Process for producing ethylene via oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of ethane

A process for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene, comprising:

• contacting an ethane feed and an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of at least one of water and steam and an oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst providing selectivity to ethylene of at least 90 mole % at an ethane conversion per pass of at least 67% at a reaction temperature of 370° C. or less in an oxidative dehydrogenation reaction zone under conditions to oxidatively dehydrogenate at least a portion of the ethane to produce a product stream comprising ethylene, carbon oxides, water, and unreacted oxygen and ethane, wherein an oxygen concentration in the product stream is at least 0.1 mol %, the oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst comprising MoaVbNbcYdTeeOn wherein Y=Sb or Ni;
• a=1.0;
• b=0.05 to 1.0;
• c=0.001 to 1.0;
• d=0.001 to 1.0;
• e=0.001 to 0.5;
• and n is determined by the oxidation states of the other elements;
• contacting the product stream with an oxygen elimination catalyst in an oxygen elimination reaction zone to combust at least a portion of the oxygen;
• recovering from the oxygen elimination reaction zone an effluent having a reduced oxygen content;
• separating water from the effluent;
• separating carbon oxides and any non-condensable gas(es) from the ethylene and the unreacted ethane;
• and
• separating the ethylene from the unreacted ethane.