Oxidative dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons with solid superacid catalyst

Abstract

Solid superacid catalyst, for example sulfated zirconia, is used in the oxidative dehydrogenation of saturated or partially saturated hydrocarbons, for example the conversion of isobutane to isobutylene in the presence of an oxygen-containing oxidizing agent at reaction conditions typically including temperatures from 500 to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, superatmospheric pressures, and oxygen/alkane molar ratios from 0.2 to 20. Performance of a metal-oxide or metal-hydroxide oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst may be enhanced by pretreating a solid superacid or other catalyst containing metal oxides or hydroxides at a carbonizing temperature with an organic material, for example an oxygen-containing organic material, to form a carbonaceous layer on the surface thereof prior to use of the catalyst in oxidative dehydrogenation.

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