Disclosed are catalyst compositions comprising two or more metal elements with high performances for selective alkyl-demethylation of C2+-hydrocarbyl-substituted aromatics, processes for making such catalyst compositions, and alkyl-demethylation processes using same. Also disclosed are preferred processes for making alkyl-demethylation catalyst compositions including a high-temperature calcination step, and preferred alkyl-demethylation processes having a high H.sub.2/HC molar ratio.

There is provided a method for producing isobutylene, in which isobutylene is produced from isobutanol with a high selectivity while suppressing a decrease in the isobutanol conversion rate under pressure. In the method for producing isobutylene according to the present invention, a raw material gas containing isobutanol is brought into contact with a catalyst to produce isobutylene from isobutanol, the method including bringing the raw material gas containing isobutanol into contact with a catalyst at a linear velocity of 1.20 cm/s or more under a pressure of 120 kPa or more in terms of absolute pressure to produce isobutylene from isobutanol.

Multi-metallic bulk catalysts and methods for synthesizing the same are provided. The multi-metallic bulk catalysts contain nickel, molybdenum tungsten, copper, and optionally, titanium and/or niobium. The catalysts are useful for hydroprocessing, particularly hydrodesulfurization and hydrodenitrogenation, of hydrocarbon feedstocks.

Multi-metallic bulk catalysts and methods for synthesizing the same are provided. The multi-metallic bulk catalysts contain nickel, molybdenum tungsten, yttrium, and optionally, copper, titanium and/or niobium. The catalysts are useful for hydroprocessing, particularly hydrodesulfurization and hydrodenitrogenation, of hydrocarbon feedstocks.

Catalysts for the hydrogenolysis of butane are described. A supported catalyst for hydrogenolysis of butane to ethane can include a support and a catalytic crystalline bimetallic composition that can include a molybdenum-iridium (Mo—Ir) crystalline composition attached to the support. The supported catalyst has a BET specific surface area of at least 100 m.sup.2/g, preferably 100 m.sup.2/g to 500 m.sup.2/g. Method of use and methods of making the catalyst are also described.

Provided is a method for producing a propylene oligomer, which is advantageous in that a lowly branched propylene oligomer can be obtained at high selectivity. A method for producing a propylene oligomer, including an oligomerization step of oligomerizing propylene at lower than 160° C. in the presence of at least one member selected from a group consisting of a catalyst containing crystalline molecular sieve and a catalyst containing phosphoric acid, a fractional distillation step of obtaining a fraction containing a propylene trimer, a propylene tetramer, or a mixture thereof, and an isomerization step of isomerizing the propylene trimer, propylene tetramer, or mixture thereof contained in the fraction in the presence of a catalyst containing phosphoric acid.

Various processes for the pyrolysis of carbohydrates to prepare products such as glycolaldehyde are described. Also, various catalysts and processes for preparing catalysts useful for carbohydrate pyrolysis are described.

The present invention relates to granulated particles with improved attrition and a method for producing granulated particles by fluidized bed granulation of inorganic particles wherein particles of reduced particle size are fed into a fluldized-bed granulation reactor thereby producing granulated particles with improved attrition.

The present invention is directed to unique processes, catalysts and systems for the direct production of liquid fuels (e.g., premium diesel fuel) from synthesis gas produced from natural feedstocks such as natural gas, natural gas liquids, carbon dioxide or other similar compounds or materials. In one aspect, the present invention provides a process for the production of a hydrocarbon mixture comprising the steps of: a) reducing a catalyst in-situ in a fixed bed reactor; b) reacting a feed gas that contains hydrogen and carbon monoxide with the catalyst to produce a hydrocarbon product stream, wherein the hydrocarbon product stream comprises light gases, a diesel fuel and a wax, and wherein the diesel fuel fraction is produced without requiring the hydroprocessing of wax, and wherein the catalyst comprises one or more metals deposited on a gamma alumina support at greater than about 5 weight percent, and wherein platinum or rhenium is included on the support in an amount ranging from about 0.01 weight percent and about 2 weight percent as a promoter, and wherein the catalyst has surface pore diameters between about 100 and 150 Angstroms, sub-surface pore diameters between 10 and 30 Angstroms a crush strength greater than about 3 lbs./mm, a mean effective pellet radius less than about 600 microns, and a BET surface area greater than about 100 m.sup.2/g, and wherein the diesel fuel comprises more than about 70 percent C.sub.8-C.sub.24 hydrocarbons.

Carbon-based single metal atom or bimetallic, trimetallic, or multimetallic alloy transition metal-containing catalysts derived from exoelectrogen bacteria and their methods of making and using thereof are described. The method comprising the steps of: (a) preparing a solution medium comprising at least an electron donor and an electron acceptor comprised of one or more salts of a transition metal; (b) providing exoelectrogen bacterial cells and mixing the exoelectrogen bacterial cells into the solution medium of step (a); (c) incubating the solution medium of step (b); (d) isolating the exoelectrogen bacterial cells from the incubated solution medium of step (c); and (e) pyrolyzing the exoelectrogen bacterial cells resulting in formation of the catalyst. The electron donor can be formate, acetate, or hydrogen.