US 12,391,891 B2
Natural gas liquids upgrading process: two-step catalytic process for alkane dehydrogenation and oligomerization
Rakesh Agrawal, West Lafayette, IN (US); Jeffrey J. Siirola, Kingsport, TN (US); Taufik Ridha, West Lafayette, IN (US); Yiru Li, West Lafayette, IN (US); Fabio H. Ribeiro, West Lafayette, IN (US); and Jeffrey T. Miller, West Lafayette, IN (US)
Assigned to PURDUE RESEARCH FOUNDATION, West Lafayette, IN (US)
Filed by PURDUE RESEARCH FOUNDATION, West Lafayette, IN (US)
Filed on Mar. 14, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/183,377.
Application 18/183,377 is a continuation of application No. 16/635,778, granted, now 11,603,500, issued on Mar. 14, 2023, previously published as PCT/US2018/049773, filed on Sep. 6, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/555,601, filed on Sep. 7, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0227735 A1, Jul. 20, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. C10G 59/02 (2006.01); B01J 21/02 (2006.01); B01J 29/46 (2006.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01); G06T 7/73 (2017.01); G06T 15/20 (2011.01); G06T 19/20 (2011.01)
CPC C10G 59/02 (2013.01) [B01J 21/02 (2013.01); B01J 29/46 (2013.01); B25J 9/1697 (2013.01); G06T 7/73 (2017.01); G06T 15/20 (2013.01); G06T 19/20 (2013.01); G06T 2207/20081 (2013.01); G06T 2207/20084 (2013.01); G06T 2219/2016 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A non-oxidative process for catalytically transforming a natural gas liquid (NGL) into one or more higher molecular weight hydrocarbons, comprising:
providing a hydrocarbon containing gas stream comprising C4 alkanes;
catalytically dehydrogenating at least a portion of the hydrocarbon containing gas stream to corresponding alkene derivatives using at least one bimetallic catalyst, providing an effluent comprising unreacted C4 alkanes, C4 alkenes and hydrogen;
catalytically oligomerizing at least a portion of the C4 alkenes in the effluent to provide one or more higher molecular weight hydrocarbons; and
recovering the higher molecular weight hydrocarbons, wherein the at least one bimetallic catalyst is a zero valent metallic alloy that comprises a combination of a first metal chosen from the group consisting of platinum and palladium, and a second metal chosen from the group consisting of zinc, manganese, vanadium, chromium and combinations thereof, and a support.