Abstract:
A carrier having at least three lobes, a first end, a second end, a wall between the ends and a non-uniform radius of transition at the intersection of an end and the wall is disclosed. A catalyst comprising the carrier, silver and promoters deposited on the carrier and useful for the epoxidation of olefins is also disclosed. A method for making the carrier, a method for making the catalyst and a process for epoxidation of an olefin with the catalyst are also disclosed.
Abstract:
The carrier of the present invention includes at least 85 wt percent alpha alumina, at least 0.06 wt percent SiO2 and no more than 0.04 wt percent Na2O. The carrier has a water absorption no greater than 0.35 g/g and a ratio of water absorption (g/g) to surface area (m2/g) no greater than 0.50 g/m2. Another aspect of the invention is a catalyst for the epoxidation of olefins which comprises the above described carrier and silver dispersed thereon, where the carrier has a monomodal, bimodal or multimodal pore distribution and where the quantity of silver is between 5 and 50 wt%, relative to the weight of the catalyst. A reactor system for the epoxidation of olefins is also disclosed.