Process for the production of nitriles and oxides.

摘要

An improved process is provided for the production of nitriles and oxides from hydrocarbons by reaction with oxygen, air or a gas enriched in oxygen relative to air, preferably the latter, and ammonia where a nitrile is desired, in the presence of a suitable catalyst. An alkane, e.g. propane, is converted to an alkene in a catalytic dehydrogenator. The product stream is introduced into an ammoxidation/oxidation reactor. The product formed therein is recovered in a conventional quench tower. The gaseous effluent from the quench tower is treated in a separator to produce an alkane/alkene stream ('the first stream'), a waste stream ('the second stream'), an oxygen stream ('the third stream') if desired, a hydrogen stream ('the fourth stream'). The oxygen stream may be recycled to the ammoxidation/oxidation reactor depending on the nitrogen content thereof. The first stream plus at least a portion of the fourth stream is introduced Into a selective oxidation unit to remove the remaining oxygen and then recycled to the dehydrogenator. The remainder of the hydrogen stream, if any, may be taken as product or vented. The dehydrogenator may be a multistage dehydrogenator wherein the product stream is withdrawn from a reactor other than the first and last reactors, the recycle streams are introduced into the next sequential reactor and the effluent from the last reactor is introduced into the first reactor, a reactor having a similar alkene composition, or directly into the ammoxidation/oxidation reactor.