Patent ID: 7807860

Claim:
A process for the production of a mono-olefin by reacting an oxygen containing gas with a gaseous paraffinic hydrocarbon to form said mono-olefin, said process comprising: providing an apparatus which comprises: a first supply means which comprises a plurality of first outlets for delivery of the oxygen containing gas, a second supply means which comprises a plurality of second outlets for delivery of the gaseous paraffinic hydrocarbon, a porous resistance zone, and a reaction zone, wherein the plurality of first outlets and plurality of second outlets comprises at least 500 first and second outlets per meter squared of the transverse cross-section of the reaction zone, wherein the porous resistance zone is positioned downstream of the first and second supply means with respect to the flow of the oxygen containing gas and the gaseous paraffinic hydrocarbon and is in fluid communication with the first and second supply means, the reaction zone is positioned downstream of the porous resistance zone with respect to the flow of the oxygen containing gas and the gaseous paraffinic hydrocarbon and is in fluid communication with the porous resistance zone, and wherein the first supply means and the second supply means are arranged such that the first gas and the second gas are contacted in an essentially parallel manner and mixed prior to contacting the resistance zone; passing oxygen containing gas pre-heated to a temperature of 50° to 150° into said first supply means and through said plurality of first outlets; passing gaseous paraffinic hydrocarbon pre-heated to a temperature of 100° to 400° into said second supply means and through said plurality of second outlets, such that the pre-heated gaseous paraffinic hydrocarbon is contacted in an essentially parallel manner with said pre-heated oxygen containing gas and mixed with the oxygen containing gas to form a gaseous mixture; passing the said mixture through the porous resistance zone to the reaction zone without passing through a heat exchanger; and partially combusting the gaseous mixture in the reaction zone in the presence of a catalyst which is capable of supporting combustion beyond the fuel rich limit of flammability, to produce the mono-olefin.