A process for preparing butadiene, comprising nonoxidatively
dehydrogenating n-butane from a stream (a) in a first dehydrogenation
zone to obtain stream (b) comprising 1-butene, 2-butene, and butadiene;
oxidatively dehydrogenating the 1-butene and 2-butene of (b) in the
presence of an oxygenous gas in a second dehydrogenation zone to obtain
stream (c) comprising n-butane, butadiene, hydrogen, and steam;
compressing and cooling (c) to obtain stream (d2) comprising n-butane,
butadiene, hydrogen, and steam; extractively distilling (d2) into stream
(e1) comprising butadiene and stream (e2) comprising n-butane, hydrogen,
and steam; optionally compressing and cooling (e2) to obtain stream (f1)
comprising n-butane and water and stream (f2) comprising n-butane and
hydrogen and optionally recycling (f1) into the first dehydrogenation
zone; separating (f2) into stream (g1) comprising n-butane and stream
(g2) comprising hydrogen by contacting (f2) with a high boiling absorbent
and subsequently desorbing the gas constituents dissolved in the
absorbent.