PROCESS FOR SEPARATING EPOXIDATION AND HYDROXYLATION CATALYSTS FROM DISTILLATION RESIDUES

摘要

1518338 Recovering metal catalyst components; Heating fluidised bed DEUTSCHE GOLD - UND SILBER - SCHEIDEANSTALT 29 Sept 1975 [18 Nov 1974 (2)] 39738/75 Headings B1E and B1F [Also in Divisions Cl and C2] Epoxidation and hydroxylation catalysts are separated from a distillation residue resulting from use of the catalyst by introducing the residue into a fluidised bed of inert solid material and burning off organic material from the residue with a free oxygencontaining gas, metal compounds originating from the catalyst being deposited onto the inert material in the reactor or onto the fines of the inert material or as the solid compounds themselves in the exhaust gas from the reactor for collection by a solidsseparator following the reactor. The catalyst may comprise compounds of Zr, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Re or U as salts or organometallic compounds or in the presence of basic components, e.g. Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Mg, Ca, Sr or Ba. The inert material may be silicon carbide, quartz, sand, corundum or calcined clay. The metal compounds recovered may be directly dissolved in water or other solvent or otherwise treated for recycle to the epoxidation or hydroxylation process. The Examples describe the recovery of catalysts comprising (i) sodium tungstate; (ii) sodium molybdate; (iii) sodium vanadate; (iv) vanadyl acetyl acetonate (deposited as vanadium pentoxide and dissolved in an alcohol for recovery as a vanadic acid ester); and (v) niobium naphthalate (deposited as niobium pentoxide and recovered by dissolution in alkali solution). Apparatus suitable for effecting the separation is shown in Fig. 1. The fluidised bed reactor 6 is heated by a salt bath 5 and has inlet connections for the distillation residue 1, for fluidising air 3 and for the inert material 7. The inert material with metal compound deposits is removed by line 4 and, after being combined with fines recovered in separator 9, is passed to vessel 14 where the metal compounds are extracted with water. The inert material is then recycled by line 14 to inlet 7.