The present invention relates to a process for preparing an ester having formula R—COO—R′ (I), wherein R represents a group selected from: (i) a linear or branched alkyl, containing from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, (ii) an aryl containing from 6 to 12 carbon atoms, (iii) a heterocycle with 4 to 12 carbon atoms containing at least one heteroatom selected from O, N, P and S, R′ represents a linear or branched alkyl containing from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, said process comprising at least a phase of reacting a reaction mixture comprising at least one aldehyde having formula R—CHO (II), wherein R has the meanings defined above, and at least one alcohol having general formula R′—OH (III), wherein R′ has the meanings defined above, in the presence of at least one solid basic catalyst, at a temperature within the range of 120° C.-300° C., obtaining said ester having formula (I).

The present disclosure relates to a method for treating a catalyst that is useful for producing mono-alkylaromatic compounds, the method comprises the steps of (a) contacting the untreated catalyst with water to produce water-contacted catalyst, and (b) drying the water-contacted catalyst with a drying gas without steam being formed at a temperature of less than 300° C. to produce a treated catalyst. The treatment is effective to improve the activity and catalyst selectivity. A process for producing a mono-alkylaromatic compound comprising such a catalyst treatment is also disclosed.

Process for the preparation of a catalyst and a catalyst comprising the use of more than one silica source is provided herein. Thus, in one embodiment, the invention provides a particulate FCC catalyst comprising about 5 to about 60 wt % one or more zeolites, about 15 to about 35 wt % quasicrystalline boehmite (QCB), about 0 to about 35 wt % microcrystalline boehmite (MCB), greater than about 0 to about 15 wt % silica from sodium stabilized basic colloidal silica, greater than about 0 to about 30 wt % silica from acidic colloidal silica or polysilicic acid, and the balance clay and the process for making the same. This process results in attrition resistant catalysts with a good accessibility.

A process for dehydrating methanol to dimethyl ether product in the presence of a solid Brønsted acid catalyst which is an aluminosilicate zeolite or a heteropolyacid and a promoter which is (i) a ketone of formula R.sup.1COR.sup.2 (Formula I) in which R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are identical or different and are each a C.sub.1-C.sub.11 alkyl group and furthermore R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 together with the carbonyl carbon atom to which they are bonded may form a cyclic ketone; or (ii) a ketal derivative of a ketone of Formula I; and the molar ratio of promoter to methanol is maintained at 0.5 or less.

A method of cementing may include preparing a cement composition comprising water, a hydraulic cement, and an agglomerated zeolite catalyst; placing the cement composition in a wellbore.

A method for producing a hierarchical mesoporous beta includes mixing a beta zeolite with an aqueous metal hydroxide solution and heating the beta zeolite and the aqueous metal hydroxide mixture to produce a desilicated beta zeolite, contacting the desilicated beta zeolite with an ammonium salt solution to produce an intermediate hierarchical mesoporous beta zeolite, and treating the intermediate hierarchical mesoporous beta zeolite with an acidic solution to produce the hierarchical mesoporous beta zeolite. The hierarchical mesoporous beta zeolite includes a molar ratio of silicon to aluminum of greater than 12.5, a total pore volume of greater than or equal to the total pore volume of the intermediate hierarchical mesoporous beta zeolite, and an average mesopore size of greater than or equal to the average mesopore size of the hierarchical mesoporous beta zeolite. The method may also include calcining the intermediate hierarchical mesoporous beta zeolite.

The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of a zeolitic material comprising YO.sub.2 in its framework structure, wherein Y stands for a tetravalent element, wherein said process comprises the steps of: (1) providing a mixture comprising one or more sources for YO.sub.2, one or more fluoride containing compounds, and one or more structure directing agents; (2) crystallizing the mixture obtained in step (1) for obtaining a zeolitic material comprising YO.sub.2 in its framework structure;
wherein the mixture provided in step (1) and crystallized in step (2) contains 35 wt.-% or less of H.sub.2O based on 100 wt.-% of YO.sub.2 contained in the mixture provided in step (1) and crystallized in step (2), as well as to a zeolitic material comprising YO.sub.2 in its framework structure obtainable and/or obtained according to said process, and to a zeolitic material per se comprising SiO.sub.2 in its framework structure, wherein in the .sup.29Si MAS NMR spectrum of the as-synthesized zeolitic material the ratio of the total integration value of the peaks associated to Q3 signals to the total integration value of the peaks associated to Q4 signals is in the range of from 0:100 to 20:80, including the use of the aforementioned zeolitic materials.

Provided are a novel synthesis technique for producing pure phase aluminosilicate zeolite and a catalyst comprising the phase pure zeolite in combination with a metal, and methods of using the same. The pure phase aluminosilicate zeolite can be selected from those having an ITW framework and a silica to alumina ratio of less than about 140 or, an STW framework and a silica to alumina ratio less than about 100.

The invention relates to a catalyst and catalyst layer and process for preparing dimethyl ether from synthesis gas or methanol as well as the use of the catalyst or catalyst layer in this process.

According to a least one feature of the present disclosure, a method includes the steps: (a) providing a metallosilicate catalyst that has been used to catalyze a chemical reaction; and (b) heating the metallosilicate catalyst to a temperature from 200° C. to 425° C. for a period of 0.5 hours to 5 hours.