Process for dehydrogenation

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF DEHYDROGENATING ACYCLIC ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS HAVING NOT MORE THAN 6 CARBON ATOMS WHICH COMPRISES HEATING IN THE VAPOR PHASE AT A TEMPERATURE OF GREATER THAN 400*C. AN ACYCLIC ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBON HAVING NOT MORE THAN 6 CARBON ATOMS WITH OXYGEN IN A MOLAR RATIO OF GREATER THAN ONE-FOURTH MOL OF OXYGEN PER MOL OF SAID HYDROCARBON, GREATER THAN 0.001 MOL OF BROMINE PER MOL OF SAID HYDROCARBON, THE INITIAL PARTIAL PRESSURE OF SAID HYDROCARBON BEING EQUIVALENT TO LESS THAN ABOUT ONE-THIRD ATMOSPHERE AT ONE ATMOSPHERE TOTAL PRESSURE, WITH A SOLID CATALYST HAVING AS AN ACTIVE CONSTITUENT IN CONTACT WITH SAID HYDROCARBON A MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF METALS, OXIES, SALTS AND HYDROXIDES OF LITHIUM, SODIUM, POTASSIUM, RUBIDIUM, CESIUM, BERYLLIUM, MAGNESIUM, CALCIUM, STRONTIUM, BARIUM, SCANDIUM, LANTHANUM, THITANIUM, ZIRCONIUM, HAFNIUM, VANADIUM, NIOBIUM, TANTALUM, CHROMIUM, MOLYBDENUM, TUNGSTEN, MANGANESE IRON, COBALT, NICKEL, CERIUM, PRASEODYMINUM, NEODYMIUM, AND SAMARIUM, THE RATIO OF THE MOLS OF SAID OXYGEN TO THE ATOMS OF SAID BROMINE BEING GREATER THAN ONE, SAID CATALYST BEING PRESEENT IN AN AMOUNT OF GREATER THAN 40 SQUARE FEET OF CATALYST SURFACE PER CUBIC FOOT OF REACTION ZONE CONTAINING CATALYST, AND RECOVERING AS A MAJOR PRODUCT A HYDROCARBON HAVING THE SAME NUMBER OF CARBON ATOMS BUT A GREATER DEGREE OF UNSATURATION THAN THE FEED HYDROCARBON.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF DEHYDROGENATING ACYCLIC ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS HAVING NOT MORE THAN 6 CARBON ATOMS WHICH COMPRISES HEATING IN THE VAPOR PHASE AT A TEMPERATURE OF GREATER THAN 400*C. AN ACYCLIC ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBON HAVING NOT MORE THAN 6 CARBON ATOMS WITH OXYGEN IN A MOLAR RATIO OF GREATER THAN ONE-FOURTH MOL OF OXYGEN PER MOL OF SAID HYDROCARBON, GREATER THAN 0.001 MOL OF BROMINE PER MOL OF SAID HYDROCARBON, THE INITIAL PARTIAL PRESSURE OF SAID HYDROCARBON BEING EQUIVALENT TO LESS THAN ABOUT ONE-THIRD ATMOSPHERE AT ONE ATMOSPHERE TOTAL PRESSURE, WITH A SOLID CATALYST HAVING AS AN ACTIVE CONSTITUENT IN CONTACT WITH SAID HYDROCARBON A MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF METALS, OXIES, SALTS AND HYDROXIDES OF LITHIUM, SODIUM, POTASSIUM, RUBIDIUM, CESIUM, BERYLLIUM, MAGNESIUM, CALCIUM, STRONTIUM, BARIUM, SCANDIUM, LANTHANUM, THITANIUM, ZIRCONIUM, HAFNIUM, VANADIUM, NIOBIUM, TANTALUM, CHROMIUM, MOLYBDENUM, TUNGSTEN, MANGANESE IRON, COBALT, NICKEL, CERIUM, PRASEODYMINUM, NEODYMIUM, AND SAMARIUM, THE RATIO OF THE MOLS OF SAID OXYGEN TO THE ATOMS OF SAID BROMINE BEING GREATER THAN ONE, SAID CATALYST BEING PRESEENT IN AN AMOUNT OF GREATER THAN 40 SQUARE FEET OF CATALYST SURFACE PER CUBIC FOOT OF REACTION ZONE CONTAINING CATALYST, AND RECOVERING AS A MAJOR PRODUCT A HYDROCARBON HAVING THE SAME NUMBER OF CARBON ATOMS BUT A GREATER DEGREE OF UNSATURATION THAN THE FEED HYDROCARBON.