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.

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 and treating the resulting catalyst with the equivalent amount of peroxide after calcining.

Processes and associated reaction systems for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane are provided. In particular, a process is provided that comprises supplying a feed gas comprising ethane and oxygen to a multitubular fixed-bed reactor and allowing the ethane and oxygen to react in the presence of an oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst to yield a reactor effluent comprising ethylene; and supplying a coolant to an interior shell space of the multitubular fixed-bed reactor in a flow pattern that is co-current with the flow of the feed gas through reactor.

A method for producing a target compound includes distributing a feed mixture at a temperature in a first temperature range to a plurality of parallel reaction tubes of a shell-and-tube reactor, and subjecting the feed mixture in first tube sections of the reaction tubes to heating to a temperature in a second temperature range and in second tube sections of the reaction tubes arranged downstream of the first tube sections to oxidative catalytic conversion using one or more catalysts. A gas mixture flowing out of the second tube sections is brought into contact in third tube sections arranged downstream of the second tube sections with a catalyst which has a volumetric activity below the highest volumetric activity of the one or the plurality of catalysts arranged in the second tube sections. A gas mixture from the third tube sections is withdrawn from the shell-and-tube reactor without further catalytic conversion.

A process for producing a target compound includes forming a feed mixture containing at least one reactant compound. The feed mixture is distributed to parallel reaction tubes of one or more shell-and-tube reactors and subjected to oxidative catalytic conversion in the reaction tubes. Steam is added to the feed mixture in an amount such that a steam fraction of the feed mixture is 5 to 95 vol %, oxygen is added to the feed mixture in the form of a fluid containing at least 95 vol % oxygen, and the oxidative catalytic conversion is carried out using one or more catalysts containing the metals molybdenum, vanadium, niobium and optionally tellurium.

A method for producing a target compound, includes distributing feed mixture at a temperature in a first temperature range to a plurality of parallel reaction tubes of a shell-and-tube reactor. The method further includes subjecting the feed mixture in first tube sections of the reaction tubes to heating to a temperature in a second temperature range, and in second tube sections of the reaction tubes arranged downstream of the first tube sections to oxidative catalytic conversion using one or more catalysts arranged in the second tube sections. The heating is performed, at least in part, using a catalyst arranged in the first tube sections and having a light-off temperature in the first temperature range.

Producing a product hydrocarbon includes subjecting a feed mixture containing a feed hydrocarbon and oxygen to selective oxidation to obtain a product mixture containing product hydrocarbon and water. A subsequent mixture is formed from a portion of the product mixture by separating a portion of the water. Oxygen in the feed mixture is partially converted during the selective oxidation, so that the product mixture has a first residual oxygen content and the subsequent mixture has a second residual oxygen content. Detection of the first and/or the second residual oxygen content is performed using a first measuring device. A second measuring device at the end of the catalyst bed detects temperature. Using a process control and/or evaluation unit, measurement data of the first and/or second measuring device(s) are detected and are evaluated and/or processed while obtaining follow-up data. Process control is carried out on the basis of the follow-up data.

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 invention relates to a process of the oxidative dehydrogenation of a C2-6 alkane, comprising subjecting a stream comprising methane and the C2-6 alkane, in which stream the volume ratio of methane to the C2-6 alkane is of from 0.005:1 to 100:1, to oxydehydrogenation conditions resulting in a stream comprising methane, a C2-6 alkene and optionally a C2-6 carboxylic acid.

The invention relates to a process of the oxidative dehydrogenation of an alkane containing 2 to 6 carbon atoms and/or the oxidation of an alkene containing 2 to 6 carbon atoms, wherein oxygen, water and the alkane and/or alkene are fed to a reactor and are contacted with a mixed metal oxide catalyst containing molybdenum, vanadium, niobium and optionally tellurium in the reactor, and wherein the molar ratio of water as fed to the reactor to oxygen as fed to the reactor is smaller than 1:1.