Making ethylene by catalytic pyrolysis

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS OF PYROLYZING ETHANE TO PRODUCE A HIGH YIELD OF ETHYLENE WITH MINIMUM FORMATION OF ACETYLENE AND NON-GASEOUS HYDROCARBONS, THE STEP WHICH COMPRISES PASSING A STREAM OF ETHANE AND AN INERT DILUENT WHEREIN THE PROPORTION OF ETHANE IS SUCH THAT THE PARTIAL PRESSURE THEREOF IS LESS THAN 0.2 ATMOSPHERE THROUGH A BED OF A CATALYST AT A TEMPERATURE OF 800* TO 1000* C. AND UNDER REDUCING CONDITIONS SUCH CATALYST CONSISTING OF SMALL PIECES OF A REFRACTORY OF THE CLASS CONSISTING OF METAL OXIDES AND METAL SILICATES WHICH IS INFUSIBLE AND IRREDUCIBLE BY HYDROCARBONS AT 1000* C. AND IS OF SUCH LIMITED POROSITY AS TO HAVE A SURFACE AREA OF LESS THAN ONE SQUARE METER PER GRAM, SUCH REFRACTORY PIECES HAVING DEPOSITED ON THE SURFACE THEREOF A METAL CONSISTING OF MANGANESE, IRON, COPPER, AND COBALT IN A PROPORTION OF FROM 0.001 TO 1.0 PER CENT BY WEIGHT THEREOF.