Alkane oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH)

A process for the oxidative dehydrogenation of an alkane containing 2 to 6 carbon atoms to an alkene containing 2 to 6 carbon atoms comprising:

• supplying a feed gas comprising the alkane and oxygen to an inlet of a reactor vessel, the reactor vessel comprising a reactor shell, a plurality of reactor tubes disposed within an interior of the reactor shell, and a perforated partition that divides the interior of the reactor vessel into an upstream region and a downstream region, wherein the plurality of reactor tubes comprise:
• (i) an upstream catalyst bed positioned within the upstream region that comprises an oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst which is a mixed metal oxide catalyst comprising tellurium, and
• (ii) a downstream catalyst bed positioned within the downstream region that comprises an oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst which is a mixed metal oxide catalyst not comprising tellurium;
• contacting the feed gas with the oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst in the upstream catalyst bed, followed by contact with the oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst in the downstream catalyst bed, wherein the process is operated such that the upstream catalyst bed is in an oxidizing environment, a majority of the oxygen is consumed in the upstream catalyst bed and the downstream catalyst bed has a reduced oxygen concentration compared to the upstream catalyst bed, to yield a reactor effluent comprising the alkene;
• and
• supplying an upstream coolant to an upstream shell space of the reactor vessel from an upstream coolant circuit and a downstream coolant to a downstream shell space of the reactor vessel from a downstream coolant circuit.