The present invention provides materials for improving the ignition of gaseous reactants in metal catalyzed oxidation reactions comprising a metal catalyst gauze, preferably, a platinum/rhodium catalyst gauze, having in contact therewith, from 0.5 to 1.5 wt. %, based on the weight of the metal catalyst gauze, of one or more pieces of previously used metal catalyst gauze. Further, methods of making the metal catalyst materials comprise shaping the pieces of previously used metal catalyst gauze and placing them equidistant from each other in contact with or on the surface of the metal catalyst gauze. And methods of using the materials comprise feeding into the reactor a gas mixture of oxygen or air and one or more reactant gases, and igniting the gas mixture at the surface of one or more or all of the pieces of previously used metal catalyst.

Provided here are methods and systems to enhance the production of ethylene and MTBE from propylene using integrated metathesis and cracking processes. Also disclosed is a method for producing ethylene by at least partially metathesizing propylene in the presence of a metathesis catalyst in a reactor to produce ethylene and butenes, and at least partially cracking the butenes to further produce ethylene using a cracking catalyst positioned downstream of the metathesis catalyst in the same reactor, and further producing MTBE.

According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a synthesis method for producing furoic acid from a monoacid containing five carbons in the presence of pressure, heat, solvent and catalyst.

According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a synthesis method for producing furoic acid from a monoacid containing five carbons in the presence of pressure, heat, solvent and catalyst.

Sinter-resistant catalyst systems include a catalytic substrate comprising a plurality of metal catalytic nanoparticles bound to a metal oxide catalyst support, and a coating of oxide nanoparticles disposed on the metal catalytic nanoparticles and optionally on the metal oxide support. The oxide nanoparticles comprise one or more lanthanum oxides and optionally one or more barium oxides, and additionally one or more oxides of aluminum, cerium, zirconium, titanium, silicon, magnesium, zinc, iron, strontium, and calcium. The metal catalytic nanoparticles can include ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, and platinum, rhenium, copper, silver, and/or gold. The metal oxide catalyst support can include one or more metal oxides selected from the group consisting of Al.sub.2O.sub.3, CeO.sub.2, ZrO.sub.2, TiO.sub.2, SiO.sub.2, La.sub.2O.sub.3, MgO, and ZnO. The coating of oxide nanoparticles is about 0.1% to about 50% lanthanum and barium oxides. The oxide nanoparticles can further include one or more oxides of magnesium and/or cobalt.

The invention provides a composite catalyst containing a first component and a second component. The first component contains a ternary mixed metal oxide. The second component contains a platinum group metal. The composite catalyst is useful for catalyzing the low temperature oxidation of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons.

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.

Embodiments of processes and multiple-stage catalyst systems for producing propylene comprising introducing a hydrocarbon stream comprising 2-butene to an isomerization catalyst zone to isomerize the 2-butene to 1-butene, passing the 2-butene and 1-butene to a metathesis catalyst zone to cross-metathesize the 2-butene and 1-butene into a metathesis product stream comprising propylene and C.sub.4-C.sub.6 olefins, and cracking the metathesis product stream in a catalyst cracking zone to produce propylene. The isomerization catalyst zone comprises a silica-alumina catalyst with a ratio by weight of alumina to silica from 1:99 to 20:80. The metathesis catalyst comprises a mesoporous silica catalyst support impregnated with metal oxide. The catalyst cracking zone comprises a mordenite framework inverted (MFI) structured silica catalyst.

Embodiments of processes and multiple-stage catalyst systems for producing propylene comprising introducing a hydrocarbon stream comprising 2-butene to an isomerization catalyst zone to isomerize the 2-butene to 1-butene, passing the 2-butene and 1-butene to a metathesis catalyst zone to cross-metathesize the 2-butene and 1-butene into a metathesis product stream comprising propylene and C.sub.4-C.sub.6 olefins, and cracking the metathesis product stream in a catalyst cracking zone to produce propylene. The isomerization catalyst zone comprises a silica-alumina catalyst with a ratio by weight of alumina to silica from 1:99 to 20:80. The metathesis catalyst comprises a mesoporous silica catalyst support impregnated with metal oxide. The catalyst cracking zone comprises a mordenite framework inverted (MFI) structured silica catalyst.