Process for preparing ethene

Abstract

The present invention provides a process for the preparation of ethene by vapor phase chemical dehydration of a feed comprising ethanol and optionally water and/or ethoxyethane, said process comprising contacting a dried supported heteropoly acid catalyst in a reactor with the feed-stream having feed temperature of at least 200° C.; wherein the pressure inside the reactor is at least 0.80 MPa but less than 1.80 MPa; and before the supported heteropolyacid catalyst is contacted with the feed-stream having a feed temperature of at least 200° C., the process is initiated by: (i) drying a supported heteropolyacid catalyst in a reactor under a stream of inert gas having a feed temperature of from above 100° C. to 200° C.; and (ii) contacting the dried supported heteropolyacid catalyst with an ethanol-containing vapor stream having a feed temperature of from above 100° C. to 160° C.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.