Abstract: A process for the regeneration of spent sulfuric acid including contacting spent sulfuric acid containing acid soluble oils (ASO) with sulfur dioxide to extract at least a portion of the ASO from the spent sulfuric acid into the sulfur dioxide. The sulfuric acid phase having a reduced ASO content and a sulfur dioxide phase containing at least a portion of the ASO may be recovered. The resulting sulfuric acid and sulfur dioxide phases may be further separated to recover ASO, sulfur dioxide, and sulfuric acid.

Abstract: A process for the production of jet and other heavy fuels, the process including: contacting at least one C3 to C5 isoalkanol with a first catalyst to convert at least a portion of the isoalkanol to isoalkene, isoalkene dimers, and water; contacting at least a portion of the isoalkene dimers with a second catalyst to convert at least a portion of the isoalkene dimers to isoalkene trimers; hydrotreating the isoalkene trimers to form isoalkanes useful as a jet fuel, kerosene, or other heavy fuels.

Abstract: A process for reducing the sulfur content of a hydrocarbon stream, including: feeding a hydrocarbon stream including sulfur compounds to a catalytic distillation reactor having one or more hydrodesulfurization reaction zones; feeding hydrogen to the catalytic distillation reactor; concurrently in the catalytic distillation reactor: fractionating the hydrocarbon stream into a heavy fraction and a light fraction; contacting hydrogen and the light fraction to form H2S and a light fraction of reduced sulfur content; recovering the light fraction, H2S, and hydrogen as an overheads; recovering the heavy fraction; heating the overheads to a temperature from 500 to 700° F.

Abstract: A process for alkylation of propylene, the process including: contacting a stream comprising propylene and propane with sulfuric acid in a first reaction zone under conditions to form propylene sulfate esters; contacting the propylene sulfate esters with isoparaffin and sulfuric acid in an alkylation reaction zone under conditions to react the propylene sulfate esters and the isoparaffin to form a reactor effluent comprising an acid phase and a hydrocarbon phase comprising unreacted isoparaffin and alkylate product; separating the hydrocarbon phase from the sulfuric acid; separating the hydrocarbon phase to form a fraction comprising unreacted isoparaffin and a fraction comprising the alkylate product.

Abstract: A process for the hydrodesulfurization of gasoline is disclosed, the process including: feeding (1) a cracked naphtha containing mercaptans and other organic sulfur compounds and (2) hydrogen to a first hydrodesulfurization reactor containing one or more beds of a hydrodesulfurization catalyst; contacting sulfur compounds comprising the other organic sulfur compounds in the cracked naphtha with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrodesulfurization catalyst to convert a portion of the other organic sulfur compounds to hydrogen sulfide; withdrawing from the hydrodesulfurization reactor an effluent comprising hydrocarbons and hydrogen sulfide. The effluent from the hydrodesulfurization reactor is fed to a membrane separation system containing a membrane for partitioning the hydrocarbons from the hydrogen sulfide. For example, the membrane may be selective to hydrogen sulfide, to separate a permeate fraction comprising hydrogen sulfide from a residue fraction comprising the hydrocarbons.

Abstract: A process for fractionating isobutene from normal butenes, including: introducing hydrogen and a feed stream comprising isobutene, 1-butene, and 2-butene into a first column including a reaction zone containing a hydroisomerization catalyst operating at a first pressure and concurrently: (i) converting at least a portion of the 1-butene to 2-butene, and (ii) separating isobutene from the 2-butene; recovering a first overheads fraction comprising isobutene from the first column; recovering a first bottoms fraction comprising isobutene, 2-butene, and unreacted 1-butene from the first column; introducing the first bottoms fraction into a top portion of a second column comprising a fractionation column operating at a second pressure lower than the first pressure; separating the first bottoms into a second overheads fraction comprising isobutene and 1-butene and a second bottoms fraction comprising 2-butene; compressing the second overheads fraction; and introducing the compressed second overheads fraction to a lo

Abstract: A process for treating an alkylation feedstock comprising olefins, n-alkanes, and iso-alkanes, the process including: contacting at least a portion of the alkylation feedstock with sulfuric acid in a reaction zone under conditions to form sulfate esters of the olefins; separating the n-alkanes and the iso-alkanes from the sulfuric acid and the sulfate esters; recovering the n-alkanes and the iso-alkanes in a first product stream; and recovering the sulfate esters in a second product stream; wherein the sulfuric acid has a strength titrating as below 75 weight percent H2SO4/water mixtures.

Abstract: A process for the conversion of an alcohol to an olefin is disclosed. The process may include: contacting at least one C2 to C5 alcohol with an organic acid in the presence of an esterification catalyst to convert at least a portion of the at least one C2 to C5 alcohol and the organic acid to an ester; at least one of catalytically and thermally degrading the ester to form an organic acid and an olefin.

Abstract: Processes for the alcoholysis, inclusive of transesterification and/or disproportionation, of reactants are disclosed. The alcoholysis process may include feeding reactants and a trace amount of soluble organometallic compound to a reactor comprising a solid alcoholysis catalyst, wherein the soluble organometallic compound and the solid alcoholysis catalyst each independently comprise a Group II to Group VI element, which may be the same element in various embodiments. As an example, diphenyl carbonate may be continuously produced by performing transesterification over a solid catalyst followed by disproportionation, where a trace amount of soluble organometallic compound is fed to the transesterification reactor.

Abstract: A process for the desulfurization of a fluid catalytically cracked naphtha wherein the valuable olefins are retained and recombinant mercaptans are prevented from forming, resulting in a low sulfur naphtha. Embodiments disclosed herein may allow for more flexibility in varying the end point of the naphtha used in gasoline blending.

Abstract: A process for the dimerization of isoolefins is disclosed.

Abstract: Processes for the alcoholysis, inclusive of transesterification and/or disproportionation, of reactants are disclosed. The alcoholysis process may include feeding reactants and a trace amount of soluble organometallic compound to a reactor comprising a solid alcoholysis catalyst, wherein the soluble organometallic compound and the solid alcoholysis catalyst each independently comprise a Group II to Group VI element, which may be the same element in various embodiments. As an example, diphenyl carbonate may be continuously produced by performing transesterification over a solid catalyst followed by disproportionation, where a trace amount of soluble organometallic compound is fed to the transesterification reactor.

Abstract: Processes for the alcoholysis, inclusive of transesterification and/or disproportionation, of reactants are disclosed. The alcoholysis process may include feeding reactants and a trace amount of soluble organometallic compound to a reactor comprising a solid alcoholysis catalyst, wherein the soluble organometallic compound and the solid alcoholysis catalyst each independently comprise a Group II to Group VI element, which may be the same element in various embodiments. As an example, diphenyl carbonate may be continuously produced by performing transesterification over a solid catalyst followed by disproportionation, where a trace amount of soluble organometallic compound is fed to the transesterification reactor.

Abstract: Integrated processes for the production of fatty acid alkyl ester-based biodiesel and the production of tri-isoalkyl glycerols are disclosed.

Abstract: A process for the production of dimethyl ether from a methanol reactor effluent is disclosed. The process may include: contacting an aqueous extractant comprising water and an effluent from a methanol synthesis reactor comprising methanol and one or more of methane, water, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and nitrogen. At least a portion of the methanol partitions into the aqueous extractant; recovering an extract fraction comprising the aqueous extractant and methanol. The extract fraction is fed to a catalytic distillation reactor system for concurrently: contacting the methanol with catalyst in a reaction zone thereby catalytically reacting at least a portion of the methanol to form dimethyl ether and water; and fractionating the resulting dimethyl ether and the water to recover a first overheads fraction comprising dimethyl ether and a first bottoms fraction comprising water.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for the preferential conversion to 2-butene of a C4 stream containing 1-butene and 2-butene. The process involves mixing the C4 stream with a first hydrogen stream to form a feed stream, hydroisomerizing the feed stream in the presence of a first hydroisomerization catalyst in order to convert at least a portion of the 1-butene to 2-butene, thereby producing a hydroisomerization effluent, separating the hydroisomerization effluent in a fractionation column having an upper end and a lower end to form a 1-butene mixture at the upper end, a top effluent stream containing isobutane and isobutylene and a bottoms stream containing 2-butene, and hydroisomerizing the 1-butene mixture at the upper end of the column using a second hydroisomerization catalyst. A corresponding apparatus also is disclosed.

Abstract: A process for the selective hydrogenation of dienes and acetylenes in a mixed hydrocarbon stream from a pyrolysis steam cracker in which a front end a one step acetylene hydrogenation is carried out using catalyst comprising (A) 1 to 30 wt. % based on the total weight of the catalyst of a catalytic component of nickel only or nickel and one or more elements selected from the group consisting of copper, rhenium, palladium, zinc, gold, silver, magnesium, molybdenum, calcium and bismuth deposited on (B) a support having the a BET surface area of from 1 to about 100 m2/gram, total nitrogen pore volume of from 0.2 to about 0.9 cc/gram and an average pore diameter of from about 110 to 450 ? under conditions of temperature and pressure to selectively hydrogenate acetylenes and dienes. The process hydrogenates the dienes and acetylenes to olefins without loss of ethylene and propylene in the light and heavy products which eliminates the need for further processing of the heavier stream.

Abstract: An internal static mixing system such as a disperser of mesh wire or expanded metal co-knit with a multi filament material selected from inert polymers, catalytic polymers, catalytic metals or mixtures in combination with a vertical reactor having a reaction zone and the disperser disposed in said reaction zone, particularly for carrying out paraffin alkylation using acid catalyst is disclosed. The wire mesh provides the structural integrity of the system as well as the open space required in reactors for the movement of vapors and liquids though the system. The disperser may be in sheets, bundles or bales or positioned within a frame.

Abstract: Processes for the alcoholysis, inclusive of transesterification and/or disproportionation, of reactants are disclosed. The alcoholysis process may include feeding reactants and a trace amount of soluble organometallic compound to a reactor comprising a solid alcoholysis catalyst, wherein the soluble organometallic compound and the solid alcoholysis catalyst each independently comprise a Group II to Group VI element, which may be the same element in various embodiments. As an example, diphenyl carbonate may be continuously produced by performing transesterification over a solid catalyst followed by disproportionation, where a trace amount of soluble organometallic compound is fed to the transesterification reactor.

Abstract: A supported catalyst for selective hydrogenation of acetylenes comprising 3-15 wt. % Ni promoted with 0.005-0.2 Pd on a support. The catalyst is prepared by depositing nickel promoted with palladium on a support, containing one or more optional elements from copper, silver, Group IA (Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Fr) and Group IIA (Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Ra) and B (Zn, Cd,) of the periodic table of elements and characterized as: Component Range of component Preferably wt. % wt. % Ni 3-15 ?4-11 Cu 0-I?? 0.0-0.6 Pd 0.005-0.2?? 0.01-0.1? Ag 0-10 0-5 Group IA ?0-2.5 ??0-1.5 Group IIA & B 0-25 0.1-5.