Page 93 - Academic Press Encyclopedia of Physical Science and Technology 3rd Chemical Engineering

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Encyclopedia of Physical Science and Technology EN002C-86 May 17, 2001 20:36

Catalysis, Industrial

Bruce E. Leach
University of Texas at Austin

I. Importance of Industrial Catalysis
II. History
III. Mechanisms of Industrial Catalysis Reactions
IV. Industrial Catalysis Research
V. Industrial Catalyst Marketing

GLOSSARY Hydrotreating Refining process to remove sulfur, nitro-
gen, and oxygen from petroleum feedstocks by contact-
Alkylation Refinery process for the production of high- ing with hydrogen in the presence of a nickel/molyb-
octanefuelfromthereactionofanolefinandisoparaffin denum or cobalt/molybdenum on alumina catalyst.
in the presence of an acid catalyst. Oxychlorination Process to produce vinyl chloride
Applied catalysis Practical or actively used catalysis; monomer from ethylene, hydrogen chloride, and oxy-
catalysis research for a specific purpose. gen over a copper chloride on alumina catalyst.
Attrition Wearing down by friction of a catalyst. Proprietary Information and technology that is not pub-
Catalyst Substance that brings about a change in the lic knowledge and is to be kept confidential.
speed of a reaction without being changed itself. Reclamation Renewal or restoration of a catalyst to ini-
Catalytic cracking Refining unit to produce distillates tial chemical and physical properties.
from crude oil using an acidic zeolite catalyst. Selectivity Percentage of a desired reaction product com-
Catalytic reforming Refinery process by which hydro- pared with the theoretical quantity of that reaction
carbons of gasoline boiling range are reconstructed product.
with little or no change in carbon number, leading to an Stream factor Percentage of actual plant on-stream time
improvement in fuel quality; reactions in reforming in- compared with the possible on-steam time.
clude isomerization, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation,
and dehydrocyclization.
Fundamental catalysis Work that develops the basic INDUSTRIAL CATALYSIS is the commercial process of
principles and laws of the science of catalysis. finding and enhancing the performance of substances that
Hydrocracking Refinery process to convert high-boiling increasetherateatwhichachemicalreactionreachesequi-
moleculestolowerboilingmoleculesbyhydrogenation librium. Industrial catalysis is vitally concerned with the
and carbon bond breaking. activity, selectivity, lifetime, and environmental impact of

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