sulfide, benzyl diethyl phosphite, triphenyl phosphite; or a combination thereof;

an alkali metal compound that is potassium carbonate, potassium oxide, sodium carbonate, sodium oxide, sodium sulphate, lithium carbonate, lithium oxide, cesium carbonate, cesium oxide, rubidium carbonate, rubidium oxide, or a combination thereof;

or a combination thereof.

9 . A catalyst precursor prepared from at least one of the catalyst precursor compositions of claim 1 .

10 . A phenol alkylation catalyst prepared by a method, the method comprising:

exposing the catalyst precursor of claim 9 to an inert gas flow, having a weight hourly space velocity of 0.05 to 0.8 hour −1 , wherein the inert gas flow has a temperature of 350 to 550° C. and is conducted for a time of 5 to 30 hours, and wherein the temperature of the inert gas flow is increased to the temperature of 350 to 550° C. at a rate of 0.5 to 5° C./minute.

11 . A method of alkylating phenol, the method comprising

exposing the catalyst precursor within the flow reactor in accordance with the method of claim 10 to form the phenol alkylation catalyst; and

reacting a liquid feed comprising phenol, a C 1 -C 6 alkanol, and water in the presence of the phenol alkylation catalyst.

12 . The method claim 11 , wherein the C 1 -C 6 alkanol comprises methanol, and the flow reactor includes at least a first reaction zone and a second reaction zone, wherein the first and the second reaction zones are at a temperature range from 390° C. to 500° C., and the first zone temperature is higher than the second zone temperature, and

wherein the ortho-selectivity of methylation of phenol to 2,6-dimethyl phenol and 2-methylphenol is greater than 96% at 120 hours.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the selectivity to 2,4,6-trimethyl phenol is less than 2.5% at 120 hours, and the phenol consumption at 120 hours is less than 0.4 kilograms of phenol per 0.5 kilograms of 2,6-dimethyl phenol produced.

14 . The catalyst precursor composition of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst precursor comprises less than 0.1 weight percent of the binder, based on the total weight of the composition excluding water.

15 . The catalyst precursor composition of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst precursor comprises less than 0.01 weight percent of the binder, based on the total weight of the composition excluding water.

16 . The catalyst precursor composition of claim 1 , wherein the strength additive is present in an amount of less than 0.1 weight percent based on the total weight of the composition excluding water.

17 . The catalyst precursor composition of claim 1 , wherein the strength additive is present in an amount of less than 0.01 weight percent based on the total weight of the composition excluding water.

18 . The catalyst precursor composition of claim 1 comprising at least two of the iron precursor, the manganese precursor, and the copper precursor.

19 . The catalyst precursor composition of claim 1 , wherein the coke inhibitor is present from 50 to 800 ppm by weight, based on the total weight of the composition excluding water.

20 . The catalyst precursor composition of claim 1 , wherein the coke inhibitor is present 80 to 400 ppm by weight, based on the total weight of the composition excluding water.