Multi-Stage Oxidative Dehydrogenation Process with Inter-Stage Cooling

摘要

A method of oxidatively dehydrogenating a dehydrogenation reactant includes providing a first gaseous feed stream to a first adiabatic, catalytic reaction zone with less than a stoichiometric amount of oxygen and superheated steam, oxidatively dehydrogenating dehydrogenation reactant in said first adiabatic, catalytic reaction zone and subsequently cooling the effluent, adding additional oxygen and reacting the effluent stream in at least one subsequent adiabatic reaction zone. The deydrogenation system enables higher conversion and yield per pass and in some cases greatly reduces steam usage and energy costs. In a preferred integrated process, ethylene is converted to n-butene which is then oxidatively dehydrogenated to butadiene.

主权项

1. A method of oxidatively dehydrogenating a dehydrogenation reactant comprising:
(a) providing a first gaseous feed stream to a first adiabatic, catalytic reaction zone at a first-stage inlet temperature, the first feed stream including a dehydrogenation reactant, oxygen and superheated steam, wherein the molar ratio of superheated steam to dehydrogenation reactant is from 0.5:1 to 20:1; (b) oxidatively dehydrogenating dehydrogenation reactant in said first adiabatic, catalytic reaction zone to provide a first-stage effluent stream enriched in said dehydrogenated product at a first-stage effluent temperature above said first-stage inlet temperature; (c) cooling the first-stage effluent stream in a first heat transfer zone to a second-stage inlet temperature lower than said first-stage effluent temperature to provide a second gaseous feed stream comprising superheated steam, dehydrogenation reactant and dehydrogenated product; (d) feeding said second gaseous feed stream at said second-stage inlet temperature to a second adiabatic, catalytic reaction zone along with additional oxygen; (e) oxidatively dehydrogenating dehydrogenation reactant in said second adiabatic, catalytic reaction zone to provide a second stage effluent stream further enriched in said dehydrogenated product at a second stage effluent temperature above said second-stage inlet temperature; and (f) recovering said dehydrogenated product.