Method and system for producing one or more olefins and one or more carboxylic acids

1. Method for producing ethylene and acetic acid, in which ethane is subjected to an oxidative dehydrogenation,

wherein a reactor ( 10 ) having a plurality of reaction zones ( 11 , 12 , 13 ) is used for the oxidative dehydrogenation,

wherein a gas mixture comprising the ethane is successively passed through the reaction zones ( 11 , 12 , 13 ),

wherein at least two of the plurality of reaction zones ( 11 , 12 , 13 ) comprise catalysts of a same catalyst type and are subjected to varying temperature influences,

wherein the catalysts of the same catalyst type are catalysts comprising molybdenum, vanadium, and niobium in the same basic formulation which are provided in different concentrations or contents per unit space, and

wherein the oxidative dehydrogenation is performed in a temperature range of 240 to 500° C. and a pressure range at an inlet of the reactor of 1 to 10 bar absolute pressure.

2. Method according to claim 1 , wherein in a second of the reaction zones ( 13 ) through which the gas mixture is passed after it has previously been passed through a first reaction zone ( 11 , 12 ), it is formed with a higher catalyst loading and/or with a higher catalyst activity per space unit than the first reaction zone ( 11 , 12 ).

3. Method according to claim 1 , wherein a minimum and a maximum reaction temperature are predetermined and in which the temperature is influenced in the reaction zones ( 11 , 12 , 13 ) in such a way that the maximum reaction temperature is not exceeded in any of the reaction zones ( 11 , 12 , 13 ) at any given position and the minimum reaction temperature is not undershot.

4. Method according to claim 3 , wherein a reactor ( 10 ) is used which comprises a number of at least partially parallel reaction tubes ( 10 c ), wherein the predetermined position lies on a central axis of at least one of the plurality of reaction tubes ( 10 c ).

5. Method according to claim 1 , which is carried out in such a way that the maximum reaction temperature is not exceeded in at least 30% of each of the reaction zones ( 11 , 12 , 13 ) and the minimum reaction temperature is not undershot.

6. Method according to claim 5 , which is carried out in such a way that in a second reaction zone ( 13 ), the maximum reaction temperature does not exceed a higher percentage and the minimum reaction temperature is not undershot to a greater extent than in a first reaction zone ( 11 , 12 ).

7. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the reactor ( 10 ) has at least three reaction zones and the gas mixture is passed through an initial reaction zone ( 11 ) it is passed through a first reaction zone ( 12 ) and a second reaction zone ( 13 ).

8. Method according to claim 7 , wherein a catalyst bed ( 13 a ) of the second reaction zone ( 13 ) is formed with a higher catalyst loading and/or catalyst activity per space unit than a catalyst bed ( 11 a ) of the initial reaction zone ( 11 ) and the first reaction zone ( 12 ).

9. Method according to claim 1 , wherein catalyst beds ( 11 a , 12 a , 13 a ) of the reaction zones ( 11 , 12 , 13 ) each have a proportion of active catalyst of at least 0.1% by weight.

10. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the reaction zones ( 11 , 12 , 13 ) are temperature-controlled by means of one or more temperature control agent flows ( 105 , 106 ).

11. Method according to claim 10 , wherein a cooling system is provided with a plurality of temperature control agent flows ( 105 , 106 ), wherein at least one of the plurality of temperature control agent flows ( 105 , 106 ) is used for cooling only one or only one part of the reaction zones ( 11 , 12 , 13 ).

12. Method according to claim 1 , wherein a process gas containing water is removed from the reactor ( 10 ) and wherein the method comprises adjusting a water partial pressure in the process gas removed from the reactor ( 10 ) to a value in a range between 0.5 and 5 bar (abs.).

13. System ( 100 ) for producing ethylene and acetic acid, which is designed to subject ethane to an oxidative dehydrogenation,

wherein the system ( 100 ) for the oxidative dehydrogenation has a reactor ( 10 ) comprising a plurality of reaction zones ( 11 , 12 , 13 ),

wherein means are provided that are designed to pass a gas mixture comprising ethane successively through the reaction zones ( 11 , 12 , 13 ),

wherein at least two of the plurality of reaction zones ( 11 , 12 , 13 ) comprise catalysts of a same catalyst type and means are provided that are designed to subject the at least two reaction zones ( 11 , 12 , 13 ) to varying temperature influences,

wherein the catalysts of the same catalyst type are catalysts comprising molybdenum, vanadium, and niobium in the same basic formulation which are provided in different concentrations or contents per unit space, and

wherein the oxidative dehydrogenation is performed in a temperature range of 240 to 500° C. and a pressure range at an inlet of the reactor of 1 to 10 bar absolute pressure.

14. System ( 100 ) according to claim 13 , comprising means designed to remove a process gas containing water from the reactor ( 10 ) and to set a water partial pressure in the process gas removed from the reactor ( 10 ) to a value in a range between 0.5 and 5 bar (abs), in particular between 0.7 and 3 bar (abs), depending on a predetermined product ratio of acetic acid to ethylene.