Silver News
Breakthrough in the Use of Silver for Commercial
Chemicals Production
For over 90 years silver has been the principal catalyst for
the production of formaldehyde, a one-carbon compound, used
in many products ranging from plastics to plywood. For 60
years, silver has been the exclusive catalyst for the production
of ethylene oxide, a two-carbon compound used in products
such as videotapes and textiles. Now a way has been found
to use silver as a catalyst for compounds having three or
more carbon atoms which will pave the way for new, commercial
applications that produce other chemicals faster and more
cheaply.
The delay in the use of silver as a catalyst for compounds
with long carbon-to-carbon chains is because these compounds
often have neighboring atoms which weaken the chain. When
these compounds came in contact with the powerful silver catalyst,
they were completely broken up into carbon dioxide and water.
This problem now has been solved.
Currently, silver finds enormous use as a catalyst in the
chemical industry worldwide. Some 60 million ounces are in
continuous use as catalysts worldwide. With use, the silver
becomes tainted and must be re-refined to regain its catalytic
activity. During this refining, some silver is lost, and this
amounts to some 2.4 million ounces per year worldwide, which
is then replenished from the market.
A large amount of silver catalyst is used to produce 7.5 billion
pounds of formaldehyde annually worth over $1 billion. Formaldehyde
is used in the production of adhesives, automotive paints,
plastics for plates and kitchenware, laminates for counter
tops and cabinets and other products. Silver also is the exclusive
catalyst for the production of ethylene oxide, whose 14 billion
pound production is valued at more than $3 billion. It is
used to produce polyester textile fibers, videotapes, and
various molded consumer products.
The recent discovery of a commercially viable process to produce
essential oxides of multiple carbon compounds opens the door
to expanded use of silver in the chemical production industry.
Eastman Chemicals has already prepared more than 100 chemicals
using the silver/cesium chloride catalyst. Several of these
chemicals are now in small-scale commercial production.
The economic production of new families of chemicals using
silver catalysts-chemicals that were not available or were
too expensive to be considered for production is now becoming
a real possibility.
Silver News - August/September 1999
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