Oxidation of propane and propylene to acrylic acid over vanadyl pyrophosphate

Effects of operating parameters (temperature, contact time, water vapour and oxygen concentrations) were studied in propane mild oxidation of propane to acrylic acid (AA). Use of propylene as reactant was employed in order to better understand the reaction path. AA oxidation is inhibited up to 400 °C leading to a quite purely parallel reaction scheme. Propane oxydehydrogenation appears the rate-limiting step.