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US 7,064,238 B2Granted
Conversion of alkanes to oxygenates
AssigneeMarathon Oil Company
InventorJohn J. Waycuilis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process is provided for converting an alkane to an oxygenated product by passing an alkane gas over a first fixed bed containing a higher valence bromide salt to produce an alkyl bromide, a hydrobromic acid, and a lower valence bromide salt. The alkyl bromide and hydrobromic acid are conveyed as a gas to a second fixed bed containing a metal oxide and are passed over the second fixed bed to produce the first bromide salt and the oxygenated product. The metal oxide in the second fixed bed is regenerated by passing oxygen over the second fixed bed producing the metal oxide and bromine. The bromine is conveyed as a gas from the second fixed bed to the first fixed bed. The first bromide salt of the first fixed bed is regenerated by passing the bromine over the first fixed bed producing the first bromide salt.
Claims33
A process for converting an alkane to an oxygenated product comprising:
- passing an alkane in a gas state over a first fixed bed containing a first bromide salt in a solid state to produce an alkyl bromide in a gas state, a hydrobromic acid in a gas state and a second bromide salt in a solid state, wherein said second bromide salt is retained in said first fixed bed and further wherein said first and second bromide salts include a transition metal having a higher valence state and a lower valence state and said transition metal is at said higher valence state in said first bromide salt and at said lower valence state in said second bromide salt;
- passing said hydrobromic acid over a second fixed bed containing a metal oxide in a solid state to produce water in a gas state and said first bromide salt in a solid state, wherein said first bromide salt is retained in said second fixed bed;
- passing said alkyl bromide over said second fixed bed in the presence of said water to produce an oxygenated product in a gas state and said first bromide salt in a solid state, wherein said first bromide salt is retained in said second fixed bed;
- regenerating said metal oxide in said second fixed bed by passing oxygen over said second fixed bed, thereby reacting said oxygen with said first bromide salt in said second fixed bed to produce said metal oxide in a solid state and bromine in a gas state, wherein said metal oxide is retained in said second fixed bed;
- and
- regenerating said first bromide salt in said first fixed bed by passing said bromine over said first fixed bed, thereby reacting said bromine with said second bromide salt in said first fixed bed to produce said first bromide salt, wherein said first bromide salt is retained in said first fixed bed.
3 more elements
A process for converting an alkane to an oxygenated product comprising:
- reacting an alkane with a first bromide salt in a first reactor to produce an alkyl bromide, a hydrobromic acid, and a second bromide salt, wherein said first and second bromide salts include a transition metal having a higher valence state and a lower valence state and said transition metal is at said higher valence state in said first bromide salt and at said lower valence state in said second bromide salt;
- reacting said hydrobromic acid with a metal oxide in a second reactor to produce water and said first bromide salt;
- reacting said alkyl bromide with said metal oxide and said water in said second reactor to produce an oxygenated product and said first bromide salt;
- purging said first and second reactors with an unreactive gas to remove any hydrocarbons from said first and second reactors;
- regenerating said metal oxide in said second reactor by reacting oxygen with said first bromide salt in said second reactor to produce said metal oxide and bromine;
- regenerating said first bromide salt in said first reactor by reacting said bromine with said second bromide salt in said first reactor to produce said first bromide salt;
- and
- purging said first and second reactors with an unreactive gas to remove any oxygen from said first and second reactors.
5 more elements
A process for converting an alkane to an oxygenated product comprising:
- passing an alkane in a gas state over a first fixed bed containing a first bromide salt in a solid state to produce an alkyl bromide in a gas state, a hydrobromic acid in a gas state and a second bromide salt in a solid state, wherein said second bromide salt is retained in said first fixed bed and further wherein said first and second bromide salts include a transition metal having a higher valence state and a lower valence state and said transition metal is at said higher valence state in said first bromide salt and at said lower valence state in said second bromide salt;
- passing said hydrobromic acid over a second fixed bed containing a metal oxide in a solid state to produce water in a gas state and said first bromide salt in a solid state, wherein said first bromide salt is retained in said second fixed bed;
- passing said alkyl bromide over said second fixed bed in the presence of said water to produce an oxygenated product in a gas state and said first bromide salt in a solid state, wherein said first bromide salt is retained in said second fixed bed;
- purging said first and second fixed beds with an unreactive gas to remove any hydrocarbons from said first and second fixed beds;
- regenerating said metal oxide in said second fixed bed by passing oxygen over said second fixed bed, thereby reacting said oxygen with said first bromide salt in said second fixed bed to produce said metal oxide in a solid state and bromine in a gas state, wherein said metal oxide is retained in said second fixed bed;
- regenerating said first bromide salt in said first fixed bed by passing said bromine over said first fixed bed, thereby reacting said bromine with said second bromide salt in said first fixed bed to produce said first bromide salt, wherein said first bromide salt is retained in said first fixed bed;
- and
- purging said first and second fixed beds with an unreactive gas to remove any hydrocarbons from said first and second fixed beds.
5 more elements
A process for converting an alkane to an oxygenated product comprising:
- passing an alkane in a gas state over a first fixed bed containing a first bromide salt in a solid state to produce an alkyl bromide in a gas state, a hydrobromic acid in a gas state and a second bromide salt in a solid state, wherein said first and second bromide salts include a transition metal having a higher valence state and a lower valence state and said transition metal is at said higher valence state in said first bromide salt and at said lower valence state in said second bromide salt;
- passing said hydrobromic acid over a second fixed bed containing a metal oxide in a solid state to produce water in a gas state and said first bromide salt in a solid state;
- and
- passing said alkyl bromide over said second fixed bed in the presence of said water to produce an oxygenated product in a gas state and said first bromide salt in a solid state.
1 more element
A process for regenerating materials used in an alkane to an oxygenated product conversion process comprising:
- regenerating a metal oxide in a first fixed bed by passing oxygen over said first fixed bed, thereby reacting said oxygen with a first bromide salt in said first fixed bed to produce said metal oxide in a solid state and bromine in a gas state;
- and
- regenerating said first bromide salt in a second fixed bed by passing said bromine over said second fixed bed, thereby reacting said bromine with a second bromide salt in said second fixed bed to produce said first bromide salt, wherein said first and second bromide salts include a transition metal having a higher valence state and a lower valence state and said transition metal is at said higher valence state in said first bromide salt and at said lower valence state in said second bromide salt.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.