Acetylene removal process

Claim 1

In a vapor phase process for the preparation of unsaturated hydrocarbon monoolefins and diolefins comprising oxidative dehydrogenation of a stream of C 3 to C 9 hydrocarbon compounds to produce a product stream comprising 3.5 to 80 mol percent of unsaturated hydrocarbon product and of about or from 0.0001 to 2.5 mol percent acetylenic compound impurity, about or from 0.0005 to 2.5 mol percent carbonyl compounds and 5 to 93 mol percent non-condensable gases, wherein the improvement comprises contacting said product stream in vapor phase at a temperature in the range of 250° to 900° C. and containing less than 5 mol percent free oxygen with a solid catalyst for reducing said acetylenic compounds in said product stream, said catalyst consisting essentially of oxides, carbonates or hydroxides of Fe, Ni and Zn, wherein Fe is the major metal component, an alkaline earth metal oxide, carbonate or hydroxide of Mg, Ca, Sr or Ba, and about 0.5 to 30 weight percent of an alkali metal oxide, carbonate or hydroxide of Li, Na, K or Rb determined as metal and based on the other metallic elements, said Ni being present in the range of 0.25 to 20 weight percent of the total weight of the catalyst, and recovering said stream having the amount of acetylenic compounds therein reduced.