Claims
- 1. The oxidative dehydrogenation method of selectively converting alkanes to unsaturated hydrocarbons while suppressing the formation of oxygenate hydrocarbon by-products, comprising:
- (a) providing a catalyst bed composed essentially of one or a plurality of metal vanadate compounds selected from the group of vanadate compounds represented by the formulas M.sub.3 (VO.sub.4).sub.2 and MV.sub.2 O.sub.6 wherein M is selected from magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn); calcium (Ca), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd); and
- (b) passing through said bed a vapor phase reaction mixture containing oxygen and a saturated alkane reactant containing from 2 to 8 carbons, from 0.5 to 10 moles oxygen (O.sub.2) being present per mole of alkane and said mixtures being at a reaction temperature in the range from 300.degree. to 700.degree. C.
- 2. The method of claim 1 in which said vanadate compound is selected from the group consisting of MG.sub.3 (VO.sub.4).sub.2, Zn.sub.3 (VO.sub.4).sub.2, MgV.sub.2 O.sub.6, and ZnV.sub.2 O.sub.6.
- 3. The method of claim 1 in which said vanadate compound is magnesium orthovanadate.
- 4. The method of claim 1 in which said vanadate compound is zinc orthovanadate.
- 5. The method of claim 1 in which said vanadate compound is magnesium metavanadate.
- 6. The method of claim 1 in which said vanadate compound is zinc metavanadate.
- 7. The method of claim 1 in which said alkane reactant is ethane and said vanadate compound is zinc orthovanadate.
- 8. The method of claim 1 in which said alkane reactant is selected from the group consisting of propane, butane, and isobutane.
- 9. The method of claim 1 in which said alkane reactant is selected from the group consisting of straight and branched chain pentanes.
- 10. The method of claim 1 in which said alkane reactant is selected from the group consisting of straight and branched chain hexanes.
- 11. The method of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 in which during the passage of said reaction mixture through said bed from 5 to 70% of said alkane reactant is converted to one or more unsaturated hydrocarbons with essentially no formation of oxygenate hydrocarbon by-products.
- 12. The oxidative dehydrogenation method of selectively converting alkanes to unsaturated hydrocarbons while suppressing the formation of oxygenate by-products, comprising:
- (a) providing a catalyst bed composed essentially of one or a plurality of metal vanadate compounds selected from the group of vanadate compounds represented by the formula M.sub.3 (VO.sub.4).sub.2 wherein M is magnesium (Mg) or zinc (Zn); and
- (b) passing through said bed a vapor phase reaction mixture containing oxygen and a saturated alkane hydrocarbon reactant containing from 3 to 6 carbons, from 0.5 to 4 moles oxygen (O.sub.2) being present per mole of alkane and said mixtures being at a temperature of from 400.degree. to 600.degree. C.
- 13. The oxidative dehydrogenation method of selectively converting alkanes to unsaturated hydrocarbons while suppressing the formation of oxygenated by-products, comprising:
- (a) providing a catalyst bed essentially of one or a plurality of metal vanadate compounds selected from the group of vanadate compounds represented by the formula MV.sub.2 O.sub.6 wherein M is magnesium (Mg) or zinc (Zn); and
- (b) passing through said bed a vapor phase reaction mixture containing oxygen and a saturated alkane hydrocarbon reactant containing from 3 to 6 carbons, from 0.5 to 4 moles oxygen (O.sub.2) being present per mole of alkane and said mixtures being at a temperature of from 400.degree. to 600.degree. C.
- 14. The method of claim 12 in which said vanadate compound is selected from the group consisting of MG.sub.3 (VO.sub.4).sub.2 and Zn.sub.3 (VO.sub.4).sub.2.
- 15. The method of claim 13 in which said vanadate compound is selected from the group consisting of MgV.sub.2 O.sub.6 and ZnV.sub.2 O.sub.6.
- 16. The method of claim 12 in which said vanadate compound is magnesium orthovanadate.
- 17. The method of claim 12 in which said vanadate compound is zinc orthovanadate.
- 18. The method of claim 13 in which said vanadate compound is magnesium metavanadate.
- 19. The method of claim 13 in which said vanadate compound is zinc metavanadate.
- 20. The method of claim 12 or claim 13 in which said alkane reactant is propane.
- 21. The method of claim 12 or claim 13 in which said alkane reactant is selected from the group consisting of butane and isobutane.
- 22. The method of claim 12 or claim 13 in which said alkane reactant is selected from the group consisting of straight and branched chain pentanes.
- 23. The method of claim 12 or claim 13 in which said alkane reactant is selected from the group consisting of straight and branched chain hexanes.
- 24. The method of claims 12 and 13 in which during the passage of said reactant mixture through bed, from 5 to 60% of said alkane reactant is converted to one or more unsaturated hydrocarbons with essentially no formation of oxygenate hydrocarbon by-products.
GRANT REFERENCE
Research leading to this invention was supported in part by a grant from the United States Department of Energy, Grant No. DE-AC02-78ER4987. The U.S. Government has rights therein.
US Referenced Citations (5)