Conversion of ethane and of propane to higher olefin hydrocarbons

Technical Report · Tue Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5564496· OSTI ID:5564496

Heinemann, H; Somorjai, G A

Purely thermal reactions for the conversion of ethane were carried out in an empty and in a quartz chip filled reactor over a temperature range of 300--800{degrees}C in the absence and presence of oxygen and oxygen plus water. Ethane alone shows no conversion below 600{degrees}C and some conversion to CH{sub 4} and very little C{sub 2}H{sub 4} at 700{degrees} and 800{degrees}C. Ethane and oxygen produce CO{sub 2} as the major product above 400{degrees}C. The additional presence of water does not appreciably change this picture. Converting ethane with oxygen and water over a Ca{sub 3}Ni{sub 1}K{sub 0.1} catalyst at very low space velocity gave increasing conversion with temperature, primarily CO{sub 2} production and a small amount of C{sub 3+} hydrocarbons. The CO{sub 2} production was decreased and slightly more C{sub 3} hydrocarbons were produced when the potassium concentration of the catalyst was increased. Activation energies have been calculated for the various ethane conversion reactions. It appears that the CaNiK oxide catalyst is not suited for oxidative ethane coupling at the conditions thus far investigated. The indications are that much shorter contact times are required to prevent oxidation of intermediates. Blank runs with propane and oxygen in the absence of a catalyst have shown significant reaction at temperatures as low as 400{degrees}C. 12 figs., 3 tabs.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 5564496
• Report Number(s): LBL-31230; ON: DE92009487
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

10 SYNTHETIC FUELS
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37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400201 -- Chemical & Physicochemical Properties
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKANES
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM OXIDES
CATALYTIC EFFECTS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL ACTIVATION
CONVERSION
DOCUMENT TYPES
ELEMENTS
ETHANE
HYDROCARBONS
NICKEL COMPOUNDS
NICKEL OXIDES
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POTASSIUM COMPOUNDS
POTASSIUM OXIDES
PROGRESS REPORT
PROPANE
RADICALS
TEMPERATURE RANGE
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0400-1000 K
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS