PARTIAL OXIDATION OF ETHANE ON SILICA-SUPPORTED 12-MOLYBDOPHOSPHORIC ACID IN THE PRESENCE OF TETRACHLOROMETHANE

The introduction of small quantities of tetrachloromethane (TCM) into the feedstream in the oxidation of ethane with nitrous oxide on 12-mol ybdophosphoric acid (HPMo) supported on silica increases the conversio n but has little effect on the selectivities. in the presence of TCM t he primary products appear to be ethylene, acetaldehyde and ethyl chlo ride. Studies of the effects of loading, time-on-stream, contact time and reaction temperature provide evidence for the importance of a load ing corresponding approximately to a monolayer of HPMo, the HPMo anion in the production of acetaldehyde and TCM in both the production of e thyl radicals and the selectivity to acetaldehyde.