Catalytic process for conversion of hydrocarbons in the presence of iodine

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR CONVERTING A FIRST HYDROCARBON CONTAINING AT LEAST TWO CARBON ATOMS AND CONTAINING NONAROMATIC CARBON-TO-HYDROGEN BONDS INTO AT LEAST A SECOND DIFFERENT HYDROCARBON CONTAINING A NEW CARBON-TO-CARBON LINKAGE AND HAVING A HIGHER CARBON-TO-HYDROGEN RATIO WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING IN A REACTION ZONE A MIXTURE COMPRISING SAID FIRST HYDROCARBON AND HYDROGEN IODIDE IN VAPOR PHASE AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE FROM 300* TO 800*C. WITH A CATALYST CAPABLE OF CONVERTING HYDROGEN IODIDE TO ELEMENTAL IODINE AND HYDROGEN, SAID CATALYST BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PLATINUM, PALLADIUM, RHODIUM AND NICKEL-MOLYBDENUM-IRON-CHROMIUM ALLOY TO PRODUCE A MIXTURE COMPRISING SAID FIRST HYDROCARBON AND IODINE AND SUBJECTING THE LATER MIXTURE IN AT LEAST ONE REACTION ZONE WHICH MAY COMPRISE THE AFOREMENTIONED REACTION ZONE TO CONDITIONS INCLUDING A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE FROM 300* TO 800*C. SUITABLE FOR CONVERSION OF SAID FIRST HYDROCARBON AND IODINE TO AT LEAST SAID SECOND HYDROCARBON AND HYDROGEN IODIDE WHEREBY THE ULTIMATE YIELD OF SAID SECOND HYDROCARBON IS AT LEAST ABOUT 140% OF THE STOICHIOMETRIC AMOUNT BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF ORIGINALLY CHARGED IODINE REACTED.