Improved Reactor And Catalyst For Light Alkanes To Olefins And Liquid Fuels

Direct conversion of shale gas components ethane, propane, and butane to useful chemicals or transportation fuels has faced the central challenge that reaction rates and product yields high enough to be economic are accompanied by overreaction to full combustion products in either conventional or unconventional approaches. This is further strained by small processing scales associated with stranded/remote resources, resulting in uneconomic scale-down of conventional gas-to-liquids technologies. We will develop a catalyst that selectively converts C2-C4’s to corresponding olefins while minimizing those factors related to overreaction with oxygen, resulting in a lower cost and energy cost process compatible with projects from small scale to very large scale, as a direct replacement to state-of-the art energy-intensive steam cracking. The direct conversion of C2-C4’s to olefins is an alternative to large energy intensive indirect paths such as synthesis gas formation followed by the Fisher-Tropsch or methanol synthesis. Ethylene and other olefins are valuable products for use in polyethylene production and as a primary component of some fuels. Oligomerization of ethylene can produce gasoline or diesel range olefins. These high-carbon-range olefins can also be converted to paraffins via catalytic hydrogenation processes, leading to constituents needed for energy-dense fuels. However, despite over 30 years of research, a viable process has not yet been commercialized due to ethylene yields of less than 40 %, while we estimate that a 90 % C2H4 yield is required for commercial viability. Our new technological approach offers a major step beyond the current state of the art, and can be a key component in improving the value of natural gas production while reducing the cost of American gasoline and petrochemicals. The primary entry application is to replace current energy-intensive steam cracking technologies for ethylene, propylene and butylene production.