CATALYST COMPOSITION WITHOUT ANTIMONY OR MOLYBDENUM FOR AMMOXIDATION OF ALKANES, A PROCESS OF MAKING AND A PROCESS OF USING THEREOF

摘要

Disclosed is a catalyst composition which does not contain antimony or molybdenum for the vapor phase ammoxidation of alkanes of the general empirical formula: VW_aB_ibM_cO_x wherein M is one or more elements selected from sodium, cesium, magnesium, calcium, barium, boron, yttrium, indium, aluminum, gallium, tin, titanium, silicon, zirconium, germanium, niobium and tantalum, a is 0.2 to 10, b is 0.5 to 5, c is O to 10 and x is determined by the valence requirements of the elements present. The catalyst precursor is precipitated from a solution or slurry of compounds of vanadium, tungsten, bismuth and, optionally, M, then separated, dried and calcined to give a phase or combination of phases active in the ammoxidation of low-weight paraffins to the corresponding unsaturated mononitriles. Nitriles may be produced in a gas phase catalytic reaction of alkanes with ammonia and oxygen in the presence of the catalyst.