A process for preparing a silver-containing catalyst for the selective oxidation of ethylene to ethylene oxide including the steps of: (a) providing a multimodal support, (b) preparing an impregnation solution comprising a silver component, (c) impregnating, at least once, the multimodal support of step (a) with the silver-containing impregnation solution of step (b) to form an impregnated support; (d) subjecting the impregnated multimodal support from step (c) to a removal means, such as a centrifuge, at least once, for a time sufficient to remove impregnated silver impregnation solution from the multimodal support and to control the amount of silver in the pores of the multimodal support by selectively removing impregnated silver impregnation solution from a set of larger pores in the multimodal support; (e) roasting, at least once, the multimodal support after the step (d); (f) optionally, repeating the impregnation step (c), (g) optionally, repeating the centrifugation step (d), and (h) optionally, repeating the calcination step (e).

The invention relates to a process for conversion of a stream comprising methane and ethane, comprising converting ethane from a stream comprising methane and ethane, in which stream the volume ratio of methane to ethane is of from 0.005:1 to 100:1, to a product having a vapor pressure at 0 C. lower than 1 atmosphere, resulting in a stream comprising methane and the product having a vapor pressure at 0 C. lower than 1 atmosphere; separating the product having a vapor pressure at 0 C. lower than 1 atmosphere from the stream comprising methane and the product having a vapor pressure at 0 C. lower than 1 atmosphere, resulting in a stream comprising methane; and chemically converting methane from the stream comprising methane, or feeding methane from the stream comprising methane to a network that provides methane as energy source, or liquefying methane from the stream comprising methane.

The invention relates to a process for conversion of a stream comprising methane and ethane, comprising converting ethane from a stream comprising methane and ethane, in which stream the volume ratio of methane to ethane is of from 0.005:1 to 100:1, to a product having a vapor pressure at 0 C. lower than 1 atmosphere, resulting in a stream comprising methane and the product having a vapor pressure at 0 C. lower than 1 atmosphere; separating the product having a vapor pressure at 0 C. lower than 1 atmosphere from the stream comprising methane and the product having a vapor pressure at 0 C. lower than 1 atmosphere, resulting in a stream comprising methane; and chemically converting methane from the stream comprising methane, or feeding methane from the stream comprising methane to a network that provides methane as energy source, or liquefying methane from the stream comprising methane.

A porous body is provided with enhanced fluid transport properties that is capable of performing or facilitating separations, or performing reactions and/or providing areas for such separations or reactions to take place. The porous body includes at least 80 percent alpha alumina and has a pore volume from 0.3 mL/g to 1.2 mL/g and a surface area from 0.3 m.sup.2/g to 3.0 m.sup.2/g. The porous body further includes a pore architecture that provides at least one of a tortuosity of 7.0 or less, a constriction of 4.0 or less and a permeability of 30 mdarcys or greater. The porous body can be used in a wide variety of applications such as, for example, as a filter, as a membrane or as a catalyst carrier.

A porous body is provided with enhanced fluid transport properties that is capable of performing or facilitating separations, or performing reactions and/or providing areas for such separations or reactions to take place. The porous body includes at least 80 percent alpha alumina and has a pore volume from 0.3 mL/g to 1.2 mL/g and a surface area from 0.3 m.sup.2/g to 3.0 m.sup.2/g. The porous body further includes a pore architecture that provides at least one of a tortuosity of 7.0 or less, a constriction of 4.0 or less and a permeability of 30 mdarcys or greater. The porous body can be used in a wide variety of applications such as, for example, as a filter, as a membrane or as a catalyst carrier.

A method for lowering the sodium content of different carriers which may have different physical properties as well as varying degrees of sodium is provided. The method, which lowers the sodium content from the surface, subsurface as well as the binding layer of the carrier, includes contacting a carrier with water. A rinse solution is recovered from the contacting. The rinse solution includes leached sodium from the carrier. The sodium content in the rinse solution is then determined. The contacting, recovering and determining are repeated until a steady state in the sodium content is achieved.

A method for lowering the sodium content of different carriers which may have different physical properties as well as varying degrees of sodium is provided. The method, which lowers the sodium content from the surface, subsurface as well as the binding layer of the carrier, includes contacting a carrier with water. A rinse solution is recovered from the contacting. The rinse solution includes leached sodium from the carrier. The sodium content in the rinse solution is then determined. The contacting, recovering and determining are repeated until a steady state in the sodium content is achieved.

A porous body is provided with enhanced fluid transport properties that is capable of performing or facilitating separations, or performing reactions and/or providing areas for such separations or reactions to take place. The porous body includes at least 80 percent alpha alumina and has a pore volume from 0.3 mL/g to 1.2 mL/g and a surface area from 0.3 m.sup.2/g to 3.0 m.sup.2/g. The porous body further includes a pore architecture that provides at least one of a tortuosity of 7.0 or less, a constriction of 4.0 or less and a permeability of 30 mdarcys or greater. The porous body can be used in a wide variety of applications such as, for example, as a filter, as a membrane or as a catalyst carrier.

A porous body is provided with enhanced fluid transport properties that is capable of performing or facilitating separations, or performing reactions and/or providing areas for such separations or reactions to take place. The porous body includes at least 80 percent alpha alumina and has a pore volume from 0.3 mL/g to 1.2 mL/g and a surface area from 0.3 m.sup.2/g to 3.0 m.sup.2/g. The porous body further includes a pore architecture that provides at least one of a tortuosity of 7.0 or less, a constriction of 4.0 or less and a permeability of 30 mdarcys or greater. The porous body can be used in a wide variety of applications such as, for example, as a filter, as a membrane or as a catalyst carrier.

A method for producing a catalyst effective in the oxidative conversion of ethylene to ethylene oxide, the method comprising: (i) impregnating a porous refractory carrier with a sub-catalytic level of silver ion in a range of 0.1 wt % to 1 wt % of silver by weight of the carrier and silver, and at least partially reducing said silver ion to elemental silver to produce a low-silver catalyst precursor having isolated silver atoms or silver nanoparticles on surfaces of said refractory carrier; and (ii) further impregnating the low-silver catalyst precursor with a catalytic amount of silver ion of at least 10 wt % total amount of silver and at least one promoting species by weight of the carrier and silver, and subjecting the further impregnated carrier to an elevated temperature of at least 200 C. to completely reduce silver ion to elemental silver in the carrier. The low-silver catalyst precursor produced in step (i) is also described in detail. Methods for using the catalyst produced in step (ii) for the oxidative conversion of ethylene to ethylene oxide are also described.