Oxygen storage and catalytic alkane conversion

A process for producing a C2+ composition, comprising:

• (a) providing a reverse-flow reactor comprising (i) an oxidative coupling catalyst, (ii) and an oxygen storage material, and (iii) at least one thermal mass;
• (b) during a first time interval,
• i. passing a heating fluid comprising an oxidant and a hydrocarbon fuel through the reverse-flow reactor, wherein the oxidant is present in the heating fluid in a stoichiometric excess of that needed for substantially complete combustion with the hydrocarbon fuel,
• ii. exothermically combusting at least a first portion of the heating fluid's oxygen with the heating fluid's fuel to produce a heated combustion gas, storing at least a second portion of the heating fluid's oxidant with the oxygen storage material, and transferring heat from the heated combustion gas to the thermal mass, and
• iii. lessening or discontinuing the passing of the oxidant and fuel through the reverse-flow reactor;
• and
• (c) during a second time interval,
• i. passing a hydrocarbon reactant comprising methane through the reverse-flow reactor,
• ii. releasing at least a portion of the stored oxygen and reacting at least a portion of the released oxygen with at least a portion of the hydrocarbon reactant's methane in the presence of the oxidative coupling catalyst to produce a reaction mixture comprising a C2+ composition which includes ethane and/or ethylene;
• (d) non-cryogenically separating from the C2+ composition within the reverse-flow reactor at least a portion of the ethane and/or at least a portion of the ethylene, and conducting at least a portion of the separated ethane and/or at least a portion of the separated ethylene away from the reverse-flow reactor.