Fluidization enhancers for the oxidative dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons

A process for dehydrogenation of a hydrocarbon to produce an olefin and water, the process comprising:

• contacting, in a fluidized bed, the hydrocarbon with a particulate material consisting of:
• an oxygen transfer agent;
• and
• a fluidization enhancing additive consisting of inorganic materials;
• wherein:
• the fluidization enhancing additive comprises:
• at least one fluid catalytic cracking catalyst;
• at least one zeolite of formula (3):
• M2/nO·Al2O3·ySiO2·wH2O (3)
• where:
• y is an integer from 2 to 1,000,000,000;
• n is a valence of a cationic portion of the at least one zeolite of formula (3);
• M is a metal selected from the group consisting of Zr, Mg, Ti, and a combination of two or more thereof;
• and
• w is a number of water molecules per zeolite unit structure, such that at least 5% of n is due to proton charge;
• or both;
• during at least a portion of the time of the contacting of the hydrocarbon with the particulate material, the fluidized bed is at a temperature at or above a melting point of one or more materials of the oxygen transfer agent;
• during at least a portion of the time of the contacting of the hydrocarbon with the particulate material, a surface of at least a portion of the oxygen transfer agent is exposed to a temperature near or greater than the melting point of the material of the oxygen transfer agent such that at a least portion of the oxygen transfer agent comprises a molten layer;
• the fluidization enhancing additive does not undergo reduction in the fluidized bed during the contacting of the hydrocarbon with the particulate material at the temperature;
• the fluidization enhancing additive is present in an amount that maintains sufficient fluidization of the particulate material;
• and
• a weight ratio of the oxygen transfer agent to the fluidization enhancing additive is from 60:40 to 99:1.