SELECTIVE OXIDATION OF PROPANE INVOLVING HOMOGENEOUS AND HETEROGENEOUS STEPS OVER MULTICOMPONENT METAL-OXIDE CATALYSTS

Partial oxidation of propane to acrolein was studied using various mixed metal oxide catalyst under high partial pressures of propane and oxygen. Scheelite-type oxide catalysts containing both molybdenum and bismuth were found to be effective for the selective oxidation of propane to acrolein. Among the scheelite-type catalysts, bismuth vanadomolybdates showed the highest catalytic performance, which was further improved by the incorporation of silver ions into the catalyst. Use of the silver-doped bismuth vanadomolybdate catalyst gave a selectivity to acrolein of more than 60% at 13% conversion of propane. Studies on the effects of reaction variables suggest that the reaction may proceed via propylene as an intermediate, the propylene being formed from propane in a non-catalytic radical process.