Disclosed is a catalyst and methods for the oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) reaction using elemental sulfur as a soft oxidant. The process can provide ethylene from methane with high conversion and selectivity.

The invention relates to a process for preparing 1,3-butadiene from n-butenes, comprising the steps of: A) providing an input gas stream a comprising butanes, 1-butene, 2-butene and isobutene, with or without 1,3-butadiene, from a fluid catalytic cracking plant; B) removing isobutene from the input gas stream a, giving a stream b comprising butanes, 1-butene and 2-butene, with or without 1,3-butadiene; C) feeding the stream b comprising butanes, 1-butene and 2-butene and optionally an, oxygenous gas and optionally water vapor into at least one dehydrogenating zone and dehydrogenating 1-butene and 2-butene to 1,3-butadiene, giving a product gas stream c comprising 1,3-butadiene, butanes, 2-butene and water vapor, with or without oxygen, with low-boiling hydrocarbons, with high-boiling secondary components, with or without carbon oxides and with or without inert gases; D) cooling and compressing the product gas stream c, giving at least one aqueous condensate stream d1 and a gas stream d2 comprising 1,3-butadiene, butanes, 2-butene and water vapor, with or without oxygen, with low-boiling hydrocarbons, with or without carbon oxides and with or without inert gases; Ea) removing uncondensable and low-boiling gas constituents comprising low-boiling hydrocarbons, with or without oxygen, with or without carbon oxides and with or without inert gases, as gas stream e2 from the gas stream d2 by absorbing the C.sub.4 hydrocarbons comprising 1,3-butadiene, butanes and 2-butene in an absorbent, giving an absorbent stream laden with C.sub.4 hydrocarbons and the gas stream e2, and Eb) subsequently desorbing the C.sub.4 hydrocarbons from the laden absorbent stream, giving a C.sub.4 hydrocarbon stream e1; F) separating the C.sub.4 hydrocarbon stream e1 by extractive distillation with a 1,3-butadiene-selective solvent into a stream f1 comprising 1,3-butadiene and the selective solvent and a stream f2 comprising butanes and 2-butene, wherein at least 90% of the 1-butene present in stream b is converted in step C) and a product stream f2 comprising butanes and 2-butene is obtained in step F.

Methods for oxidative coupling of methane using metal oxide catalysts and a sulfur oxidant.

A catalyst for the dehydrogenation of alkanes to alkenes comprises a catalytically active material supported on a carrier, wherein the catalytically active material is a metallic sulfide (MeS) comprising Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Mo or W or any combination of two or more metals selected from Pb, Sn, Zn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Mo and W. The catalyst is regenerated in several steps. The dehydrogenation is carried out at a temperature between 450 and 650 C. and a pressure from 0.9 bar below ambient pressure to 5 bar above ambient pressure.

Process for dehydrogenation of alkanesor alkylbenzenes by using metal sulfide catalyst under the presence of small amounts of hydrogen sulfide.

A method of deoxygenation of tall oil as well as methods for the production of aliphatic hydrocarbons and polymerizable monomers from tall oil. Sulphurous crude tall oil together with hydrogen gas is fed into a reactor comprising a catalyst bed. The oil is catalytically deoxygenated by hydrogen in the bed by use of a sulfided metal catalyst, e.g. a NiMoS catalyst. The flow exiting the reactor is cooled down and a hydrocarbon-bearing liquid phase is separated from a gas phase, followed by subjecting the liquid phase to distillation for removal of useless aromatic hydrocarbons and then to steam cracking to form a product containing olefins such as ethylene or propylene. By regulation of the deoxygenation temperature to be at least 270 C. but less than 360 C. the yield is rich in linear and cyclic aliphates that usefully turn to olefins in the steam cracking, while formation of napthalenes is reduced.

The invention relates to a process for preparing 1,3-butadiene from n-butenes, comprising the steps of: A) providing an input gas stream a comprising butanes, 1-butene, 2-butene and isobutene, with or without 1,3-butadiene, from a fluid catalytic cracking plant; B) removing isobutene from the input gas stream a, giving a stream b comprising butanes, 1-butene and 2-butene, with or without 1,3-butadiene; C) feeding the stream b comprising butanes, 1-butene and 2-butene and optionally an, oxygenous gas and optionally water vapor into at least one dehydrogenating zone and dehydrogenating 1-butene and 2-butene to 1,3-butadiene, giving a product gas stream c comprising 1,3-butadiene, butanes, 2-butene and water vapor, with or without oxygen, with low-boiling hydrocarbons, with high-boiling secondary components, with or without carbon oxides and with or without inert gases; D) cooling and compressing the product gas stream c, giving at least one aqueous condensate stream d1 and a gas stream d2 comprising 1,3-butadiene, butanes, 2-butene and water vapor, with or without oxygen, with low-boiling hydrocarbons, with or without carbon oxides and with or without inert gases; Ea) removing uncondensable and low-boiling gas constituents comprising low-boiling hydrocarbons, with or without oxygen, with or without carbon oxides and with or without inert gases, as gas stream e2 from the gas stream d2 by absorbing the C.sub.4 hydrocarbons comprising 1,3-butadiene, butanes and 2-butene in an absorbent, giving an absorbent stream laden with C.sub.4 hydrocarbons and the gas stream e2, and Eb) subsequently desorbing the C.sub.4 hydrocarbons from the laden absorbent stream, giving a C.sub.4 hydrocarbon stream e1; F) separating the C.sub.4 hydrocarbon stream e1 by extractive distillation with a 1,3-butadiene-selective solvent into a stream f1 comprising 1,3-butadiene and the selective solvent and a stream f2 comprising butanes and 2-butene, wherein at least 90% of the 1-butene present in stream b is converted in step C) and a product stream f2 comprising butanes and 2-butene is obtained in step F.