Patent · US Expired

Electrocatalytic oxidative dehydrogenation of saturated hydrocarbons to unsaturated hydrocarbons

US4933054A · kind A · utility

32Cited by
8References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 13, 1987
Grant dateJun 12, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 13, 2007

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02P70/50
  • WIPO fieldChemical engineering
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

An electrocatalytic process is described for producing unsaturated hydrocarbon compounds from saturated hydrocarbon compounds. The process is conducted in an electrogenerative cell and generally comprises the steps of PA0 (A) providing a fuel cell comprising a solid electrolyte having a first surface coated with conductive metal, metal oxide or mixtures thereof capable of catalyzing the reduction of oxygen to oxygen ions, and a second surface coated with metal, metal oxide or mixtures thereof, the two conductive coatings being connected by an external circuit, PA0 (B) passing an oxygen-containing gas in contact with the first conductive coating while, PA0 (C) passing the saturated hydrocarbon compound-containing feed gas in contact with the second conductive coating, and PA0 (D) recovering unsaturated hydrocarbons. In a preferred embodiment, the conductive metal coating on the first and second surfaces comprises a silver-containing metal composition. In another preferred embodiment, the invention comprises a continuous process for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene and acetylene while generating electricity in an electrogenerative reactor.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.