Ethylene was prepared from HBr-mediated ethane oxidation. The process includes two catalytic reactions: the oxidative bromination reaction of ethane and the dehydrobromination reaction of bromoethane. In the oxidative bromination reaction of ethane, bromoethane was synthesized by oxidizing ethane in the presence of oxygen and HBr over a catalyst. The second reaction is the dehydrobromination reaction of bromoethane to form ethylene and HBr over a catalyst. An ethane single pass conversion of 33.9% with a bromoethane selectivity of 86.7% was obtained in the oxidative bromination reaction of ethane over catalyst 1.0%LaCl3/5.9%KCl/5.9%FeCl3/SiO2. In the dehydrobromination reaction of bromoethane, a bromoethane conversion of 99.6% with almost 100% of ethylene selectivity was obtained over 12.0 wt%ZnO-SiO2 catalyst. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.