Hydroxypropionic acid, hydroxypropionic acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof are dehydrated using a catalyst and a method to produce bio-acrylic acid, acrylic acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof. A method to produce the dehydration catalyst is also provided.

A sorbent composition that is useful for injection into a flue gas stream of a coal burning furnace to efficiently remove mercury from the flue gas stream. The sorbent composition may include a sorbent with an associated ancillary catalyst component that is a catalytic metal, a precursor to a catalytic metal, a catalytic metal compound or a precursor to a catalytic metal compound. Alternatively, a catalytic metal or metal compound, or their precursors, may be admixed with the coal feedstock prior to or during combustion in the furnace, or may be independently injected into a flue gas stream. A catalytic promoter may also be used to enhance the performance of the catalytic metal or metal compound.

A sorbent composition that is useful for injection into a flue gas stream of a coal burning furnace to efficiently remove mercury from the flue gas stream. The sorbent composition may include a sorbent with an associated ancillary catalyst component that is a catalytic metal, a precursor to a catalytic metal, a catalytic metal compound or a precursor to a catalytic metal compound. Alternatively, a catalytic metal or metal compound, or their precursors, may be admixed with the coal feedstock prior to or during combustion in the furnace, or may be independently injected into a flue gas stream. A catalytic promoter may also be used to enhance the performance of the catalytic metal or metal compound.

A process and a process plant for conversion of SO.sub.2 to H.sub.2SO.sub.4 including a. directing a process gas stream including at least 15 vol % SO.sub.2, and an amount of O.sub.2 originating from a source of purified O.sub.2 or O.sub.2 enriched air to contact a first material catalytically active in oxidation of SO.sub.2 to SO.sub.3 under oxidation conditions involving a maximum steady state temperature of the catalytically active material above 700 C., to provide an oxidized process gas stream, wherein the material catalytically active in oxidation of SO.sub.2 to SO.sub.3 includes an active phase in which the weight ration of vanadium to other metals is at least 2:1 supported on a porous carrier comprising at least 25 wt % crystalline silica, b. absorbing at least an amount of the produced SO.sub.3 in a stream of lean sulfuric acid to provide a stream of liquid sulfuric acid.

A process and a process plant for conversion of SO.sub.2 to H.sub.2SO.sub.4 including a. directing a process gas stream including at least 15 vol % SO.sub.2, and an amount of O.sub.2 originating from a source of purified O.sub.2 or O.sub.2 enriched air to contact a first material catalytically active in oxidation of SO.sub.2 to SO.sub.3 under oxidation conditions involving a maximum steady state temperature of the catalytically active material above 700 C., to provide an oxidized process gas stream, wherein the material catalytically active in oxidation of SO.sub.2 to SO.sub.3 includes an active phase in which the weight ration of vanadium to other metals is at least 2:1 supported on a porous carrier comprising at least 25 wt % crystalline silica, b. absorbing at least an amount of the produced SO.sub.3 in a stream of lean sulfuric acid to provide a stream of liquid sulfuric acid.

An epoxidation catalyst comprising silver, cesium, rhenium and tungsten deposited on an alumina support, wherein the catalyst comprises 20 to 50 wt.-% of silver, relative to the weight of the catalyst, an amount of cesium C.sub.cs of at least 7.5 mmol per kg of catalyst, and an amount of rhenium CR6 and an amount of tungsten Cw so as to meet the following requirements: C.sub.Re6.7 mmol per kg of catalyst; and C.sub.Re+(2c.sub.w)13.2 mmol per kg of catalyst. The epoxidation catalyst allows for a more efficient conversion of ethylene oxide by gas-phase oxidation of ethylene, particularly displaying high selectivity and high activity. The invention also relates to a process for preparing an epoxidation catalyst as defined in above, comprising i) impregnating an alumina support with a silver impregnation solution; and ii) subjecting the impregnated refractory support to a calcination process; wherein steps i) and ii) are optionally repeated, and at least one silver impregnation solution comprises rhenium, tungsten and cesium. The invention moreover relates to a process for producing ethylene oxide by gas-phase oxidation of ethylene, comprising reacting ethylene and oxygen in the presence of an epoxidation catalyst according to any one of the preceding claims.

An epoxidation catalyst comprising silver, cesium, rhenium and tungsten deposited on an alumina support, wherein the catalyst comprises 20 to 50 wt.-% of silver, relative to the weight of the catalyst, an amount of cesium C.sub.cs of at least 7.5 mmol per kg of catalyst, and an amount of rhenium CR6 and an amount of tungsten Cw so as to meet the following requirements: C.sub.Re6.7 mmol per kg of catalyst; and C.sub.Re+(2c.sub.w)13.2 mmol per kg of catalyst. The epoxidation catalyst allows for a more efficient conversion of ethylene oxide by gas-phase oxidation of ethylene, particularly displaying high selectivity and high activity. The invention also relates to a process for preparing an epoxidation catalyst as defined in above, comprising i) impregnating an alumina support with a silver impregnation solution; and ii) subjecting the impregnated refractory support to a calcination process; wherein steps i) and ii) are optionally repeated, and at least one silver impregnation solution comprises rhenium, tungsten and cesium. The invention moreover relates to a process for producing ethylene oxide by gas-phase oxidation of ethylene, comprising reacting ethylene and oxygen in the presence of an epoxidation catalyst according to any one of the preceding claims.

Methods of preparing a second high-efficiency, rhenium-promoted silver catalyst for producing alkylene oxide from an alkylene based on a first catalyst are disclosed and described. In accordance with the disclosed methods, the first and second catalysts include at least one promoter that includes a rhenium promoter. The target catalyst concentrations of one or more promoters of the at least one promoter on the second catalyst are determined based on the values of a catalyst reference property for the two catalysts and the concentration of the one or more promoters of the at least one promoter on the first catalyst. Suitable catalyst reference properties include carrier specific surface area and silver specific surface area. Reaction systems utilizing the first and second catalysts are also described.

Methods of preparing a second high-efficiency, rhenium-promoted silver catalyst for producing alkylene oxide from an alkylene based on a first catalyst are disclosed and described. In accordance with the disclosed methods, the first and second catalysts include at least one promoter that includes a rhenium promoter. The target catalyst concentrations of one or more promoters of the at least one promoter on the second catalyst are determined based on the values of a catalyst reference property for the two catalysts and the concentration of the one or more promoters of the at least one promoter on the first catalyst. Suitable catalyst reference properties include carrier specific surface area and silver specific surface area. Reaction systems utilizing the first and second catalysts are also described.

The present invention relates to a catalyst for the epoxidation of alkenes, comprising silver, rhenium, cesium, lithium, tungsten and sulfur on a support. The present invention further relates to a process for producing the catalyst and the use of the catalyst for the oxidation of alkylenes to alkylene oxides. In addition, the present invention relates to a process for preparing ethylene oxide from ethylene, which comprises the oxidation of ethylene with oxygen in the presence of said catalyst.