GB986853A - A process for the oxidative conversion of organic compounds - Google Patents

Abstract

a ,b -Unsaturated aldehydes are prepared by passing an a -olefin in admixture with a molecular oxygen-containing gas at a temperature between 250 DEG and 650 DEG C. through a fixed catalyst bed comprising an oxygen-containing compound of molybdenum and, at least initially, a copper-containing catalyst, the latter constituting the initial part of said catalyst bed. Specified olefins are propylene and isobutylene. The molybdenum-containing catalyst may be an oxide, a salt, a heteropoly acid or a metallate and may also contain one or more other metals, e.g. Pb, Fe, As, Te, Bi, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni and In, which may be present in the form of oxides, phosphates or heteropoly acids. The copper catalyst consists essentially of copper and/or one or more oxides of copper and may contain other metals, e.g. Fe, Co, Ni, Cd, Pb, Ag, Te, Mn and Zn, present in metallic or oxidized form or in combination with phosphorus. In one embodiment of the invention the oxidation is initiated by passing the reactants over the copper-containing and the molybdenum-containing catalyst and the feed to the reactor is then modified to alter the behaviour of the copper-containing catalyst. This variation may constitute promotion, deactivation or complete poisoning of the copper-containing catalyst by means of a change in the relative proportions of the components of the feed and/or the addition of new components. Examples are given. Specification 798,564 is referred to.