Catalytic Dehydrogenation of C4 Hydrocarbons Over Chromia-Alumina

Reactions involving hydrogenation and dehydrogenation are employed particularly in the petrochemical industry. Among these the dehydrogenation of butane over chromia-alumina catalysts plays an important role, because it represents the most important process for obtaining butenes and butadiene. Due to their practical interest, such processes have been the object of extensive investigations. The aim of these researches on dehydrogenation reactions is not confined to the solution of technological problems, however, and the results have allowed important contributions to some aspects of the theory of heterogeneous catalysis to be obtained.