A process for the catalytic hydrogenation of carbon monoxide

Abstract

Abstract The hydrogenation of carbon monoxide is effected at elevated temperature with steam or a mixture of hydrogen and steam in the presence of a catalyst of the 8th group of the periodic system and an aliphatic compound which contains no olefinic unsaturation and which is reactive under the process conditions. Aliphatic compounds mentioned are alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, hydrocarbons and amines. Hydrocarbons may be degraded or converted into compounds of higher molecular weight. When the catalyst is used as a metal, carbide or nitride the partial pressure of steam in the carbon monoxide/steam mixture should not exceed one-half of the total pressure of that gas mixture. In examples mixtures of carbon monoxide and steam are reacted at temperatures ranging from 200-270 DEG C. and pressures of from 10-110 atmospheres gauge with (1) methanol and a cobalt, thorium oxide and copper on kieselguhr catalyst to yield ethanol and methyl and ethyl acetates; (2) methane and a reduced iron catalyst containing copper and potassium carbonate to yield mainly ethane and propane with some ethylene, propylene, butylene and butane; (3) pentane and a kieselguhr supported iron catalyst containing copper, magnesium and potassium carbonate to yield methane, ethane, ethylene, mixed propylene and butylene (gasol) and a chief fraction of C3 and higher hydrocarbons; (4) methylamine and a carrier free catalyst comprising iron, copper and potassium carbonate which is treated with ammonia before being used in the process to yield mainly C3 and higher hydrocarbons, dimethylamine and trimethylamine with some C1 and C2 hydrocarbons and higher amines; (5) acetaldehyde and a reduced cobalt, thorium and magnesium catalyst on kieselguhr to yield mainly ethanol and propionaldehyde with some isopropanol, ethyl acetate and higher alcohols, aldehydes, acids and esters; and in (6) acetone replaces the acetaldehyde of (5) to yield mainly isopropanol and methyl ethyl ketone with sec.-butanol, propyl acetate, higher alcohols, ketones, acids and esters and hydrocarbons.

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