Transient kinetics of n‐butane partial oxidation at elevated pressure

A transient Mars‐van Krevelen type kinetic model was developed for n‐butane partial oxidation over vanadyl pyrophosphate (VPP) catalyst. The model validity was verified over a relatively wide range of redox feed compositions as well as higher reactor pressure (410 kPa). Oxygen and n‐butane conversion increased with higher pressure while maleic anhydride (MA) selectivity decreased by as much as 20%. However, the overall MA yield was enhanced by up to 30%. High pressure maintains the catalyst in a higher oxidation state (as long as there is sufficient oxygen in the gas phase) and as a consequence, the catalytic activity is improved together with MA yield. High pressure also affects the redox reaction rates and activation energies. © 2012 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering