Crystalline multinary metal oxide compositions, process for preparing and processes for using the composition

A crystalline metal oxide composition having an empirical formula of:

• AnNbMxM′yM″mOp
• where A is a cation selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal ion, ammonium ion or mixtures thereof, M is molybdenum, tungsten and mixtures thereof, M′ is tantalum and M″ is selected from the group consisting of antimony, tellurium and mixture thereof, “n” varies from about 0.1 to about 2, “x” varies from about 0.01 to about 4, “y” varies from zero to about 4, “m” varies from zero to about 0.9 and “p” has a value such that it balances the valence of the combined elements, A Nb, M, M′, M″, the composition characterized in that it has at least one x-ray diffraction peak at a d spacing of about 3.9±0.15 Å.

A process for the ammoxidation of alkanes comprising reacting an alkane with ammonia in the presence of oxygen over an ammoxidation catalyst at ammoxidation conditions to produce a nitrile, where the alkane is selected from the group consisting of propane, isobutane and mixtures thereof and the ammoxidation catalyst comprises a crystalline composition having an empirical formula of:

• AnNbMxM′yM″mOp
• where A is a cation selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal ion, ammonium ion or mixtures thereof, M is molybdenum, tungsten or mixtures thereof, M′ is selected from the group consisting of vanadium, tantalum and mixtures thereof, and M″ is selected from the group consisting of antimony, tellurium and mixtures thereof, “n” varies from about 0.1 to about 2, “x” varies from about 0.01 to about 4, “y” varies from zero to about 4, “m” varies from zero to about 0.9 and “p” has a value such that it balances the valence of the combined elements, A, Nb, M, M′, M″, the composition characterized in that it has at least one x-ray diffraction peak at a d spacing of about 3.9±0.15 Å and when M is either Mo or a mixture of W and Mo and M′ is V and y>0 then the composition has a surface area of at least 25 m2/g.