US scientists have been granted a patent for a cheaper method of making acrylic acid from propane using a catalyst containing palladium.

The patent has been awarded to research company Rohm and Haas for its one-step method using a catalyst with the nominal composition, Mo_1.0V_0.3Te_0.23Nb_0.17Pd_0.01O_x .

Rohm and Haas' method involves the catalyst being made ready and calcined at 275C in air for one hour, then at 600C under argon for two hours, and finally ground into 14-20 mesh granules, the American Chemical Society reports.

The granules are then placed into a stainless steel reactor, which is heated and into which is inserted a blend of propane, air and steam.

Subsequent analysis found that at a heat of 377C, propane conversion was 72 per cent, while selectivity to acrylic acid was 71 per cent.

Should the method become mainstream it would complete the sequence of acrylic acid feedstocks going from a triple-bond hydrocarbon to one with a double bond to a saturated hydrocarbon and could be significantly cheaper than existing approaches.

Source:

Make acrylic acid from a less costly feedstock, 07/01/01
http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=PP_ARTICLEMAIN&node_id=839&content_id=WPCP_007732&use_sec=true&sec_url_var=region1

http://www.rohmhaas.com/wcm/index.page

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