The preparation of an oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst comprising Mo, V, Nb and Te using a hydrothermal step. In some embodiments, the activity and reproducibility of the catalyst is improved by conducting the hydrothermal step while permitting gaseous products to leave the reactor. In some instances a condenser may be upstream of the outlet of the reactor.

A process for preparing an oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst or oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst precursor that includes mixing solutions of molybdenum and tellurium at a pH from about 3.3 to 7.5; adjusting the pH of the resulting solution back to about 5 and adding VOSO.sub.4 and adding a solution of Nb.sub.2O.sub.5 and oxalic acid and treating the resulting precursor slurry in a controlled pressure hydrothermal process to obtain the catalyst.

A novel coated catalyst having an outer shell which is composed of a catalyst material having high surface area and contains molybdenum, vanadium, tellurium and niobium, and the use of this catalyst for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to ethene or the oxidation of propane to acrylic acid and also a process for producing the catalyst is disclosed.

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.

The preparation of an oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst comprising Mo, V, Nb and Te using a hydrothermal step. In some embodiments, the activity and reproducibility of the catalyst is improved by conducting the hydrothermal step while permitting gaseous products to leave the reactor. In some instances a condenser may be upstream of the outlet of the reactor.

In some embodiments provided herein are processes for controlling carbon dioxide output levels coming from an oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) process. Carbon dioxide output from an ODH process includes that produced in the ODH reaction and carry over when carbon dioxide is used as an inert diluent. Under certain circumstances carbon dioxide can also be consumed in the ODH process by acting as an oxidizing agent. By varying the amount of steam introduced into the ODH process an operator may alter the degree to which carbon dioxide acts as an oxidizing agent. This in turn allows a level of control in the degree to which carbon dioxide is consumed in the process, effecting overall carbon dioxide output. Minimizing the carbon dioxide output provides an opportunity to limit or eliminate the requirement for release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

The invention relates to a mixed oxide material comprising the elements molybdenum, vanadium, niobium and tellurium, which, when using the Cu-K radiation, has diffraction reflections h, i, k and l in the XRD spectrum, said diffraction reflexes having their apex points at the diffraction angles (2.Math.) 26.20.5 (h), 27.00.5 (i), 7.80.5 (k) and 28.00.5 (l), characterized in that the mixed oxide material has a pore volume of >0.1 cm.sup.3/g. The mixed oxide material according to the invention is produced by a method comprising the steps of: a) producing a mixture of starting compounds containing molybdenum, vanadium, niobium and tellurium dioxide as a tellurium-containing starting compound as well as oxalic acid and a further oxoligand selected from the group consisting of dicarboxylic acids and diols, b) hydrothermally treating the mixture of starting compounds at a temperature of 100 to 300 C., c) separating and drying the mixed oxide material which is contained in the suspension resulting from step b).

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.

Ethane may be catalytically oxidatively dehydrogenated to ethylene at high conversions and high selectivity in a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) reactor in the presence of oxygen in the feed in an amount above the flammability limit. The reactor has an attached regeneration reactor to regenerate the catalyst and cycle back to the CFB.

Provided herein are methods for producing cyclic and acyclic ketones from trimerization and dimerization of alkyl ketones, including for example methyl ketones. Such cyclic and acyclic ketones may be suitable for use as fuel and lubricant precursors, and may be hydrodeoxygenated to form their corresponding cycloalkanes and alkanes. Such cycloalkanes and alkanes may be suitable for use as fuels, including jet fuels, and lubricants.