Catalytic oxidative dehydrogenation of alkenes or alkadienes to furan compounds

Claim 2

A PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES REACTING OXYGEN AND AT LEAST ONE UNSATURATED ACYLIC FEED HYDROCARBON SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKENES AND ALKADIENES HAVING FROM 4 TO 10 CARBON ATOMS IN CONTACT WITH A CATALYST CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF MOLYBDENUM, COBALT, PHOSPHORUS, AND OXYGEN, WITH AN ATOM RATIO OF PHOSPHORUS TO MOLYBDENUM IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 0.5:1 TO ABOUT 5:1 AND AN ATOM RATIO OF COBALT TO MOLYBDENUM IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 0.1:1 TO ABOUT 3:1, UNDER SUITABLE VAPOR-PHASE REACTION CONDITIONS FOR CONVERSION OF SAID LEAST ON UNSATURATED ACYLCIC FEED HYDROCARBON TO AT LEAST ONE FURAN COMPOUND HAVING THE FORMULA

Claim 3

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said reaction conditions comprise a temperature in the range of about 800* F. to about 1200* F., an unsaturated acyclic hydrocarbon feed rate in the range of about 10 to about 1,000 GHSV, and a mole ratio of oxygen to unsaturated acyclic feed hydrocarbon in the range of about 0.1:1 to about 3:1.

Claim 4

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said atom ratio of phosphorus to molybdenum is in the range of about 1:1 to about 4:1 and said atom ratio of cobalt to molybdenum is in the range of about 0.2:1 to about 2:1.

Claim 5

A process in accordance with claim 3 wherein said feed hydrocarbon is an alkadiene having 4 to 5 carbon atoms.

Claim 6

A process in accordance with claim 3 wherein said feed hydrocarbon comprises butadiene.

Claim 7

A process in accordance with claim 5 wherein said reaction conditions comprise a temperature in the range of about 800* F. to about 1200* F., an unsaturated acyclic hydrocarbon feed rate in the range of about 10 to about 1,000 GHSV, and an oxygen-to-feed unsaturated acyclic hydrocarbon mol ratio in the range of about 0.1:1 to about 3:1.

Claim 8

A process in accordance with claim 6 wherein about 10 to about 98 weight percent of said catalyst is a solid support.

Claim 9

A process which comprises reacting under suitable reaction conditions oxygen and at least one unsaturated acyclic feed hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of alkenes and alkadienes having from 4 to 10 carbon atoms, in contact with a catalyst consisting essentially of molybdenum, cobalt, phosphorus, and oxygen, with an atom ratio of phosphorus to molybdenum in the range of about 0.5:1 to about 5:1 and an atom ratio of cobalt to molybdenum in the range of about 0.1:1 to about 3:1, to produce at least one furan compound having the formula 140 wherein each R is individually selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl radicals having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, the total carbon atoms in the R radicals being in the range of 0 to 6; said reaction conditions comprising a temperature in the range of about 800*F. to about 1200*F. and a pressure in the range of about 0.05 to about 250 psig; and recovering at least a portion of the furan compounds thus produced.

Claim 10

A process which comprises reacting under suitable reaction conditions oxygen and at least one unsaturated acyclic feed hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of alkenes and alkadienes having from 4 to 10 carbon atoms, in contact with a catalyst consisting essentially of molybdenum, cobalt, phosphorus, and oxygen, with an atom ratio of phosphorus to molybdenum in the range of about 0.5:1 to about 5:1 and an atom ratio of cobalt to molybdenum in the range of about 0.1:1 to about 3:1, to produce at least one furan compound having the formula 140 wherein each R is individually selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl radicals having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, the total carbon atoms in the R radicals being in the range of 0 to 6; said reaction conditions comprising a temperature in the range of about 800*F. to about 1200*F. and a pressure in the range of about 0.05 to about 250 psig; and recovering at least a portion of the furan compounds thus produced.

Claim 11

A process in accordance with claim 8 wherein said reaction conditions further comprise an unsaturated acyclic hydrocarbon feed rate in the range of about 10 to about 1,000 GHSV and a mol ratio of oxygen to unsaturated acyclic feed hydrocarbon in the range of about 0.1:1 to about 3:1.

Claim 12

A process in accordance with claim 8 wherein said atom ratio of phosphorus to molybdenum is in the range of about 1:1 to about 4:1 and said atom ratio of cobalt to molybdenum is in the range of about 0.2:1 to about 2:1.

Claim 13

A process in accordance with claim 10 wherein said temperature is in the range of about 900* F. to about 1100* F., and said pressure is in the range of about 0.1 to about 25 psig.

Claim 14

A process in accordance with claim 11 wherein said reaction conditions further comprise an unsaturated acyclic hydrocarbon feed rate in the range of about 100 to about 500 GHSV and a mol ratio of oxygen to unsaturated acyclic feed hydrocarbon in the range of about 0.5:1 to about 2:1.

Claim 15

A process in accordance with claim 12 wherein said feed hydrocarbon comprises an alkadiene having 4 to 5 carbon atoms.

Claim 16

A process in accordance with claim 12 wherein said feed hydrocarbon comprises butadiene.

Claim 17

A process in accordance with claim 14 wherein the atom ratio of molybdenum to cobalt to phosphorus is in the range of 1/1.5/1.4 to about 1/2/3.1.