To provide a highly active structured catalyst for methanol reforming that suppresses the decline in catalytic function and has excellent catalytic function, and a methanol reforming device. A structured catalyst for methanol reforming, including: a support of a porous structure composed of a zeolite-type compound; and a catalytic substance present in the support, in which the support has channels communicating with each other, and the catalytic substance is present at least in the channels of the support.

A functional structural body includes a skeletal body of a porous structure composed of a zeolite-type compound, and at least one type of metallic nanoparticles present in the skeletal body, the skeletal body having channels connecting with each other, the metallic nanoparticles being present at least in the channels of the skeletal body.

A catalyst for the carbonylation of dimethyl ether to methyl acetate. The catalyst comprises a zeolite, such as a mordenite zeolite, at least one Group IB metal, such as copper, and/or at least one Group VIII metal, such as iron, and at least one Group IIB metal, such as zinc. Such a catalyst with combined metals provides enhanced catalytic activity, improved stability, and improved selectivity to methyl acetate, and does not require a halogen promoter, as compared to a metal-free or copper only zeolite.

To provide a structured catalyst for catalytic cracking or hydrodesulfurization that suppresses decline in catalytic activity, achieves efficient catalytic cracking, and allows simple and stable obtaining of a substance to be modified. The structured catalyst for catalytic cracking or hydrodesulfurization (1) includes a support (10) of a porous structure composed of a zeolite-type compound and at least one type of metal oxide nanoparticles (20) present in the support (10), in which the support (10) has channels (11) that connect with each other, the metal oxide nanoparticles (20) are present at least in the channels (11) of the support (10), and the metal oxide nanoparticles (20) are composed of a material containing any one or two more of the oxides of Fe, Al, Zn, Zr, Cu, Co, Ni, Ce, Nb, Ti, Mo, V, Cr, Pd, and Ru.

The present invention is directed to processes from producing beta-lactone and beta-lactone derivatives using heterogenous catalysts. In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the processes comprise the steps: passing a feed stream comprising an epoxide reagent and a carbon monoxide reagent to a reaction zone; contacting the epoxide reagent and the carbon monoxide reagent with a heterogenous catalyst to produce a beta-lactone product in the reaction zone; and removing the beta-lactone product from the reaction zone. In preferred embodiments, the heterogenous catalyst comprises a solid support containing a cationic Lewis acid functional group and a metal carbonyl compound comprising at least one of anionic metal carbonyl compound or a neutral metal carbonyl compound. In certain preferred embodiments, the epoxide reagent and carbon monoxide reagent have a biobased content.

Disclosed herein is a process for producing para-xylene comprising the steps of: (a) contacting a feedstock comprising toluene with a first catalyst under effective vapor phase toluene disproportionation conditions to disproportionate said toluene and produce a first product comprising benzene, unreacted toluene and greater than equilibrium amounts of para-xylene; and (b) contacting a feedstock comprising C.sub.9+ aromatic hydrocarbons and benzene with a second catalyst in the presence of 0 wt. % or more of hydrogen having a 0 to 10 hydrogen/hydrocarbon molar ratio under effective C.sub.9+ transalkylation conditions to transalkylate said C.sub.9+ aromatic hydrocarbons and produce a second product comprising xylenes.

A process for producing xylene from C.sub.9+ aromatic hydrocarbons comprises contacting a first feedstock comprising C.sub.9+ aromatic hydrocarbons with a first catalyst in the presence of 0 wt. % or more of hydrogen under effective vapor phase dealkylation conditions to dealkylate part of the C.sub.9+ aromatic hydrocarbons and produce a first product comprising benzene, toluene and residual C.sub.9+ aromatic hydrocarbons. A second feedstock comprising C.sub.9+ aromatic hydrocarbons and benzene and/or toluene is contacted with a second catalyst under effective liquid phase C.sub.9+ transalkylation conditions to transalkylate at least part of the C.sub.9+ aromatic hydrocarbons and produce a second product comprising xylenes.

A method of using a heat generating catalyst in a hydrocarbon cracking process. The method includes providing a catalyst bed reactor which includes a catalyst bed of the heat generating catalyst disposed in the catalyst bed reactor. The heat generating catalyst includes at least one mordenite framework-inverted (MFI) zeolite catalyst having a Si/Al molar ratio of 15 or greater, and at least one metal oxide dispersed within a microstructure of the MFI zeolite catalyst. The method additionally includes introducing a hydrocarbon feed to the catalyst bed reactor and cracking the hydrocarbon feed to produce a cracking product. Additionally, an associated method of making the heat generating catalyst for hydrocarbon cracking is provided.

A method of using a heat generating catalyst in a hydrocarbon cracking process. The method includes providing a catalyst bed reactor which includes a catalyst bed of the heat generating catalyst disposed in the catalyst bed reactor. The heat generating catalyst includes at least one mordenite framework-inverted (MFI) zeolite catalyst having a Si/Al molar ratio of 15 or greater, and at least one metal oxide dispersed within a microstructure of the MFI zeolite catalyst. The method additionally includes introducing a hydrocarbon feed to the catalyst bed reactor and cracking the hydrocarbon feed to produce a cracking product. Additionally, an associated method of making the heat generating catalyst for hydrocarbon cracking is provided.

Hydrocarbon (HC) traps are disclosed. The HC trap may include a first zeolite material having an average pore diameter of at least 5.0 angstroms and configured to trap hydrocarbons from an exhaust stream and to release at least a portion of the trapped hydrocarbons at a temperature of at least 225 C. The HC trap may also include a second zeolite material having an average pore diameter of less than 5.0 angstroms or larger than 7.0 angstroms. One or both of the zeolite materials may include metal ions, such as transition, Group 1A, or platinum group metals. The HC trap may include two or more discrete layers of zeolite materials or the two or more zeolite materials may be mixed. The multiple zeolite HC trap may form coke molecules having a relatively low combustion temperature, such as below 500 C.