Patent ID: 6586649
Filing Date: 2003-07-01
Classification: C07C

Abstract:
A process for the production of propylene by butene metathesis which includes contacting a feedstock, which contains butene selected from the group consisting of 1-butene, 2-butene and mixtures thereof wherein the butene in the feedstock consists essentially of the butene selected from the group, with a catalyst which includes a catalytic amount of at least one metal oxide selected from the group consisting of the oxides of the transition metals, under reaction conditions which include a temperature of 300-600Â° C. and a pressure of 1-20 atmospheres, to convert the butene to propylene, thereby to produce a reaction product containing a propylene fraction and, additional thereto, an ethylene fraction, a C4 fraction and a C5â€” and higher fraction, the propylene fraction being present in the reaction product in a higher proportion in terms of mass percentage than any one of said additional fractions, the process further including separating C5â€” and higher hydrocarbons produced by the butene methathesis from the reaction product and then converting the separated C5â€” and higher hydrocarbons to propylene by recycling them and contacting them, together with the feedstock, with the transition metal oxide catalyst.