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US4701436A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Catalytic, hollow, refractory spheres

Assignee: California Institute of Technology
•
Filing: 1986-03-18
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Granted: 1987-10-20
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Expires: 2006-03-18
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Abstract

Abstract Improved, heterogeneous, refractory catalysts are in the form of gas-impervious, hollow, thin-walled spheres (10) suitable formed of a shell (12) of refractory such as alumina having a cavity (14) containing a gas at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure. The wall material may be itself catalytic or a catalytically active material coated onto the sphere as a layer (16), suitably platinum or iron, which may be further coated with a layer (18) of activator or promoter. The density of the spheres (30) can be uniformly controlled to a preselected value within ±10 percent of the density of the fluid reactant such that the spheres either remain suspended or slowly fall or rise through the liquid reactant.

Inventors

  • 👤 Taylor G. Wang
  • 👤 Daniel D. Elleman
  • 👤 Mark C. Lee
  • 👤 James M. Kendall, Jr.

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-06 08:50
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01J; B01J37/00; B01J37/02; B01J37/024; B01J35/00; B01J35/50; B01J35/51; B01J35/52

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 28 words
A heterogeneous catalyst comprising hollow, spherical, gas-impervious spheres formed of a refractory compound shell containing a gas at a pressure above atmospheric and having a catalytically active surface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 28 words
A heterogeneous catalyst comprising hollow, spherical, gas-impervious spheres formed of a refractory compound shell containing a gas at a pressure above atmospheric and having a catalytically active surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 20 words
A catalyst according to claim 1 in which the diameter of the spheres is from 0.20 mm to 5.0 mm.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 27 words
A catalyst according to claim 2 in which the shell of the spheres is formed of an oxide, nitride, carbide, silicide, boride, silicate, aluminate or mixtures thereof.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 20 words
A catalyst according to claim 1 in which the catalytically active surface comprises a catalyst layer deposited on the shell.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 22 words
A catalyst according to claim 1 in which the catalytically active surface is formed by catalytically active materials present in the shell.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 15 words
A catalyst according to claim 4 in which the catalyst layer includes a catalytic metal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 28 words
A catalyst according to claim 6 in which the catalytic metal is selected from transition metals and noble metals and the catalyst layer includes an activator and/or promoter.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 12 words
A catalyst according to claim 1 in which the gas is air.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 22 words
A catalyst according to claim 2 in which the density of the spheres does not vary more than 0.5 percent by weight.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

CA763944A Cited
US3347798A Cited
US3538018A Cited
US3798176A Cited
US3978269A Cited
US4039480A Cited
US4344787A Cited
GB2055787A Cited
US4292206A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1990-10-19 1991-04-20 1991-10-20 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1994-10-19 1995-04-20 1995-10-20 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1998-10-19 1999-04-20 1999-10-20 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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