The invention relates to a method for producing butadiene from n-butenes having the steps: A) providing a feed gas stream a comprising n-butenes; B) feeding the feed gas stream a comprising the n-butenes and an oxygen-comprising gas into at least one oxidative dehydrogenation zone and oxidatively dehydrogenating n-butenes to butadiene, wherein a product gas stream b comprising butadiene, unreacted n-butenes, steam, oxygen, low-boiling hydrocarbons, high-boiling minor components, possibly carbon oxides and possibly inert gases is obtained; Ca) cooling the product gas stream b by contacting it with a refrigerant and condensing at least a part of the high-boiling minor components; Cb) compressing the remaining product gas stream b in at least one compression stage, wherein at least one aqueous condensate stream c1 and a gas stream c2 comprising butadiene, n-butenes, steam, oxygen, low-boiling hydrocarbons, possibly carbon oxides and possibly inert gases are obtained; Da) separating off non-condensable and low-boiling gas components comprising oxygen, low-boiling hydrocarbons, possibly carbon oxides and possibly inert gases as gas stream d2 from the gas stream c2 by absorbing the C.sub.4 hydrocarbon-comprising butadiene and n-butenes in an absorbent, wherein an absorbent stream loaded with C.sub.4 hydrocarbons and the gas stream d2 are obtained, and Db) subsequent desorption of the C.sub.4 hydrocarbons from the loaded absorbent stream in a desorption column, wherein a C.sub.4 product gas stream d1 is obtained,
wherein a polymerization inhibitor is added in step Db) at the column head of the desorption column.

This document relates to oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst materials that include molybdenum, vanadium, oxygen, and iron; oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst materials that include molybdenum, vanadium, oxygen, and aluminum; and oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst materials that include molybdenum, vanadium, oxygen, iron, and aluminum.

In a process for producing styrene, benzene is alkylated with ethylene to produce ethylbenzene and at least some of the ethylbenzene is dehydrogenated to produce styrene, together with benzene and toluene as by-products. At least part of the benzene by-product is passed through a bed of an adsorbent comprising at least one of an acidic clay, alumina, an acidic ion exchange resin and an acidic molecular sieve to remove basic nitrogenous impurities therefrom and produce a purified benzene by-product, which is then recycled to the alkylation step.

A reactor system for dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene in a given temperature range T upon bringing a reactant stream including ethylbenzene into contact with a catalytic mixture. The reactor system includes a reactor unit arranged to accommodate the catalytic mixture, the catalytic mixture including catalyst particles in intimate contact with a ferromagnetic material, where the catalyst particles are arranged to catalyze the dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene. The reactor system moreover includes an induction coil arranged to be powered by a power source supplying alternating current and being positioned so as to generate an alternating magnetic field within the reactor unit upon energization by the power source, whereby the catalytic mixture is heated to a temperature within the temperature range T by means of the alternating magnetic field. Also, a catalytic mixture and a method of dehydrogenating ethylbenzene to styrene.

The present invention is directed to a process for the simultaneous production of carbon nanotubes and product gas comprising hydrogen and lighter hydrocarbons, from a liquid hydrocarbon comprising feeding a liquid hydrocarbon in a reactor; and converting the liquid hydrocarbon with a catalyst for simultaneous production of the carbon nanotubes, hydrogen and lighter hydrocarbons, wherein the liquid hydrocarbon comprises petroleum crude oil, its products, or mixtures thereof.

An ethylbenzene dehydrogenation catalyst, a preparation method therefor, and the use thereof are provided. The catalyst includes Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, K.sub.2O, CeO.sub.2, MoO.sub.3 and CaO. The exposed crystal face area of CeO.sub.2 (100) accounts for 60% or more of the total exposed crystal face area of CeO.sub.2. The catalyst is used in a reaction for preparing styrene by means of dehydrogenating ethylbenzene at a low water ratio, and has high activity and stability.

The disclosed invention relates to a process for converting ethylbenzene to styrene, comprising: flowing a feed composition comprising ethylbenzene in at least one process microchannel in contact with at least one catalyst to dehydrogenate the ethylbenzene and form a product comprising styrene; exchanging heat between the process microchannel and at least one heat exchange channel in thermal contact with the process microchannel; and removing product from the process microchannel. Also disclosed is an apparatus comprising a process microchannel, a heat exchange channel, and a heat transfer wall positioned between the process microchannel and heat exchange channel wherein the heat transfer wall comprises a thermal resistance layer.

The process for synthesizing heterogeneous sulfur-free catalysts based on molybdenum oxide, as well as their use in biomass transformation processes, constitutes the central part of this invention. These materials were shown to be active and selective in three biomass transformation processes of industrial importance, namely: (i) hydrodeoxygenation of fatty acids, (ii) hydrogenation and (iii) dehydrogenation of terpenes. The synthesis conditions of these catalysts allow to obtain 100% conversion of fatty acids and the production of linear hydrocarbons without oxygen in their structure above 95%. The products generated using the heterogeneous catalysts of this invention have great relevance in various industries such as energy, chemicals, oil, among others. The operating conditions of these catalysts were also optimized to achieve their application in the most favorable conditions, reducing reaction time, temperature and pressure. The versatility of these materials, their simple handling, the use of inexpensive metals and in small quantities facilitate their use in large-scale industrial processes.

A process for the production of formaldehyde from methanol comprising the steps of: feeding to a reactor a feed stream comprising the methanol and an oxygen-containing gas; reacting the methanol in the gas phase with the oxygen-containing gas in the reactor in the presence of a catalyst comprising oxides of iron and molybdenum; and recovering a formaldehyde reactor outlet stream from the reactor, the formaldehyde reactor outlet stream comprising formaldehyde and carbon monoxide. The catalyst comprises copper in an amount of at least 0.025 wt %, or at least 0.05 wt %, of the catalyst and in that the molar ratio of carbon monoxide to formaldehyde in the formaldehyde reactor outlet stream is at least 5% less than the molar ratio of carbon monoxide to formaldehyde in the formaldehyde reactor outlet stream in the same process using a catalyst containing essentially no copper.