Steam cracking of ethane, a non-catalytic thermochemical process, remains the dominant means of ethylene production. The severe reaction conditions and energy expenditure involved in this process incentivize the search for alternative reaction pathways and reactor designs which maximize ethylene yield while minimizing cost and energy input. According to the present invention, ethylene yields as high as 68% were obtained with a quartz open tube reactor without the use of a catalyst or a cofed stream of oxidizing agents. The open tube reactor design promotes simplicity, low cost, and negligible coke formation. Reactor designs can be optimized to improve the conversion of ethane to ethylene via non-oxidative dehydrogenation, an approach which shows promise for decentralized production of ethylene from natural gas deposits.

The present disclosure relates to gallium-based dehydrogenation catalysts that further include additional metal components, and to methods for dehydrogenating hydrocarbons using such catalysts. One aspect of the disclosure provides a calcined dehydrogenation catalyst that includes a gallium species, a cerium species, a platinum promoter, and a silica-alumina support. Optionally, the composition can include a promoter selected from the alkali metals and alkaline earth metals.

Disclosed herein are embodiments of a method and system for converting ethanol to para-xylene. The method also provides a pathway to produce terephthalic acid from biomass-based feedstocks. In some embodiments, the disclosed method produces p-xylene with high selectivity over other aromatics typically produced in the conversion of ethanol to xylenes, such as m-xylene, ethyl benzene, benzene, toluene, and the like. And, in some embodiments, the method facilitates the ability to use ortho/para mixtures of methylbenzyaldehyde for preparing ortho/para xylene product mixtures that are amendable to fractionation to separate the para- and ortho-xylene products thereby providing a pure feedstock of para-xylene that can be used to form terephthalic anhydride and a pure feedstock of ortho-xylene that can be used for other purposes, such as phthalic anhydride.

Steam cracking of ethane, a non-catalytic thermochemical process, remains the dominant means of ethylene production. The severe reaction conditions and energy expenditure involved in this process incentivize the search for alternative reaction pathways and reactor designs which maximize ethylene yield while minimizing cost and energy input. According to the present invention, ethylene yields as high as 68% were obtained with a quartz open tube reactor without the use of a catalyst or a cofed stream of oxidizing agents. The open tube reactor design promotes simplicity, low cost, and negligible coke formation. Reactor designs can be optimized to improve the conversion of ethane to ethylene via non-oxidative dehydrogenation, an approach which shows promise for decentralized production of ethylene from natural gas deposits.

A novel catalyst composition and its use in the dehydrogenation of alkanes to olefins. The catalyst comprises a Group VIII noble metal and a metal selected from the group consisting of manganese, vanadium, chromium, titanium, and combinations thereof, on a support. The Group VIII noble metal can be platinum, palladium, osmium, rhodium, rubidium, iridium, and combinations thereof. The support can be silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, aluminum oxide, silica-alumina, cerium dioxide, zirconium dioxide, magnesium oxide, metal modified silica, silica-pillared clays, silica-pillared micas, metal oxide modified silica-pillared mica, silica-pillared tetrasilicic mica, silica-pillared taeniolite, zeolite, molecular sieve, and combinations thereof. The catalyst composition is an active and selective catalyst for the catalytic dehydrogenation of alkanes to olefins.

Disclosed herein are embodiments of a method and system for converting ethanol to para-xylene. The method also provides a pathway to produce terephthalic acid from biomass-based feedstocks. In some embodiments, the disclosed method produces p-xylene with high selectivity over other aromatics typically produced in the conversion of ethanol to xylenes, such as m-xylene, ethyl benzene, benzene, toluene, and the like. And, in some embodiments, the method facilitates the ability to use ortho/para mixtures of methylbenzyaldehyde for preparing ortho/para xylene product mixtures that are amendable to fractionation to separate the para- and ortho-xylene products thereby providing a pure feedstock of para-xylene that can be used to form terephthalic anhydride and a pure feedstock of ortho-xylene that can be used for other purposes, such as phthalic anhydride.

The present disclosure relates to gallium-based dehydrogenation catalysts that further include additional metal components, and to methods for dehydrogenating hydrocarbons using such catalysts. One aspect of the disclosure provides a calcined dehydrogenation catalyst that includes a gallium species, a cerium species, a platinum promoter, and a silica-alumina support. Optionally, the composition can include a promoter selected from the alkali metals and alkaline earth metals.

This disclosure relates to processes for converting saturated polyethylene to at least an alkene product. The processes comprise contacting the saturated polyethylene with three or more catalyst components in a reactor, the reactor comprising an alkene reactant. The three or more catalyst components comprise a metathesis catalyst component, an isomerization catalyst component, and a dehydrogenation catalyst component. Contacting causes at least a portion of the saturated polyethylene to undergo dehydrogenation reactions to form unsaturated polyethylene and at least a portion of the unsaturated polyethylene, or products derived therefrom, to undergo metathesis reactions and isomerization reactions to produce an effluent comprising at least the alkene product.

Disclosed herein are embodiments of a method and system for converting ethanol to para-xylene. The method also provides a pathway to produce terephthalic acid from biomass-based feedstocks. In some embodiments, the disclosed method produces p-xylene with high selectivity over other aromatics typically produced in the conversion of ethanol to xylenes, such as m-xylene, ethyl benzene, benzene, toluene, and the like. And, in some embodiments, the method facilitates the ability to use ortho/para mixtures of methylbenzyaldehyde for preparing ortho/para xylene product mixtures that are amendable to fractionation to separate the para- and ortho-xylene products thereby providing a pure feedstock of para-xylene that can be used to form terephthalic anhydride and a pure feedstock of ortho-xylene that can be used for other purposes, such as phthalic anhydride.

A novel catalyst composition and its use in the dehydrogenation of alkanes to olefins. The catalyst comprises a Group VIII noble metal and a metal selected from the group consisting of manganese, vanadium, chromium, titanium, and combinations thereof, on a support. The Group VIII noble metal can be platinum, palladium, osmium, rhodium, rubidium, iridium, and combinations thereof. The support can be silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, aluminum oxide, silica-alumina, cerium dioxide, zirconium dioxide, magnesium oxide, metal modified silica, silica-pillared clays, silica-pillared micas, metal oxide modified silica-pillared mica, silica-pillared tetrasilicic mica, silica-pillared taeniolite, zeolite, molecular sieve, and combinations thereof. The catalyst composition is an active and selective catalyst for the catalytic dehydrogenation of alkanes to olefins.