Provided in this disclosure is a process for the oxidative dehydrogenation of a lower alkane into a corresponding alkene. The process includes providing a gas stream comprising the lower alkane to a reactor; contacting, in the oxidative dehydrogenation reactor, the lower alkane with a catalyst that includes a mixed metal oxide; and providing to the last 50% of the oxidative dehydrogenation reactor a stream comprising from 0.01 vol. % to 10 vol. % of a C.sub.1-C.sub.3 alcohol.

The present invention relates to a catalyst system comprising: i. a first layer of a hydrocarbon conversion catalyst, the hydrocarbon conversion catalyst comprising: a first composition comprising a platinum group metal on a solid support; and a second composition comprising a transition metal on an inorganic support; ii. a second layer comprising a cracking catalyst; and to a process for conversion of a hydrocarbon feed utilizing this catalyst system.

The invention relates to a process for treatment of a mixed metal oxide catalyst containing molybdenum, vanadium, niobium and optionally tellurium, comprising contacting a gas stream comprising methane, an inert gas or oxygen or any combination of two or more of these with the catalyst, wherein said gas stream comprises 0 to 25 vol. % of an alkane containing 2 to 6 carbon atoms and/or alkene containing 2 to 6 carbon atoms.

A catalyst for non-oxidative dehydrogenation of alkanes and a method for making and using the same is disclosed. The catalyst can include vanadium oxide derived from vanadyl oxalate. More particularly the catalyst is prepared by a method comprising the steps of: (a) contacting a transition alumina support with an aqueous solution comprising a vanadium carboxylate material solubilized therein; (b) heating the contacted alumina support to remove the water and produce a catalyst precursor material in solid form; and (c) heating the solid catalyst precursor material in the presence of an oxidizing source at a temperature of 500 to 800° C. to produce an alumina supported catalytic material comprising vanadium oxide. The catalyst can be further modified with an alkali metal oxide like potassium oxide, the precursor thereof being introduced with the impregnation solution.

The present invention discloses a process for the catalytic cracking of a weakly coking feedstock having a Conradson carbon residue of 0.1% by weight and a hydrogen content of greater than 12.7% by weight, comprising at least a feedstock cracking zone, a zone for separating/stripping the effluents from the coked catalyst particles and a zone for regenerating said particles, characterized in that at least a solid carbon material in the fluidized state, having a carbon content equal to or greater than 80% by weight, is injected upstream of and/or during the catalyst regeneration step into a dense bed of coked catalyst.

Nanowires useful as heterogeneous catalysts are provided. The nanowire catalysts are useful in a variety of catalytic reactions, for example, the oxidative coupling of methane to C2 hydrocarbons. Related methods for use and manufacture of the same are also disclosed.

In a vanadium nitride film formed on a surface of a base material, a ratio V [at %]/N [at %] between a vanadium element concentration and a nitrogen element concentration in the film is 1.08 or more and a chlorine element concentration in the film is 1 at % or more and 5 at % or less.

Oxidative dehydrogenation catalysts comprising MoVNbTeO having improved consistency of composition and a 25% conversion of ethylene at less than 420° C. and a selectivity to ethylene above 95% are prepared by treating the catalyst precursor with H.sub.2O.sub.2 in an amount equivalent to 0.30-2.8 mL H.sub.2O.sub.2 of a 30% solution per gram of catalyst precursor prior to calcining.

Mixed metal oxide catalysts having an amorphous content of not less than 40 wt. % are prepared by calcining the catalyst precursor fully or partially enclosed by a porous material having a melting temperature greater than 600° C. in an inert container including heating the catalyst precursor at a rate from 0.5 to 10° C. per minute from room temperature to a temperature from 370° C. to 540° C. under a stream of pre heated gas chosen from steam and inert gas and mixtures thereof at a pressure of greater than or equal to 1 psig having a temperature from 300° C. to 540° C. and holding the catalyst precursor at that temperature for at least 2 hours and cooling the catalyst precursor to room temperature.

A novel mixed oxide material is disclosed which contains molybdenum, vanadium, tellurium and niobium and the use of the molybdenum mixed oxide material as catalyst for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to ethene or the oxidation of propane to acrylic acid and a process for producing the mixed oxide material.