Process for making metal oxide-coated microporous materials

1. A catalytic rare earth metal oxide-coated zeolite free-flowing bulk particulate comprising:

a zeolite particulate material;

a rare earth metal oxide;

said zeolite particulate material having an average pore size of less than a particle size of said rare earth metal oxide; and

greater than 20% by weight of said rare earth metal oxide coated on outer surfaces of said zeolite particulate material, based on the total equivalent rare earth metal oxide and zeolite content.

2. The free-flowing bulk particulate of claim 1 , wherein the rare earth metal oxide is selected from the group consisting of oxides of lanthanide metals, yttrium, scandium and a mixture thereof.

3. The free-flowing bulk particulate of claim 2 , wherein the rare earth metal oxide is an oxide of cerium.

4. The free-flowing bulk particulate of claim 3 , wherein said cerium oxide coated on the outer surface is in the range of 20 to 70% by weight based on the total equivalent cerium oxide and zeolite content.

5. The free-flowing bulk particulate of claim 3 , wherein the zeolite is represented by the formula

M m M′ n M″ P [aAlO 2 ·b SiO 2 ·cTO 2 ]

wherein

M is a monovalent cation,

M′ is a divalent cation,

M″ is a trivalent cation,

a, b, c, n, m, and p are numbers which reflect the stoichiometric proportions,

c, m, n or p can also be zero,

Al and Si are tetrahedrally coordinated Al and Si atoms, and

T is a tetrahedrally coordinated metal atom being able to replace Al or Si,

the ratio of b/a of the zeolite or the zeolite-like material, has a value >5 and the micropore size of the zeolite is within the range of 5 to 13 Å.

6. The free-flowing bulk particulate of claim 3 , wherein the zeolite is selected from the group consisting of silicalite zeolites, faujasites, X, Y and L zeolites, β-zeolites, Mordenite zeolites and ZSM zeolites and a mixture thereof.

7. The free-flowing bulk particulate of claim 2 , wherein said lanthanide metal oxide coated on the outer surface is in the range of 20 to 70% by weight based on the total equivalent cerium oxide and zeolite content.

8. The free-flowing bulk particulate of claim 2 , wherein the zeolite is represented by the formula

M m M′ n M″ P [aAlO 2 ·b SiO 2 ·cTO 2 ]

wherein

M is a monovalent cation,

M′ is a divalent cation,

M″ is a trivalent cation,

a, b, c, n, m, and p are numbers which reflect the stoichiometric proportions,

c, m, n or p can also be zero,

Al and Si are tetrahedrally coordinated Al and Si atoms, and

T is a tetrahedrally coordinated metal atom being able to replace Al or Si,

the ratio of b/a of the zeolite or the zeolite-like material, has a value of about >5 to about 300 and the micropore size of the zeolite is within the range of 5 to 13 Å.

9. The free-flowing bulk particulate of claim 2 , wherein the zeolite is selected from the group consisting of silicalite zeolites, faujasites, X, Y and L zeolites, β-zeolites, Mordenite zeolites and ZSM zeolites and a mixture thereof.

10. The free-flowing bulk particulate of claim 1 , wherein said rare earth metal oxide coated on the outer surface is in the range of 20 to 70% by weight based on the total equivalent rare earth metal oxide and zeolite content.

11. The free-flowing bulk particulate of claim 1 , wherein the particulate comprises particle sizes in the range of 1 to 25 microns.

12. The free-flowing bulk particulate of claim 1 , wherein said free flowing bulk particulate is nitrate ion-free.

13. The free-flowing bulk particulate of claim 1 , wherein said zeolite particulate material has a pore diameter less than 10 Å.

14. The process of claim 1 , wherein the zeolite is represented by the formula

M m M′ n M″ P [aAlO 2 ·b SiO 2 ·cTO 2 ]

wherein

M is a monovalent cation,

M′ is a divalent cation,

M″ is a trivalent cation,

a, b, c, n, m, and p are numbers which reflect the stoichiometric proportions,

c, m, n or p can also be zero,

Al and Si are tetrahedrally coordinated Al and Si atoms, and

T is a tetrahedrally coordinated metal atom being able to replace Al or Si,

the ratio of b/a of the zeolite or the zeolite-like material, has a value of about 5 to about 300 and the micropore size of the zeolite is within the range of 5 to 13 Å.

15. The free-flowing bulk particulate of claim 1 , wherein the zeolite is selected from the group consisting of silicalite zeolites, faujasites, X, Y and L zeolites, β-zeolites, Mordenite zeolites and ZSM zeolites and a mixture thereof.

16. The free-flowing bulk particulate of claim 1 , wherein the zeolite is selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic, mildly hydrophobic zeolites, and a mixture thereof, which have an affinity for hydrophobic and mildly hydrophobic organic compounds.

17. The free-flowing bulk particulate of claim 1 , wherein said zeolite particulate material has a pH of less than 4.2.

18. The free-flowing bulk particulate of claim 1 , wherein less than 30% by weight of the rare earth metal oxide (based on the total equivalent rare earth metal oxide content) is found to leach into water when the rare earth metal oxide-coated zeolite free-flowing bulk particulate is slurried in water.

19. The free-flowing bulk particulate of claim 1 , wherein less than 30% by weight of the cerium oxide (based on the total equivalent cerium oxide content) is found to leach into water when the cerium oxide-coated zeolite free-flowing bulk particulate is slurried in water.

20. The free-flowing bulk particulate of claim 1 , wherein said average pore size is less than 20 Å.