Production of butene and butadiene by oxidative dehydrogenation of butane over carbon nanomaterial catalysts

C4 alkenes are generally used to produce synthetic rubbers, plastics, and other important chemicals. Transition metal oxides are traditionally used as catalysts to produce C4 alkenes from n-butane by oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH). On the other hand, metal-free carbon nanomaterials are receiving much attention as catalysts for ODH due to their environmental benignity, corrosion resistance, and unique surface properties. In this work, a systematic methodology was designed to measure conversion of the reactants, selectivity to main products, and other catalytic performances of a set of carbon catalysts, including graphite and activated carbon. The experiments were carried out under a wide range of reaction conditions, and the reaction mechanism and kinetics were developed based on Marsvan Krevelen interpretation of the experimental results.