Dehydrogenation of propane is studied in a high temperature packed bed catalytic membrane reactor with a hydrogen-selective silica membrane. The silica membrane is prepared by a two-step sol-gel process. The removal of hydrogen in the membrane reactor results in higher propane conversion and higher propene yields in comparison to an equivalent fixed-bed reactor. Unfortunately, as a result of the H-2 removal coking is favoured in the membrane reactor. Therefore, the higher propene yields are found only for the first 100-120 min time on stream. However, the lower selectivity of the membrane reactor due to coking is compensated to some extend by a reduced hydrogenolysis. Two commercial dehydrogenation catalysts of different activity were tested in the membrane reactor: Cr2O3/AI(2)O(3) and Pt-Sn/Al2O3. The two catalysts show a different activity, coking, and regeneration behaviour in the membrane-supported propane dehydrogenation. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.