Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for converting ethane into liquid mixture of (C.sub.4+) alkanes having 4 carbon atoms and more, preferably (C.sub.5+) alkanes having 5 carbon atoms and more. The process comprises a stage (1) comprising simultaneous ethane self- and cross-metathesis reactions carried out by contacting ethane with a metal catalyst (C1) capable of producing, in contact with alkane, reactions involving the splitting and recombining of C--C and/or C--H and/or C-metal bonds, so as to form a reaction mixture (MI) comprising methane and a mixture of the (C.sub.4+), preferably the (C.sub.5+) alkanes, a stage (2) comprising separating and isolating methane from the reaction mixture (MI), a stage (3) comprising a non-oxidative methane coupling reaction carried out by contacting the methane thus isolated with a metal catalyst (C2) capable of producing, in contact with alkane, reactions involving the splitting and recombining of C--C and/or C--H and/or C-metal bonds, said catalyst (C2) being identical to or different from the catalyst (C1), so as to form a mixture (M2) comprising ethane and hydrogen, optionally a stage (4) comprising separating and isolating ethane from the mixture (M2), a stage (5) comprising recycling the ethane thus isolated or the mixture (M2) into stage (1) for going on with the simultaneous ethane self- and cross-metathesis reactions and continuing forming said reaction mixture (MI), and a stage (6) comprising separating and isolating.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim