Patent ID: 6841686

Claim:
A process for the oxidation of a C4 hydrocarbon to maleic anhydride, comprising: contacting a C4 hydrocarbon with a source of oxygen in the presence of a catalytic amount of a catalyst comprising a molybdenum compound of a formula selected from the group consisting of I, II, III, or V wherein: I≡V q MOA y O z II≡NiMo x B y O z′ III≡VNi w Mo x C y O 2″ V≡VNi w Co r Mo x E y O z″″ ; wherein further: q is a number from 0.1 to 10; r is a number from 0.1 to 10; w is a number from 0.1 to 10; y is a number from 0.1 to 10; y′ is a number from 0.1 to 10; A is at least one cation selected from the group consisting of cations of Cr, Ce and Pb; B is at least one cation selected from the group consisting of cations of: Al and W; C is at least one cation selected from the group consisting of cations of: Fe, Zn, Al, Sb, Bi, W, Li, Ba, Nb and Sn; E is at least one cation selected from the group consisting of cation of: Fe, Ca, Mn, Sr, Eu, La, Zr, Ga, Sn and Pb; and z, z′, z″, and z″″ are determined using the amounts and oxidation states of all cations present in each formula according to the following equations: z = ( ( q ⁢ ⁢ ⁢ times ⁢ ⁢ oxidation ⁢ ⁢ state ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ V ) + ( 1 ⁢ ⁢ ⁢ times ⁢ ⁢ ⁢ o ⁢ xid ⁢ ation ⁢ ⁢ state ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ ⁢ Mo ) + ( y ⁢ ⁢ ⁢ times ⁢ ⁢ ⁢ oxidation ⁢ ⁢ state ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ A ) ) ⁢ ⁢ divided ⁢ ⁢ by ⁢ ⁢ 2 ⁢ ⁢ ( oxidation ⁢ ⁢ state ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ oxygen ) ; z ′ = ( ( 1 ⁢ ⁢ times ⁢ ⁢ oxidation ⁢ ⁢ ⁢ state ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ Ni ) + ( x ⁢ ⁢ times ⁢ ⁢ oxidation ⁢ ⁢ state ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ Mo ) + ( y ⁢ ⁢ times ⁢ ⁢ oxidation ⁢ ⁢ ⁢ state ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ ⁢ B ) ) ⁢ ⁢ divided ⁢ ⁢ by ⁢ ⁢ 2 ⁢ ⁢ ( oxidation ⁢ ⁢ ⁢ state ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ oxygen ) ; z ″ = ( ( 1 ⁢ ⁢ times ⁢ ⁢ oxidation ⁢ ⁢ state ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ V ) + ( w ⁢ ⁢ times ⁢ ⁢ the ⁢ ⁢ oxidation ⁢ ⁢ state ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ Ni ) + ( x ⁢ ⁢ times ⁢ ⁢ oxidation ⁢ ⁢ state ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ Mo ) + ( y ′ ⁢ ⁢ times ⁢ ⁢ oxidation ⁢ ⁢ state ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ C ) ) ⁢ ⁢ divided ⁢ ⁢ by ⁢ ⁢ 2 ⁢ ( oxidation ⁢ ⁢ state ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ oxygen ) ; z ′′′ = ( ( 1 ⁢ ⁢ times ⁢ ⁢ oxidation ⁢ ⁢ state ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ Co ) + ( w ⁢ ⁢ times ⁢ ⁢ the ⁢ ⁢ oxidation ⁢ ⁢ state ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ Ni ) + ( x ⁢ ⁢ times ⁢ ⁢ oxidation ⁢ ⁢ state ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ Mo ) + ( y ′ ⁢ ⁢ times ⁢ ⁢ oxidation ⁢ ⁢ state ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ D ) ) ⁢ ⁢ divided ⁢ ⁢ by ⁢ ⁢ 2 ⁢ ( oxidation ⁢ ⁢ state ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ oxygen ) ; and ⁢ z ′′′′ = ( ( 1 ⁢ ⁢ times ⁢ ⁢ oxidation ⁢ ⁢ state ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ V ) + ( w ⁢ ⁢ times ⁢ ⁢ the ⁢ ⁢ oxidation ⁢ ⁢ state ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ Ni ) + ( r ⁢ ⁢ times ⁢ ⁢ oxidation ⁢ ⁢ state ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ Co ) + ( x ⁢ ⁢ times ⁢ ⁢ oxidation ⁢ ⁢ state ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ Mo ) ⁢ + ( y ′ ⁢ ⁢ times ⁢ ⁢ oxidation ⁢ ⁢ state ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ E ) ) ⁢ ⁢ divided ⁢ ⁢ by ⁢ ⁢ 2 ⁢ ( oxidation ⁢ ⁢ state ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ oxygen ) ; to yield maleic anhydride.