One‐step catalytic conversion of ethanol to butadiene in the fixed bed. I. Single‐oxide catalysts

An exhaustive investigation has been carried out on the one‐step catalytic conversion of ethanol to butadiene in the presence of a large number of single‐oxide catalyst systems. The oxides of aluminium, magnesium, iron (III), zirconium and thorium, prepared by calcining the precipitate obtained on addition of aqueous ammonia or ammonium carbonate to a solution of the appropriate nitrate, had good catalytic activity, the process yield of butadiene from ethanol being 24.0, 27.4, 29.8, 35.5 and 31.1%, respectively, under optimum conditions, which were: temperature 400–500°; ethanol feed rate 1.256–1.875 ml./h./g. of catalyst. The process yield of butadiene decreased with the water content of the feed.