Dehydrogenating propane over chromia-alumina catalyst

Abstract

Abstract Triethyl aluminum is employed as reactant in a conversion to valuable products, forming an alumina by-product consisting predominantly of alumina alpha-monohydrate and a significant amount of amorphous alumina. Particles of this by-product are marketed as a technical grade of boehmite. A precursor mixture is prepared comprising calcined alumina powder, a larger amount of said technical grade of boehmite, and an aqueous solution containing ammonium dichromate. Said mixture is extruded, sliced into pellets, calcined in steam, and cooled to provide dehydrogenation catalyst consisting of about 20 percent chromia and 80 percent alumina. Propane at subatmospheric pressure is dehydrogenated at a high conversion per pass to provide an attractive yield of propene over said catalyst at 570*-680* C. at a space velocity of from about 0.2 to about 5 volumes of liquid propane per volume of catalyst per hour during a commercially acceptable catalyst life.

Inventors

• 👤 Edward B Cornelius
• 👤 David W Koester

Bibliographic Details