Patent US4804796A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4804796A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Catalytic, hollow, refractory spheres, conversions with them
Assignee: California Institute of Technology
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Filing: 1987-04-08
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Granted: 1989-02-14
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Expires: 2007-04-08
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
2026-11-05 22:02
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01J; B01J37/00; B01J37/02; B01J37/024; B01J35/00; B01J35/50; B01J35/51; B01J35/52; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S502/00; Y10S502/523; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/29; Y10T428/2982; Y10T428/2991; Y10T428/2993
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
58 words
A reaction medium media comprising a liquid reactant containing a suspension of hollow, gas impervious catalyst spheres formed of a refractory compound shell having a catalytic active surface and containing a gas at a pressure greater than atmospheric, said spheres having a preselected density in the range of +10 percent of the density of the liquid reaction medium.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
58 words
A reaction medium media comprising a liquid reactant containing a suspension of hollow, gas impervious catalyst spheres formed of a refractory compound shell having a catalytic active surface and containing a gas at a pressure greater than atmospheric, said spheres having a preselected density in the range of +10 percent of the density of the liquid reaction medium.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
A reaction media according to claim 1 in which the spheres have a density within +0.5 percent of the density of the liquid reaction medium and form a uniform stationary suspension therein.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
A reaction media according to claim 1 in which the spheres have a density less than the density of the liquid reaction medium by 0.5 to 10 percent and form a suspension that slowly rises therethrough.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
A reaction media according to claim 1 in which the spheres have a density greater than the density of the fluid reaction medium by 0.5 to 10 percent and form a suspension that slowly falls therethrough.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
A reaction media according to claim 1 in which the diameter of the sphere is from 0.20 mm to 5.0 mm.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
A reaction media according to claim 5 in which the shell of the sphere consists essentially of an oxide, nitride, carbide, silicide, boride, silicate, aluminate or a mixture thereof.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
A reaction media according to claim 1 in which the catalytically active surface comprises a catalyst layer deposited on the shell.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
A reaction media according to claim 1 in which the catalytically active surface is formed by catalytically active materials present in the shell.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
A reaction media according to claim 7 in which the catalyst layer includes a catalytically active metal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
A reaction media according to claim 9 in which the catalytically active metal is selected from transition metals and noble metals and the catalyst layer includes an activator and/or promotor.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
13 words
A reaction media according to claim 1 in which the gas is air.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
A reaction media according to claim 1 in which the density of the spheres does not vary more than +0.5 percent by weight.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
47 words
A method of catalytically converting a reactant into a product comprising the steps of: forming a uniform suspension of hollow, gas-impervious catalytic refractory compound spheres within a body of; catalytically reacting the reactant to form a reaction product; and separating the catalyst spheres from the reaction product.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
47 words
A method of catalytically converting a reactant into a product comprising the steps of: forming a uniform suspension of hollow, gas-impervious catalytic refractory compound spheres within a body of; catalytically reacting the reactant to form a reaction product; and separating the catalyst spheres from the reaction product.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 13 in which the spheres have a uniform diameter and a preselected density within +10 percent of the density of the fluid liquid reaction medium.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method according to claim 14 inw hich the spheres have a density within +0.5 percent of the density of the fluid liquid reaction medium and form a uniform stationary suspension therein.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method according to claim 14 in which the spheres have a density less than the density of the fluid liquid reaction medium by 0.5 to 10 percent and form a suspension that slowly rises therethrough.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method according to claim 14 in which the spheres have a density greater than the density of the fluid liquid reaction medium by 0.5 to 10 pecent and form a suspension that slowly falls therethrough.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 13 in which the diameter of the spheres is from 0.20 mm to 5.0 mm.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 13 in which the refractory compound is selected from oxides, nitrides, carbides, silicides, borides, silicates, aluminates or mixtures thereof.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4576926A
Cited
US4701436A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-02-14 | 1992-08-15 | 1993-02-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-02-14 | 1996-08-15 | 1997-02-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-02-14 | 2000-08-15 | 2001-02-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |