TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - METALLURGY - Preferred Components: The metal oxide includes a metal selected from a transition metal or an alkaline earth metal preferably a transition metal identical to transition metal of first and second bromine salts.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The process further involves: cyclically repeating at least once the steps of reacting alkane in the first reactor, reacting alkyl bromide and hydrobromic acid in the second reactor, purging the first and second reactors, regenerating metal oxide in the second reactor and first bromide salt in the first reactor, and the purging first and second reactors. Reacting alkane in the first reactor and reacting alkyl bromide and hydrobromic acid in the second reactor are suspended while regenerating metal oxide in the second reactor and first bromide salt in the first reactor, and further steps of regenerating metal oxide in the second reactor and first bromide salt in the first reactor are suspended while reacting alkane in the first reactor and reacting alkyl bromide and hydrobromic acid in the second reactor; reacting alkane in a third reactor with a third bromide salt and reacting an alkyl bromide and a hydrobromic acid from third reactor in a fourth reactor with a second metal oxide while the steps of reacting alkane in the first reactor and reacting alkyl bromide and hydrobromic acid in the second reactor are suspended. The first and third bromide salts are essentially identical or the third bromide salt includes a transition metal different from transition metal of first bromide salt and metal oxide in the second reactor is a first metal oxide and first and second metal oxides are essentially identical or second metal oxide includes a metal different from metal of first metal oxide; and regenerating second metal oxide in a fourth reactor and third bromide salt in the third reactor while reacting alkane in the first reactor and reacting alkyl bromide and hydrobromic acid in the second reactor. (S1) and (S2) in respective first and second fixed beds are fixed on a support. The first or second fixed bed is purged by passing an unreactive gas over first or second fixed bed to remove any hydrocarbons or oxygen before regenerating first bromide salt in the first fixed bed and metal oxide in the second fixed bed. The oxygen is passed over the second fixed bed by passing air containing oxygen over the second fixed bed. The first fixed bed is contained within a first reactor vessel and second fixed bed is contained within a second reactor vessel. (S1) in the first reactor is fixed on a support in a first fixed bed. The metal oxide in the second reactor is fixed on a support in a second fixed bed. The oxygen reacting with (S1) in the second reactor is contained within air fed to the second reactor.