Commercial process for acrylonitrile from propane

N5

bonds

and to hydrogenate

fragments, hancement action

of the en-

of the rate of ethane

genolysis

suggests

requires

LPG, etc. The availability

hydrocarbon

while the magnitude

hydro-

that this particular

an ensemble

re-

of only 2-3

1934 and 1940, at least six

published

papers

discussed

sorption and hydrogenation. later,

surfaces

are

ethene

ad-

Half a century

undoubtedly

defined, data more extensive

better

and precise,

and yet some of the mechanistic formulated

proposals

in that earlier period await final

adjudication

propane

spurred

an interest

tane-based cesses

of LPG, which

and butanes, in propane-

processes

-

a nice reminder that while

alkenes

The new process from BP for acrylonitrile from propane press

release,

stage. Savings propane

has, according

reached

the

costs between

protracted

title might

than imply.

can be

Medawar’s By the way,

plant

pound less than does propene, largest component

as

3 and 15 cents a the single

in the traditional

route.

In BP’s SOHIO process, propene, ammonbed of catalysts

the solution

to the

pilot

are the major incentive

ia and air are fed together

of finding

aphoristic

of pro-

using the corresponding

process

more

and bu-

in place

Science may be the Art of the Soluble, the rather

has again

as the starting materials.

nickel atoms. Between

contains

into a fluidised

based on Bi/Mo/Si

host of other components

and a

at 350-45O”C.

By switching to propane

and an undis-

when was the first paper written on ethene

closed catalyst, BP has been able to obtain

adsorption

acrylonitrile

over

metal

surfaces

whom? Answers on a postcard,

and by please.

propane

but only by using 30% more

than propene,

creating

stream. The propene-based C. MCKEE

Commercial Process from Propane

BP Chemicals’ lonitrile

-

new process

rather than of propene, process

-

1990’s, according

from

for acry-

of propane

which is the current

available

crackers.

(13th

of propane

September,

considerable of catalysts

from

to ammonium

sulphate, creating a messy recovery

prob-

lem. The newtechnology,

to BP,

avoids ammonia

according

breakthrough

and so of-

fers a cleaner process.

gas

place worldwide

on the catalytic activation

of alkanes.

and

K. SESHAN

naphtha

The ZSM-5 Story

interest in the development

coupling,

of alkanes.

by the amount of effort

put into areas

methane

this is converted

suffers product

became

of late, there has been

for the activation

This is exemplified being

in the

to chemicals

when propene

However,

however,

ammonia

to a news item in The

rather than using a route via propene. This easily

based process,

excess

The success of the process will indeed

1990, p. 8). The 70’s saw an interest in the

interest subsided

no recycle.

boost the activities that are currently taking

be ready

Engineer

direct conversion

The

pass and needs

by the mid

should

Chemical

in a

single

stream;

by ammoxidation

con-

verts from 98 to 99% of the propene propene

for Acrylonitrile

a recycle

process

such

as oxidative

dehydrogenation

applied catalysis -Volume

The following is published

of

67 No. 1 -3

letter has been received

from Dr. Dan Fraenkel,

December

1990

of Engelhardt

in its entirety.

and