Process for producing acrylonitrile or methacrylonitrile from propane or isobutane by ammoxidation

摘要

A process for producing acrylonitrile or methacrylonitrile from propane or isobutane by ammoxidation, which comprises reacting propane or isobutane with ammonia and molecular oxygen in the gaseous phase in a fluidized-bed reactor containing a catalyst comprising a compound oxide and a silica carrier having supported thereon the compound oxide, wherein the compound oxide contains molybdenum (Mo), tellurium (Te), vanadium (V) and niobium (Nb), and wherein the reaction is performed with an addition of a catalyst activator comprising at least one tellurium compound and optionally at least one molybdenum compound into the reactor. The process of the present invention is advantageous in that the catalytic activity of the catalyst is surely maintained at a high level even without replacing the catalyst with a fresh one by interrupting the ammoxidation reaction, so that production of acrylonitrile or methacrylonitrile by the ammoxidation of propane or isobutane can be stably performed for a prolonged period of time while maintaining a high yield of acrylonitrile or methacrylonitrile.