Maleic anhydride production

摘要

A process for producing maleic anhydride from n-butane which comprises: (a) feeding n-butane and air to a reactor; (b) contacting the butane and air with a catalyst comprising vanadium and phosphorus oxides at reaction conditions including a temperature between 550 DEG F. and 1000 DEG F. so as to convert 15 to 28% of the butane per pass and obtain a reactor effluent containing maleic anhydride, unreacted butane, nitrogen, and oxygen; (c) removing maleic anhydride from the reactor effluent to obtain maleic anhydride-lean effluent; (d) recycling a portion of the maleic anhydride-lean effluent to the reactor; (e) removing butane from the other portion of the maleic anhydride-lean effluent; and (f) recycling the removed butane to the reactor. Preferably the temperature in, and/or space velocity through, the reactor is adjusted to obtain a weight percent selectivity to maleic anhydride of at least 90% of the butane converted.