Methods for forming ethylbenzene from polystyrene
View Patent ↗According to one or more embodiments presently disclosed, a method of catalytically converting polystyrene may include contacting polystyrene with a catalyst to form a product comprising ethylbenzene. The catalyst may include oxidized iron, oxidized cobalt, and oxidized copper. The catalyst may further include a mesoporous support material with pores having an average pore diameter of from 2 nm to 50 nm.
1. A method of catalytically converting polystyrene, the method comprising:
contacting polystyrene with a catalyst to form a product comprising ethylbenzene, where the catalyst comprises:
catalytic oxidized metal materials comprising:
oxidized iron;
oxidized cobalt; and
oxidized copper; and
a mesoporous support material comprising pores having an average pore diameter of from 2 nm to 50 nm,
wherein a weight ratio of iron atoms:cobalt atoms:copper atoms in the catalyst is 1:0.4-0.6:0.5-0.7.
2. The method of claim 1 , where the polystyrene is in a liquid phase when contacted with the catalyst.
3. The method of claim 1 , where the polystyrene is contacted with the catalyst in an atmosphere comprising one or more of oxygen, an inert gas, or a reducing gas.
4. The method of claim 1 , where:
the product comprising ethylbenzene comprises a liquid phase and a solid phase; and
a weight ratio of liquid phase to solid phase is at least 2:1 at 25° C.
5. The method of claim 4 , where the liquid phase comprises greater than 60 mole percent ethylbenzene.
6. The method of claim 1 , where the polystyrene contacts the catalyst within one of a fluidized bed reactor, a continuous stirred tank reactor, a batch reactor, a stirred tank reactor, a slurry reactor, or a moving bed reactor.
7. The method of claim 1 , where the mesoporous support material comprises alumina material or silica material.
8. The method of claim 1 , where the mesoporous support material comprises gamma alumina.
9. The method of claim 1 , where at least 95 wt. % of the catalytic oxidized metal materials are a combination of the oxidized iron, the oxidized cobalt, and the oxidized copper.
10. The method of claim 1 , where at least 95 wt. % of the mesoporous support material comprises alumina.
11. The method of claim 1 , where at least 95 wt. % of the catalyst is a combination of the catalytic oxidized metal materials and the mesoporous support material.
12. A method of catalytically converting polystyrene, the method comprising:
contacting a feed stream comprising polystyrene with a catalyst to form a product stream comprising ethylbenzene, where the catalyst comprises:
catalytic oxidized metal materials comprising:
oxidized iron;
oxidized cobalt; and
oxidized copper; and
a mesoporous support material comprising pores having an average pore diameter of from 2 nm to 50 nm,
wherein a weight ratio of iron atoms:cobalt atoms:copper atoms in the catalyst is 1:0.4-0.6:0.5-0.7.
13. The method of claim 12 , where the feed stream comprises at least 50 wt. % of polystyrene.
14. The method of claim 12 , where the product stream comprises a liquids fraction at 25° C.
15. The method of claim 12 , where the liquids fraction comprises at least 60 mole percent ethylbenzene.
16. The method of claim 12 , where:
the mesoporous support material comprises alumina material.
17. The method of claim 12 , where at least 95 wt. % of the catalytic oxidized metal materials are a combination of the oxidized iron, the oxidized cobalt, and the oxidized copper.
18. The method of claim 12 , where at least 95 wt. % of the mesoporous support material comprises alumina.
19. The method of claim 1 , where the polystyrene is contacted with the catalyst at a temperature of less than 350° C.
20. The method of claim 12 , where the feed stream is contacted with the catalyst at a temperature of less than 350° C.