# US 4,393,265 A · Light monoolefins from methanol and/or dimethyl ether > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 4,393,265 A - Document ID: US4393265A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 06/286,604 - Filed: 1981-07-24 - Granted: 1983-07-12 - Earliest claimed: 1981-07-24 - Assignees: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company - Inventors: Cristobal Bonifaz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4393265A ## CPC - C07C 1/20: starting from organic compounds containing only oxygen atoms as heteroatoms - B01J 29/061: {containing metallic elements added to the zeolite} - B01J 29/90: Regeneration or reactivation - C07C 2521/12: Silica and alumina - Y02P 20/584: Recycling of catalysts - Y02P 30/20: using bio-feedstock - Y02P 30/40: Ethylene production - C07C: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract Process of preparing light monoolefins by: (a) activating a hydrogen-exchanged aluminosilicate catalyst having a silica to alumina ratio of less than 12 and, optionally, containing added metal cations, by treating with steam at a temperature of at least 400.degree. C., preferably 450.degree. to 520.degree. C.; (b) contacting the steam-activated catalyst in a reaction zone, at a temperature of about 350.degree. to about 600.degree. C., preferably 450.degree. to 520.degree. C., with a gas stream consisting essentially of dimethyl ether or a mixture of methanol and dimethyl ether, as reactant, and sufficient water such that the mole ratio of water to ether in the reaction zone is at least 0.3; at a pressure of about 0.2 to about 30 atmospheres (about 20 to about 3000 kPa), preferably atmospheric pressure (100 kPa), and at a weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) of greater than about 0.5 h.sup.-1, preferably 1 to 150 h.sup.-1, to convert at least 85 wt % of the reactant to hydrocarbons comprising at least 50 wt % ethylene and propylene, said 85% conversion being achieved before the contacting has exceeded 1 g of reactant per g of catalyst, preferably before exceeding 0.3 g of reactant per g of catalyst, more preferably before exceeding 0.1 g of reactant per g of catalyst until the catalyst is spent; and (c) regenerating the spent catalyst with a mixture comprising steam and oxygen at a temperature of at least 400.degree. C., preferably 450.degree. to 520.degree. C. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Process of preparing hydrocarbons rich in light monoolefins by: (a) activating a hydrogen-exchanged aluminosilicate catalyst having a silica to alumina ratio of less than 12 by treating with steam at a temperature of at least 400.degree. C.; (b) contacting the steam-activated catalyst in a reaction zone, at a temperature of about 350.degree. to about 600.degree. C., with a gas stream consisting essentially of dimethyl ether or a mixture of methanol and dimethyl ether, as reactant, and sufficient water such that the mole ratio of water to ether in the reaction zone is at least 0.3, at a pressure of about 0.2 to about 30 atmospheres (about 20 to about 3000 kPa), and at a weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) of greater than about 0.5 h.sup.-1, to convert at least 85 wt % of the reactant to hydrocarbons comprising at least 50 wt % ethylene and propylene, said 85% conversion being achieved before the contacting has exceeded 1 g of reactant per g of catalyst, until the catalyst is spent; and (c) regenerating the spent catalyst with a mixture comprising steam and oxygen at a temperature of at least 400.degree. C. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) Process of claim 1 wherein the 85% conversion is achieved before the contacting has exceeded 0.3 g of reactant per g of catalyst. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) Process of claim 1 wherein the 85% conversion is achieved before the contacting has exceeded 0.1 g of reactant per g of catalyst. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) Process of claim 1 wherein steps (b) and (c) are repeated a plurality of times. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) Process of claim 2 wherein the catalyst includes added metal cations. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) Process of claim 3 wherein the catalyst includes added metal cations. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) Process of claim 1 wherein air is used to provide the oxygen in step (c). ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) Process of claim 1 wherein the conversion of reactant into hydrocarbons is 100% and the hydrocarbons contain at least 75 wt % of the monoolefins ethylene and propylene, of which monoolefins at least 50% is ethylene. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) Process of claim 1 wherein the contacting in step (b) is carried out at 450.degree. to 520.degree. C., the catalyst activation and catalyst regeneration temperatures in steps (a) and (c) are 450.degree. to 520.degree. C., the pressure is about atmospheric pressure (about 100 kPa), and the WHSV is 1 to 150 h.sup.-1. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) Process of claim 9 wherein the catalyst includes added metal cations. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) Process of claim 10 wherein the added metal cation is a cation of barium or strontium. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) Process of claim 1 which is carried out in a continuous mode of operation. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) Process of claim 1 which is carried out in a semi-continuous mode of operation. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) Process of claim 1 wherein the catalyst is a crystalline aluminosilicate. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) Process of claim 14 wherein the crystalline aluminosilicate is a zeolite.