Disclosed herein are systems and processes for the conversion of a methane feedstock to C.sub.2+ hydrocarbons.

The invention relates to a composition containing an oxide supported oxidative coupling of methane catalyst having an excellent balance of catalytic activity and selectivity while retaining desired levels mechanical stability suitable for commercial reactor application. Particularly, the inventive catalyst is an oxide supported catalyst with the oxide catalyst support having a spherical diameter of less than 2 mm and a surface area of less than less than 9.5 m.sup.2/g while retaining a water sorption volume of at least 0.2 cc/g. The invention further provides a method for preparing such a composition containing an oxide supported catalyst, using a combination of thermal treatment of the oxide catalyst support, active component impregnation and followed up by calcination. Additionally, the invention also describes a process for producing C.sub.2+ hydrocarbons, using such a catalyst composition.

The present invention relates to a catalytic system for the preparation of light olefins through the dehydration of alcohols, including at least one catalyst and at least one co-catalyst, wherein the catalyst is selected from among catalysts for the catalytic dehydration of ethanol and with the co-catalyst selected from among oxy-ketonization reaction catalysts, wherein the catalyst:co-catalyst mass ratio is within a range of 0.5:0.125 to 2:10, and preferably within a range of 1:0.25 to 1:5.

Processes for conversion of methane and ethane into syngas and ethylene are provided. An exemplary process can include providing a reaction mixture of methane, ethane, oxygen, and carbon dioxide and contacting the reaction mixture with a catalyst that includes at least one metal oxide. The processes can be combined processes in which oxidative dry reforming of methane and dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene with carbon dioxide and oxygen occur concurrently.

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

Processes for forming multimetallic catalysts by grafting nickel precusors to metal oxide supports. Dry reforming reaction catalysts having nickel and promotors grafted to metal oxides supports. Methanation reaction catalysts having nickel and promotors grafted to metal oxides supports.

Embodiments of methods of synthesizing a metathesis catalyst system, which include impregnating tungsten oxide on silica support in the presence of a precursor to produce a base catalyst; calcining the base catalyst; impregnating a metal oxide co-catalyst comprising a metal oxide onto the surface of the base catalyst to produce a doped catalyst; and calcining the doped catalyst to produce a metathesis catalyst system. Further embodiments of processes for the production of propylene, which include contacting a hydrocarbon feedstock comprising a mixture of 1-butene and 2-butene with embodiments of the metathesis catalyst system to produce, via metathesis conversion, a product stream comprising propylene.

Metal oxide catalysts comprising various dopants are provided. The catalysts are useful as heterogenous catalysts in a variety of catalytic reactions, for example, the oxidative coupling of methane to C2 hydrocarbons such as ethane and ethylene. Related methods for use and manufacture of the same are also disclosed.

Fluidizable catalysts for the oxygen-free oxidative dehydrogenation of alkanes to corresponding olefins. The catalysts comprise 10-20% by weight per total catalyst weight of one or more vanadium oxides (VO.sub.x) such as V.sub.2O.sub.5 as well as 1-5% by weight per total catalyst weight of niobium as a promoter. The dehydrogenation catalysts are mounted on an alumina support that is modified with lanthanum to stabilize bulk phase transformation of the alumina. Various methods of preparing and characterizing the catalysts as well as methods for the oxygen-free oxidative dehydrogenation of alkanes to corresponding olefins with improved alkane conversion and olefin selectivity are also disclosed.

Disclosed is a method for production of synthesis gas and ethylene by a combined oxidative coupling and dry reforming of methane process. Heat generated from the oxidative coupling of methane can be used to drive the endothermic dry reforming of methane reaction.