Dow Global Technolgoies LLC

Steven L F Corthals

Gerolamo Budroni

David Gordon Barton

Peter E Groenendijk

Thomas Davidian

David G Barton

The present invention provides methods for making propanal in a reaction comprising the oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) and oxygen as a reactant stream in a gas phase reaction, preferably in the presence of water or steam, to form ethylene, ethane, carbon dioxide (CO), water and syngas (CO and H) in a first reactor as an ethylene stream, and then forming propanal in a second reactor by feeding to the second reactor the ethylene stream with the syngas from the first reactor in the gas phase and hydroformylating in the presence of a catalyst for a water shift reaction. In the method, the ratio of Hto CO in the syngas is maintained by either co-feeding steam into the first reactor or the second reactor to generate additional Hin the syngas, or by forming CO in the second reactor from the water shift reaction by feeding the COfrom the ethylene stream into the second reactor.

Process for the conversion of methane into propanal

Carboxylic acids are prepared by a one-step gas phase process comprising the step of contacting under halogen-free hydroxycarbonylation conditions an alkene, carbon monoxide, water, and a solid sulfide-containing catalyst.

Catalyst for the gas phase production of carboxylic acids

An alkane-containing stream is reacted to produce an alkene, which is carbonylated to produce an alkyl alkanoate, e.g., methyl propanoate, by a gas phase process comprising the step of contacting under carbonylation conditions the alkene, e.g., ethylene, carbon monoxide, an alkanol, e.g., methanol, and a solid sulfide-based metal catalyst.

Gas phase production of alkyl alkanoates

Alkyl alkanoates, e.g., methyl propionate, are made by a gas phase process comprising the step of contacting under carbonylation conditions an alkene (e.g., ethylene), carbon monoxide, an alkanol (e.g., methanol), and a solid sulfide-based metal catalyst (e.g., iron sulfide). The alkyl alkanoate can be converted in a second step to an alkyl ester of an aliphatic carboxylic acid, e.g., methyl methacrylate, through condensation with an aldehyde, e.g., formaldehyde.

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Wachtebeke, Belgium

Steven L F Corthals