Patent ID: 8198498

Claim:
A method for producing olefins using a carbon nanotube catalyst, the method comprising: receiving hydrocarbon feedstock; mixing the hydrocarbon feedstock, a carbon nanotube catalyst, and steam in a thermal cracking reactor; heating the mixture of the hydrocarbon feedstock, the carbon nanotube catalyst, and the steam in the thermal cracking reactor to a particular temperature; and separating olefins from the mixture of the hydrocarbon feedstock, the carbon nanotube catalyst, and the steam, wherein the carbon nanotube catalyst comprises carbon nanotubes coated with M1 x O y and modified with M2 m O n , M1 is either the element silicon or tungsten, x is an integer that represents the oxidation number of M1, y is an integer that represents the number of oxygen atoms required by the oxidation number of M1, M2 is a metallic element, m is an integer that represents the oxidation number of M2, and n is an integer that represents the number of oxygen atoms required by the oxidation number of M2.