Oxidative dehydrogenation of butane to butene and butadiene using inert membrane reactor

V-Mg-O catalyst was prepared by impregnation method and characterized by XRD and BET techniques. The oxidative dehydrogenation of butane to butene and butadiene was studied using conventional fixed-bed reactor, inert membrane reactor, and mixed inert membrane reactor. An inert ceramic membrane was modified by partially coating with glaze for suitable gas permeability. The membrane tube was used to distribute oxygen. In this case, the oxygen partial pressure in the catalyst bed could be decreased and the selectivity for C₄ products (butene and butadiene) increased. In the mixed inert membrane reactor 20MIMR, where 20% of air entered in from tube side, the selectivity and yield for C₄ products increased to 66 and 33%, respectively.