Catalyst compositions and process for direct production of hydrogen cyanide in an acrylonitrile reactor feed stream

A process for ammoxidation of an alcohol or an alcohol-containing mixture, a nitrile or a nitrile-containing mixture, a ketone or a ketone-containing mixture, an aldehyde or an aldehyde-containing containing mixture, a carboxylic acid or a carboxylic acid-containing mixture, an ester or an ester-containing mixture, an ether or an ether-containing mixture, or mixtures thereof comprising reacting the alcohol or the alcohol-containing mixture, the nitrile or the nitrile-containing mixture, the ketone or the ketone-containing mixture, the aldehyde or the aldehyde-containing containing mixture, the carboxylic acid or the carboxylic acid-containing mixture, the ester or the ester-containing mixture, the ether or the ether-containing mixture, or mixtures thereof with NH3 and O2 in the presence of a catalyst composition to provide HCN and/or ACN and/or corresponding nitriles, wherein the catalyst composition comprises a mixed oxide catalyst of formula (I) or (II):

• Mo12X1aX2bX3cX4dX5eX6fOh (I)
• FeMoiCrjBikMmNnQqXxYyOr (II)
• wherein in the formula (I):
• X1 is Cr and/or W;
• X2 is Bi, Sb, As, P, and/or a rare earth metal;
• X3 is Fe, Ru, and/or Os;
• X4 is Ti, Zr, Hf, B, Al, Ga, In, TI, Si, Ge, Sn, and/or Pb;
• X5 is Co, Rh, Ir, Ni, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag, Au, Zn, Cd, Hg, Mn, Re, V, Nb, Ta, Se, and/or Te;
• X6 is an alkaline earth metal and/or an alkali metal;
• 0≤a≤5;
• 0.03≤b≤25;
• 0≤c≤20;
• 0≤d≤200;
• 0≤e≤8;
• 0≤f≤3;
• and
• h is the number of oxygen atoms required to satisfy the valence requirements of the component elements other than oxygen present in formula (I), where
• 1≤c+d+e+f≤200;
• 0≤e+f≤8;
• and
• wherein in the formula (II):
• M is Ce and/or Sb;
• N is La, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Ti, Zr, Hf, B, Al, Ga, In, TI, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, P, and/or As;
• Q is W, Ru and/or Os;
• X is Co, Rh, Ir, Ni, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag, Au, Zn, Cd, Hg, Mn, Re, V, Nb, Ta, Se and/or Te;
• Y is an alkaline earth metal and/or an alkali metal;
• 0.2≤i≤100;
• 0≤j≤2;
• 0≤k≤2;
• 0.05≤m≤10;
• 0≤n≤200;
• 0≤q≤8;
• 0≤x≤30;
• 0≤y≤8;
• j and k<i;
• m>j;
• and
• r is the number of oxygen atoms required to satisfy the valence requirements of the component elements other than oxygen present in formula (II), where
• 4≤m+n+q+x+y≤200;
• 0≤q+x+y≤30;
• and
• wherein the catalyst composition has a surface area of from 2 to 500 m2/g as determined by the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method.