Europäisches Patentamt

(19) European Patent Office *EP001038578A3*

Office européen des brevets (11) EP 1 038 578 A3
(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3: (51) Int Cl.7: B01J 23/28, B01J 21/08,
30.01.2002 Bulletin 2002/05 C07C 45/33, C07C 47/04
(43) Date of publication A2:
27.09.2000 Bulletin 2000/39

(21) Application number: 99117414.5

(22) Date of filing: 07.09.1999

(84) Designated Contracting States: • Azuma, Naoto

AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU Hamamatsu-shi, Shizuoka-ken (JP)
MC NL PT SE • Aoki, Kiyofumi
Designated Extension States: Hamamatsu-shi, Shizuoka-ken (JP)
AL LT LV MK RO SI • Sugino, Tomomi
Hamamatsu-shi, Shizuoka-ken (JP)
(30) Priority: 26.03.1999 JP 8365499
(74) Representative:
(71) Applicant: President of Shizuoka University, a Reinhard - Skuhra - Weise & Partner
government agency of Japan Postfach 44 01 51
Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka-ken (JP) 80750 München (DE)

(72) Inventors:
• Ueno, Akifumi
Tenryu-shi, Shizuoka-ken (JP)

(54) Method of producing formaldehyde directly from methane

(57) The present invention provides a silica-sup-
ported 12-molybdosilicic acid catalyst, comprising a sil-
ica carrier having a specific surface area of at least 500
m2/g, and at least 10% by weight, based on the silica
amount, of 12-molybdosilicic acid supported on the car-
rier and a method of producing formaldehyde directly
EP 1 038 578 A3
from a mixed gas of methane and oxygen in the pres-
ence of the particular catalyst. Formaldehyde can be
produced at a high yield in the present invention without
requiring a reforming process of methane with water va-
por that consumes a large amount of energy. In addition,
attentions are also paid to the air pollution and water
contamination problems in the present invention.

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