Recent Advances in Catalytic Conversion of C5/C6 Alkanes to Olefins: A Review

Light naphtha (C₅–C₆ alkanes) is commonly used as a feedstock for steam cracking or catalytic cracking to produce ethylene and propylene. This paper summarizes the progress of C₅/C₆ alkanes steam cracking and catalytic cracking, but the key problem of the above method is the high yield of low-value C₁–C₃ alkanes. When C₅/C₆ olefin is used as the feedstock of catalytic cracking, the ethylene and propylene yields are high, while the C₁–C₃ alkanes yield is low. It is of scientific value to dehydrogenate the C₅/C₆ alkanes into the corresponding olefins, and effectively convert the olefins into ethylene and propylene. This paper reviews recent progress of direct catalytic dehydrogenation and oxidative dehydrogenation of C₅/C₆ alkanes, and points out that the key is to develop C₅/C₆ alkanes dehydrogenation catalyst for selective preparation of corresponding mono-olefins. The main issues about how to develop highly selective C₅/C₆ alkanes dehydrogenation catalysts are proposed.