Oxidative dehydrogenation of propane in a dense tubular membrane reactor

Oxidative dehydrogenation of propane (ODP) to propylene was investigated in a dense tubular membrane reactor made of Ba_0.5Sr_0.5Co_0.8Fe_0.2O_3-δ (BSCF) at 700^oC and 750^oC. The propylene selectivity in the membrane reactor (44.2%) is much higher than that in the fixed-bed reactor (15%) at the similar propane conversion (23-27%). Higher propylene selectivity in the membrane reactor was attributed to the lattice oxygen (O^2-) supplied through the membrane. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.