Processes for oxidative dehydrogenation
AssigneeSymyx Technologies, Inc.
InventorYumin Liu
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Abstract
Processes for oxidative dehydrogenation of alkane to one or more olefins, exemplified by ethane to ethylene, are disclosed using novel catalysts. The catalysts comprise a mixture of metal oxides having as an important component nickel oxide (NiO), which give high conversion and selectivity in the process. The catalyst can be used to make ethylene by contacting it with a gas mixture containing ethane and oxygen. The gas mixture may optionally contain ethylene, an inert diluent such as nitrogen, or both ethylene and an inert diluent.
Claims51
A method for the oxidative dehydrogenation of an alkane having from 2 to 4 carbon atoms comprising contacting said alkane in the presence of oxygen to a material having the empirical formula
- NixNbyTazOi
- wherein x is in the range of about 0.05-0.96, y is in the range of from about 0-0.8, z is in the range of from 0-0.8 and i is a number that satisfies valence requirements;
- and the sum of y and z is at least 0.1.
A method for the oxidative dehydrogenation of an alkane having from 2 to 4 carbon atoms comprising contacting said alkane in the presence of oxygen to a material having the empirical formula
- NixAjBkClOi
- wherein Ni is nickel and x is in the range of about 0.05-0.96;
- A is a metal selected from the group consisting of Co, Nb, Ta and combinations thereof and j is in the range of from about 0.05-0.8;
- B is a dopant selected from the group consisting of Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Mn, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm and combinations thereof and k is in the range of from 0-0.5;
- C is a dopant selected from the group consisting of Sn, Al, Fe, Si, B, Sb, Ti, In, Ge, Cr, Pb and combinations thereof and 1 is in the range of from 0-0.5
- i is a number that satisfies the valence requirements of the other elements present;
- and the sum of j, k and l is at least 0.15.
A method of making a C2-C4 olefin comprising the step of contacting a gas mixture with a catalyst having an empirical formula:
- NiaCobNbcTadSneKfAlgFehOi;
- wherein b, c and d are numbers greater than or equal to zero, but less than one, and at least one of b, c and d is nonzero;
- e and f are numbers greater than or equal to zero, but less than or equal to 0.35;
- g and h are numbers greater than or equal to zero, but less than or equal to 0.10;
- a is a number greater than zero, but less than one, and satisfies:
- a≦1-b-c-d-e-f-g-h;
- i is a number that satisfies valence requirements;
- and
- the gas mixture comprises a C2-C4 alkane and oxygen.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.