Light alkane dehydrogenation to light olefin technologies: a comprehensive review

The dehydrogenation of light alkanes, especially propane and butane, is widely exploited for the large-scale production of corresponding olefins. The industrial application of the direct dehydrogenation of light alkanes is limited due to reaction and thermodynamic constraints. The dehydrogenation of light hydrocarbons involves the breaking of two carbon-hydrogen bonds with the simultaneous formation of a hydrogen and carbon-carbon double bond selectively. It may appear to be simple, but their endothermic nature and selectivity control at higher temperature is difficult. The same technologies with minor changes in process and catalyst were used for the production of both propane and isobutane dehydrogenation. The economic analysis of the available technologies based on the specific consumption of feedstock, operational ease, and capital investment indicates an internal rate of return similar to 25%. The attractiveness of light alkane dehydrogenation is largely dependent on the difference in feedstock and the price of olefins produced. The available technologies and how they manage reaction constraints at commercial scale have been compared. The possible solution for improvement is by focusing on catalyst improvements and the unique design of reactors.