Porous shaped carbon products

Abstract

Shaped porous carbon products and processes for preparing these products are provided. The shaped porous carbon products can be used, for example, as catalyst supports and adsorbents. Catalyst compositions including these shaped porous carbon products, processes of preparing the catalyst compositions, and various processes of using the shaped porous carbon products and catalyst compositions are also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A catalyst composition comprising:
 a shaped porous carbon product comprising a carbonaceous material selected from the group consisting of activated carbon, carbon black, graphite, and combinations thereof and a carbonized binder comprising a carbonization product of an organic binder and   a catalytically active component or precursor thereof,   wherein the shaped porous carbon product has a BET specific surface area from about 5 m 2 /g to about 500 m 2 /g, a mean pore diameter greater than about 10 nm, a specific pore volume greater than about 0.1 cm 3 /g, and a radial piece crush strength greater than about 4.4 N/mm (1 lbs/mm).   
     
     
         2 . The catalyst composition of  claim 1 , wherein the carbonaceous material content of the shaped porous carbon product is from about 35 wt. % to about 80 wt. %. 
     
     
         3 . The catalyst composition of  claim 1 , wherein the catalytically active component or precursor thereof comprises a metal. 
     
     
         4 . The catalyst composition of  claim 3 , wherein the metal comprises at least one d-block metal. 
     
     
         5 . The catalyst composition of  claim 3 , wherein the metal comprises at least one metal selected from groups VI, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, and XIII. 
     
     
         6 . The catalyst composition of  claim 3 , wherein the metal comprises a noble metal. 
     
     
         7 . The catalyst composition of  claim 3 , wherein the metal comprises a non-noble metal. 
     
     
         8 . The catalyst composition of  claim 3 , wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, iron, vanadium, molybdenum, manganese, barium, ruthenium, rhodium, rhenium, palladium, silver, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The catalyst composition of  claim 3 , wherein the metal comprises rhenium. 
     
     
         10 . The catalyst composition of  claim 3 , wherein the metal comprises nickel. 
     
     
         11 . The catalyst composition of  claim 3 , wherein the metal constitutes from about 0.1% to about 10% of the total weight of the catalyst composition. 
     
     
         12 . The catalyst composition of  claim 1 , wherein the shaped porous carbon product has a diameter of at least about 50 μm. 
     
     
         13 . The catalyst composition of  claim 1 , wherein the shaped porous carbon product comprises a combination of at least two of activated carbon, carbon black, and graphite. 
     
     
         14 . The catalyst composition of  claim 1 , wherein the shaped porous carbon product comprises carbon black and at least one of activated carbon or graphite. 
     
     
         15 . A process of preparing the catalyst composition of  claim 1 , the process comprising, comprising:
 mixing the carbonaceous material and organic binder to form a carbon-binder mixture, wherein the binder comprises: (i) a saccharide selected from the group consisting of a monosaccharide, a disaccharide, an oligosaccharide, a derivative thereof, and any combination thereof and/or (ii) a water soluble polymer selected from the group consisting of a polymeric carbohydrate, a derivative of the polymeric carbohydrate, a non-carbohydrate synthetic polymer, and combinations thereof, wherein the non-carbohydrate synthetic polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyacrylic acid, polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinylpyrrolidones, polyvinyl acetates, polyacrylates, polyethers, copolymers derived therefrom, and blends thereof;   forming the carbon-binder mixture to produce a shaped carbon composite;   heating the shaped carbon composite in a heating zone to carbonize the binder thereby producing the shaped porous carbon product; and   depositing the catalytically active component or precursor thereof on the shaped porous carbon product.   
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 15 , wherein the shaped carbon composite is heated to a final temperature in the range of from about 400° C. to about 1,000° C. in the heating zone. 
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 15 , wherein the shaped carbon composite is formed by extruding the carbon-binder mixture. 
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 15 , wherein the weight ratio of binder to carbonaceous material in the carbon-binder mixture is from about 1:4 to about 3:1. 
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 15 , wherein the polymeric carbohydrate or derivative of the polymeric carbohydrate comprises a cellulosic compound. 
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 19 , wherein the content of the saccharide and/or cellulosic compound binder(s) in the carbon-binder mixture is from about 20 wt. % to about 65 wt. %.