Saturated hydrocarbons conversion

Poorly sorted sediments comprise very different particle sizes, resulting in a dense rock fabric wifh low porosify. As a resulf the connate water saturation is high, leaving little space for the storage of hydrocarbons. Conversely, a very well sorted sediment will have a large volume of space between the evenly sized components, a lower connate water saturation and hence a larger capacity to store hydrocarbons. Connate water is the water which remains in the pore space after the entry of hydrocarbons. 

Solution Polymerization These processes may retain the polymer in solution or precipitate it. Polyethylene is made in a tubular flow reactor at supercritical conditions so the polymer stays in solution. In the Phillips process, however, after about 22 percent conversion when the desirable properties have been attained, the polymer is recovered and the monomer is flashed off and recyled (Fig. 23-23 ). In another process, a solution of ethylene in a saturated hydrocarbon is passed over a chromia-alumina catalyst, then the solvent is separated and recyled. Another example of precipitation polymerization is the copolymerization of styrene and acrylonitrile in methanol. Also, an aqueous solution of acrylonitrile makes a precipitate of polyacrylonitrile on heating to 80°C (176°F). 

Separation of individual saturated hydrocarbons from the petroleum fractions and subsequent conversion to more useful products. Important examples are n-butane to butadiene and cyclohexane to nylon intermediates. 

Saturated hydrocarbons are the main constituents of petroleum and natural gas. Mainly used as fuels for energy production they also provide a favorable, inexpensive feedstock for chemical industry [74]. Unfortunately, the inertness of alkanes renders their chemical conversion challenging with respect to selectivity. Clearly, the development of new and improved methods for the selective transformation of alkanes belongs to the central goals of catalysis. Iron-catalyzed processes might be a smart tool for such transformations (for reviews see [75-77]). 

At 375°C with the ZSM-5, the main products formed are n-alkanes. Other products are observed ramified alkanes and alkenes, 1-alkenes, aromatics and cyclic saturated hydrocarbons. The majority of hydrocarbons formed have a carbon number between 3 to 6. In the case of the zeolite Y, the n-alkanes and similar secondary products are formed but their repartition is different i.e. the normal and ramified alkanes are the main products and no cyclic compound can be observed. All these products are in higher quantity with the ZSM-5 than with the zeolite Y. This is in agreement with the calculated n-dodecane conversions. With the increase of the temperature, the same products are formed but their quantities increase. The analysis of the gaseous phase shows the presence of hydrogen, light normal and ramified alkanes and 1-alkenes. 

These adducts are more active than the iron ones in the conversion of syngas. At 250°C, a higher yield of methane is observed (Table U) and carbon dioxide is produced in smaller amounts. Inspection of Table 5 summarizing the influence of the H2/CO ratio on products selectivity also indicates a higher production of saturated hydrocarbons. This behavior is typical for cobalt catalysts in F-T synthesis (j2,25). The chain-length distribution is similar to that observed for catalysts derived... 

Conversion of unsaturated aromatic aldehydes to saturated hydrocarbons can be realized by Clemmensen reduction [160]. 

The selective oxidation of saturated hydrocarbons is a reaction of high industrial importance. Besides a variety of other oxidants, hydrogen peroxide as a very clean oxidant has also been used for these purposes . As an example, in 1989 Moiseev and coworkers reported on the vanadium(V)-catalyzed oxidation of cyclohexane with hydrogen peroxide (Scheme 146) . When the reaction was carried out in acetic acid cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone were formed, bnt conversions were very poor and did not exceed 13%. Employing CF3COOH as solvent, complete conversions could be obtained within 5 min-ntes. Here, cyclohexyl trifluoroacetate was the main product (85% of the products formed) resulting from the reaction of cyclohexanol (the primary product of the oxidation) with CF3COOH. 

The third alternative approach of methane conversion is via electrophilic reactions.77 The electrophilic conversion of methane is based on the feasibility of electrophilic reactions of single bonds and thus saturated hydrocarbons.90 Both C—H and C—C bonds can act as electron donors against strongly electrophilic reagents or superacids. Olah s studies showed that even methane is readily protonated or alkylated under these conditions. Methane with SbF5-containing superacids was found to undergo condensation to C2-C6 hydrocarbons at 50-60°C. 

Hayashi and Moffat (792) reported that the Al salt and the NH4 salt were effective catalysts for the conversion of methanol to hydrocarbons. They claimed that the NH4 salts show high catalytic activity and selectivity for the formation of saturated hydrocarbons rather than olefins. The salts of organic... 

Since the early 1960s, superacids are known to react with saturated hydrocarbons, even at temperatures much below 0°C. This discovery initiated extensive studies devoted to hydrocarbon conversions. 

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