Production of high purity butadiene
AssigneeEl Paso Products Company
InventorJohn L. Cihonski
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Abstract
This invention provides a three-step process for converting n-butene into high purity 1,3-butadiene, via a vinylcyclohexene intermediate. In the first step of the process, n-butene and molecular oxygen are contacted with a Group VIII metal oxide catalyst. If nitrobenzene is employed as the oxidizing agent in place of molecular oxygen then aniline is produced as a secondary product of the process.
Claims12
A process for the production of high purity 1,3-butadiene which comprises the steps of (1) contacting n-butene with a Group VIII metal oxide or hydroxide catalyst in the presence of molecular oxygen at a temperature between about 130.degree. C. and 500.degree. C. and a pressure between about 1 and 200 psi to convert the n-butene feed to an intermediate product mixture containing vinylcyclohexene, wherein said vinylcyclohexene is produced with a conversion efficiency of at least 65 weight percent;
- (2) removing C.sub.4 -hydrocarbons from the intermediate product mixture;
- and (3) subjecting the product mixture to a temperature between about 500.degree. C. and 1000.degree. C. and a pressure between about 1 and 200 psi for a period of time between about 0.01 and 10 seconds to yield a normally gaseous product consisting substantially of 1,3-butadiene.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.