A three step method for the conversion of ethanol into fuels that can be utilized as full-performance military jet or diesel fuels. Embodiments of the invention further describe methods for the selective conversion of ethanol to full performance saturated hydrocarbon fuels that are suitable for both jet and diesel propulsion.

A process includes reacting a feed stream containing ethanol and optionally acetaldehyde in a dehydration reactor in the presence of a dehydration catalyst system having a Group 4 or Group 5 metal oxide and a support. The process includes obtaining a product stream containing butadiene from the dehydration reactor. Another process includes reacting a feed stream containing ethanol and optionally acetaldehyde in a dehydration reactor in the presence of a dehydration catalyst system containing a tungsten oxide supported on a zeolite or a tantalum oxide supported on a zeolite. The process includes obtaining a product stream containing butadiene from the dehydration reactor.

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 the alkane and/or alkene is contacted with oxygen in the presence of a catalyst comprising a mixed metal oxide and one or more diluents selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and steam, and wherein the conversion of the alkane and/or alkene is at least 40%.

The present invention relates to a process for producing butadiene from ethanol, in two reaction steps, comprising a step a) of converting ethanol into acetaldehyde and a step b) of conversion into butadiene, said step b) simultaneously implementing a reaction step and a regeneration step in (n+n/2) fixed-bed reactors, n being equal to 2 or a multiple thereof, comprising a catalyst, said regeneration step comprising four successive regeneration phases, said step b) also implementing a regeneration loop for the inert gas and at least one regeneration loop for the gas streams comprising oxygen.

The invention concerns a process for the production of butadiene from an ethanol feed comprising at least 80% by weight of ethanol, comprising at least one step A) for the conversion of ethanol into acetaldehyde A), a step B) for converting an ethanol/acetaldehyde mixture into butadiene, a step C1) for hydrogen treatment, a step D1) for butadiene extraction, a first butadiene purification step D2), a subsequent butadiene purification step D3), an effluent treatment step E1), a step E2) for eliminating impurities and brown oils and a step F) for scrubbing with water.

Production of 1,3-butadiene ethanol, that is more than 50% of the total weight of feedstock: A) conversion of feedstock and of ethanol effluent from separation B to a conversion effluent being a majority of 1,3-butadiene, water and ethylene, and to a hydrogen effluent, operating at a pressure between 0.1 and 1.0 MPa, a temperature between 300 and 500° C. in the presence of at least one catalyst; B) separation of conversion effluent originating from A and hydration effluent from C to an ethanol effluent, a butadiene effluent, a water effluent and an ethylene effluent; C) hydration of ethylene fed by ethylene effluent and/or water effluent both from separation B, to produce an ethanol hydration effluent then being recycled to separation B.

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.

A method is provided comprising exposing a supported heterogeneous metathesis catalyst to an olefin compound for an activation time at an activation temperature; exposing the activated supported heterogeneous metathesis catalyst to a reactant capable of undergoing a metathesis reaction for a reaction time at a reaction temperature to produce metathesis products; and exposing the deactivated supported heterogeneous metathesis catalyst to a regenerating compound for a regeneration time at a regeneration temperature. The activity of the regenerated supported heterogeneous metathesis catalyst may be substantially the same or greater than the activity of the activated supported heterogeneous metathesis catalyst prior to deactivation. The activation temperature may be greater than the reaction temperature. The regenerating compound may be a second olefin compound or an inert gas.

The invention relates to a process for treating a catalyst for alkane oxidative dehydrogenation and/or alkene oxidation, which catalyst is a mixed metal oxide catalyst containing molybdenum, vanadium and niobium, wherein the process comprises: contacting the catalyst with a gas mixture comprising an inert gas and oxygen (O.sub.2), wherein the amount of oxygen is of from 10 to less than 10,000 parts per million by volume (ppmv), based on the total volume of the gas mixture, at an elevated temperature.

The invention relates to a method (100) for producing a target compound, wherein a paraffin is subjected to an oxidative dehydrogenation (1) with oxygen to obtain an olefin, and wherein the olefin is subjected to a hydroformylation (2) with carbon monoxide to obtain an aldehyde, wherein the paraffin and the olefin have a carbon chain having a first carbon number and the aldehyde has a carbon chain having a second carbon number which is one greater than the first carbon number. It is provided that carbon dioxide is formed as a by-product in the oxidative dehydrogenation (1), that the carbon dioxide is subjected to dry reforming (3) at least in part with methane to obtain carbon monoxide and hydrogen, and that the carbon monoxide obtained in the dry reforming (3) and/or the hydrogen obtained in the dry reforming (3) is supplied to the hydroformylation (2). A corresponding installation is also the subject matter of the invention.