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Metal Oxide Catalyst for Methacrylic Acid Preparation
via One-Step Oxidation of Isobutane--EverNu
Technology, LLC, 1616 Holly Lane, Suite 108, Maple Glen, PA
19002; 215-649-8574
Dr. Manhua Mandy Lin, Ph.D, Principal Investigator, mmandylin@netzero.net
Dr. Manhua Mandy Lin Ph.D, Business Official, mmandylin@netzero.net
DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-02ER83420
Amount: $99,988
Methacrylic
acid (MAA) and its ester derivatives are important building blocks for many
large volume polymers and resins. By 1999, the U.S. annual production of the single methyl ester derivative, methyl methacrylate,
reached 1.7 billion pounds. The
current commercial route for making MAA and its ester derivatives is the acetone
cyanohydrin route, a multiple-step preparation that utilizes expensive starting
materials, consumes lots of energy, and produces toxic and corrosive waste
streams. This project will develop a
cost saving, energy saving, and environmental friendly catalytic process to make
MAA in one step. The process will
use air as an oxidant from isobutane, a component of natural gas liquids. Phase
I will prepare various catalysts of the WaMobVcXdYeOn
composition (X and Y are modifiers for isobutane activation and methacrylic acid
selectivity), study the preparation-structure-performance relationship, and
optimize for the most active catalysts for the conversion of isobutane to
methacrylic acid. Ultimately, a 50%
isobutene conversion with a 50% MAA selectivity is sought by the end of Phase
II.
Commercial Applications and Other Benefits
as described by the awardee: The
production of MAA or its methyl ester directly from isobutene should provide
economic benefits by replacing acetone with isobutane at a third of the
feedstock cost. Energy savings would
be achieved by replacing multi-step processes with a single step process and
environmental benefits would be achieved by replacing corrosive/toxic pollutant
generating steps with a single environmentally friendly step.
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