Cluster-supporting catalyst having an improved heat resistivity, and method for producing the same are provided. The cluster-supporting catalyst includes boron-substitute zeolite particles, and catalyst metal clusters supported within the pores of the boron-substitute zeolite particles. The method for producing a cluster-supporting catalyst, includes the following steps: providing a dispersion liquid containing a dispersion medium and boron-substitute zeolite particles dispersed in the dispersion medium; and in the dispersion liquid, forming catalyst metal clusters having a positive charge, and supporting the catalyst metal clusters on the acid sites within the pores of the boron-substitute zeolite particles through an electrostatic interaction.

Described herein are solid acid catalysts and the methods for catalytically preparing ,-unsaturated carboxylic acids and/or esters thereof. In one aspect, a zeolite catalyst may be used. The catalyst may, in certain embodiments, be modified to improve the selectivity and/or conversion of a reaction. For instance, a catalyst may be modified by ion exchange to achieve a desirable acidity profile in order to achieve high level of conversion of reactants and selectivity for desirable products of the catalytic reaction. In another aspect, a variety of feed stocks (e.g., starting compositions) may be used including an -hydroxycarboxylic acid, an -hydroxycarboxylic acid ester, a -hydroxycarboxylic acid, a -hydroxycarboxylic acid ester, cyclic esters thereof (e.g., lactide), and combinations thereof.

Described herein are solid acid catalysts and the methods for catalytically preparing ,-unsaturated carboxylic acids and/or esters thereof. In one aspect, a zeolite catalyst may be used. The catalyst may, in certain embodiments, be modified to improve the selectivity and/or conversion of a reaction. For instance, a catalyst may be modified by ion exchange to achieve a desirable acidity profile in order to achieve high level of conversion of reactants and selectivity for desirable products of the catalytic reaction. In another aspect, a variety of feed stocks (e.g., starting compositions) may be used including an -hydroxycarboxylic acid, an -hydroxycarboxylic acid ester, a -hydroxycarboxylic acid, a -hydroxycarboxylic acid ester, cyclic esters thereof (e.g., lactide), and combinations thereof.

A method of preparing a bound zeolite support comprising: contacting a zeolite powder with a binder and water to form a paste; shaping the paste to form an wet extruded base; removing excess water from the wet extruded base to form an extruded base; contacting the extruded base with a fluorine-containing compound to form a fluorinated extruded base; calcining the extruded base to form a calcined fluorinated extruded base; washing the calcined fluorinated extruded base to form a washed calcined fluorinated extruded base; drying the washed calcined fluorinated extruded base to form a dried washed calcined fluorinated extruded base; and calcining the dried washed calcined fluorinated extruded base to form a bound zeolite support.

A method of preparing a bound zeolite support comprising: contacting a zeolite powder with a binder and water to form a paste; shaping the paste to form an wet extruded base; removing excess water from the wet extruded base to form an extruded base; contacting the extruded base with a fluorine-containing compound to form a fluorinated extruded base; calcining the extruded base to form a calcined fluorinated extruded base; washing the calcined fluorinated extruded base to form a washed calcined fluorinated extruded base; drying the washed calcined fluorinated extruded base to form a dried washed calcined fluorinated extruded base; and calcining the dried washed calcined fluorinated extruded base to form a bound zeolite support.

A method of preparing a bound zeolite support comprising: contacting a zeolite powder with a binder and water to form a paste; shaping the paste to form an wet extruded base; removing excess water from the wet extruded base to form an extruded base; contacting the extruded base with a fluorine-containing compound to form a fluorinated extruded base; calcining the extruded base to form a calcined fluorinated extruded base; washing the calcined fluorinated extruded base to form a washed calcined fluorinated extruded base; drying the washed calcined fluorinated extruded base to form a dried washed calcined fluorinated extruded base; and calcining the dried washed calcined fluorinated extruded base to form a bound zeolite support.

A bi-modal radial flow reactor comprising: a cylindrical outer housing surrounding at least five cylindrical, concentric zones, including at least three annulus vapor zones including an outer annulus vapor zone, a middle annulus vapor zone, and a central annulus vapor zone, and at least two catalyst zones, including an outer catalyst zone and an inner catalyst zone, wherein the outer catalyst zone is intercalated with the outer annulus vapor zone and the middle annulus vapor zone, and wherein the inner catalyst zone is intercalated with the middle annulus vapor zone and the central annulus vapor zone; and a manifold configured to introduce a feed vertically into a bottom end of each of one or two of the at least three annulus vapor zones, and remove a product from a bottom end of each of the one or two remaining of the at least three annulus vapor zones.

A bi-modal radial flow reactor comprising: a cylindrical outer housing surrounding at least five cylindrical, concentric zones, including at least three annulus vapor zones including an outer annulus vapor zone, a middle annulus vapor zone, and a central annulus vapor zone, and at least two catalyst zones, including an outer catalyst zone and an inner catalyst zone, wherein the outer catalyst zone is intercalated with the outer annulus vapor zone and the middle annulus vapor zone, and wherein the inner catalyst zone is intercalated with the middle annulus vapor zone and the central annulus vapor zone; and a manifold configured to introduce a feed vertically into a bottom end of each of one or two of the at least three annulus vapor zones, and remove a product from a bottom end of each of the one or two remaining of the at least three annulus vapor zones.

A process of making an aromatization catalyst comprising: (a) mixing a zeolite, a binder, and water to form a mixture; (b) extruding the mixture to form a green extrudate; (c) drying the green extrudate to form a dried green extrudate; (d) calcining the dried green extrudate to form a support, wherein calcining the dried green extrudate is the only calcination step in the process; (e) washing the support to form a washed support; (f) drying the washed support to form a dried washed support; (g) impregnating the dried washed support with a Group 8-10 transition metal compound and at least one halide-containing compound to form a metalized-halided material; and (h) vacuum drying the metalized-halided material to form a dried metalized-halided material which is the aromatization catalyst.

A process of making an aromatization catalyst comprising: (a) mixing a zeolite, a binder, and water to form a mixture; (b) extruding the mixture to form a green extrudate; (c) drying the green extrudate to form a dried green extrudate; (d) calcining the dried green extrudate to form a support, wherein calcining the dried green extrudate is the only calcination step in the process; (e) washing the support to form a washed support; (f) drying the washed support to form a dried washed support; (g) impregnating the dried washed support with a Group 8-10 transition metal compound and at least one halide-containing compound to form a metalized-halided material; and (h) vacuum drying the metalized-halided material to form a dried metalized-halided material which is the aromatization catalyst.