Oxidative dehydrogenation of isobutene

The oxidative dehydrogenation of light alkenes is an interesting reaction due mainly to the price difference with the corresponding olefins, to its availability and to the fact that they are environmentally acceptable because of its low chemical reactivity. Among the olefins produced by oxidative dehydrogenation, from the corresponding alkane, isobutene is important because it is a primary raw material for the production of oxygenated compounds such as MTBE, used as octane booster and source of oxygen in gasoline pools. For this reason, and because isobutene is an important raw material for the chemical, petrochemical and polymer industries, there has been a constant growth in its demand during last years. The interest in oxidative dehydrogenation, in general, and that of isobutene, in particular, lies in the search of more active and selective catalysts with higher yields of products, so that it is possible to process in less severe conditions and to develop new processes with a lower environmental impact and costs more attractive from the industrial point of view