Patent ID: 6911556

Claim:
A method for producing an unsaturated carboxylic acid having from 3 to 8 carbon atoms comprises contacting, in a reaction zone, a feed gas stream comprising an alkane having from 3 to 8 carbon atoms with a catalyst system comprising a first catalyst component and a second catalyst component, said first catalyst component being capable of catalyzing the conversion of an alkane to a product comprising a corresponding product alkene and unreacted alkane, said second catalyst component being capable of catalyzing the conversion of an alkane to a product comprising a corresponding unsaturated carboxylic acid and being capable of catalyzing the conversion of an alkene to a product comprising a corresponding product unsaturated carboxylic acid, wherein said first catalyst component is different from said second catalyst component, wherein said first catalyst comprises a reducible metal oxide promoted with a Group 8 promoter metal, wherein said reducible metal oxide is an oxide of a metal selected from the group consisting of Cu, Cr, V, Mn, Nb, Mo, W, Re, Ga, Ge, In, Sn, Sb, Tl, Pb, Bi, Te, As, Se, Zn, Y, Zr, Ta, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu and mixtures thereof and said Group 8 promoter metal is selected from the group consisting of Pt, Pd, Rh, Ir, Ru and mixtures thereof.