Liquid-Entrained Catalyst Operations at LaPorte Pilot Plant for Liquid-Phase Methanol Process, 1984-1985: Final Report

摘要

Liquid-entrained operations at the LaPorte LPMEOH Process Development Unit (PDU) were performed under Task 10 of Contract No. AC22-81PC30019 for the US Department of Energy. During June 1984, a 6-day, high-slurry concentration run (45 wt %, Run E-2) demonstrated the ability of the PDU to operate smoothly with a high solids loading. The catalyst activity observed during Run E-2 did not compare well with the bench-scale predictions. This was in part due to an inadequate reduction. Mass transfer limitations may have also contributed to reduced catalyst performance, but this effect was masked by the inadequate reduction of the catalyst. Data from a previous activity maintenance run (Run E-1) indicated that metal carbonyl catalyst poisons were limiting catalyst performance. In order to determine catalyst activity maintenance characteristics in a poison-free system, specific materials of construction were upgraded based upon their potential for metal carbonyl formation. This work culminated in a successful 40-day run (25 wt %, Run E-3) during May-June 1985. A successful in-situ reduction was accomplished, and catalyst deactivation rates were comparable to the best laboratory performance under CO-rich synthesis gas (H sub 2 /CO = 0.69). The average decline in methanol productivity was 0.28%/day, and a nominal 4,540 kg/day (5.0 ton/day) crude methanol was produced. 5 refs., 23 figs., 36 tabs. (ERA citation 12:019908)