Abstract: A renewable methane production module generally includes a water capture generator designed for directly capturing water from atmosphere to provide water in a liquid form, an electrolyser operatively coupled to the water capture generator for electrolysis of the liquid water to produce hydrogen and a reactor operatively coupled to the electrolyser for reacting the hydrogen with carbon dioxide at to produce renewable methane. Associated methods permit methane to be produced using the renewable methane production module.

Abstract: A process for synthesising methanol comprising the steps of (i) forming a synthesis gas containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide from a hydrocarbon feedstock in a reforming unit; (ii) cooling the synthesis gas in one or more stages of heat exchange, and recovering process condensate from the cooled synthesis gas; (iii) passing a feed gas comprising the make-up gas to a methanol synthesis loop comprising one or more methanol synthesis reactors; (iv) recovering a product gas mixture containing methanol from the methanol synthesis loop, cooling the product gas mixture to below the dew point to condense crude methanol, and separating the crude methanol from an unreacted gas mixture; and (v) recycling a portion of the unreacted gas mixture to the methanol synthesis loop and recovering a portion of the unreacted gas mixture as a purge gas stream.

Abstract: A process for synthesising methanol is described comprising the steps of (i) forming a synthesis gas containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide from a hydrocarbon feedstock in a reforming unit comprising a heat exchange reformer and autothermal reformer in series; (ii) cooling the synthesis gas in the heat exchange reformer and one or more further stages of heat exchange, and recovering process condensate from the cooled synthesis gas to form a make-up gas; (iii) passing a feed gas comprising the make-up gas to a methanol synthesis loop comprising one or more methanol synthesis reactors; (iv) recovering a product gas mixture containing methanol from the methanol synthesis loop, and separating the crude methanol from an unreacted gas mixture; and (v) recycling a portion of the unreacted gas mixture to the methanol synthesis loop and recovering a portion of the unreacted gas mixture as a purge gas stream.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for preparing vinyl chloride by catalytic thermal cracking of 1,2-dichloroethane, in which method the heat required for the thermal cracking is supplied via a liquid or condensing heat transfer medium, wherein, the heat transfer medium is heated at least in part by means of waste heat from a plant for combusting liquid and/or gaseous residues of a chemical plant. The invention also relates to a plant for preparing vinyl chloride by catalytic thermal cracking of 1,2-dichloroethane. The heat required for thermal cracking can be obtained from cheaply available waste heat. For example, it is possible to temporarily heat the heat transfer medium exclusively by means of the second heating device operated by waste heat, wherein said waste heat can, for example, be waste heat from a plant for preparing vinyl chloride.

Abstract: It has been discovered that mixed-alcohol production can utilize the waste tail gas stream from the pressure-swing adsorption section of an industrial hydrogen plant. Some variations provide a process for producing mixed alcohols, comprising: obtaining a tail-gas stream from a methane-to-syngas unit (e.g., a steam methane reforming reactor); compressing the tail-gas stream; separating the tail-gas stream into at least a syngas stream, a CO2-rich stream, and a CH4-rich stream; introducing the syngas stream into a mixed-alcohol reactor operated at effective alcohol synthesis conditions in the presence of an alcohol-synthesis catalyst, thereby generated mixed alcohols; and purifying the mixed alcohols to generate a mixed-alcohol product.

Abstract: Use of diverse biomass feedstock in a process for the recovery of target C5 and C6 alditols and target glycols via staged hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis processes is disclosed. Particular alditols of interest include, but are not limited to, xylitol and sorbitol. Various embodiments of the present invention synergistically improve overall recovery of target alditols and/or glycols from a mixed C5/C6 sugar stream without needlessly driving total recovery of the individual target alditols and/or glycols. The result is a highly efficient, low complexity process having enhanced production flexibility, reduced waste and greater overall yield than conventional processes directed to alditol or glycol production.

Abstract: An integrated process for the production of a useful liquid hydrocarbon product comprises: feeding a gasification zone with an oxygen-containing feed and a first carbonaceous feedstock comprising waste materials and/or biomass, gasifying the first carbonaceous feedstock in the gasification zone to produce first synthesis gas, partially oxidising the first synthesis gas in a partial oxidation zone to generate partially oxidised synthesis gas, combining at least a portion of the first synthesis gas and/or the partially oxidised synthesis gas and at least a portion of electrolysis hydrogen obtained from an electrolyser in an amount to achieve the desired hydrogen to carbon monoxide molar ratio of from about 1.5:1 to about 2.5:1, and to generate a blended synthesis gas, wherein the electrolyser operates using green electricity; and subjecting at least a portion of the blended synthesis gas to a conversion process effective to produce the liquid hydrocarbon product.

Abstract: A dehydrohalogenation product includes a hydrochlorofluorocarbon mixture of a fluoroolefin of formula RCX?CZQ and a halofluoroalkane of formula RCXYCZQT. R is a perfluorinated alkyl group and X, Z, and Q are independently H or halogen. One of Y and T is H and the other is Cl, Br, or I. About 80% or greater of the hydrochlorofluorocarbon mixture is the fluoroolefin. The dehydrohalogenation product also includes a caustic agent and a solvent. In some embodiments, the dehydrohalogenation product is free of any catalyst, including any phase transfer catalyst.

Abstract: A system having a catalytic partial oxidation (CPO) reactor operable to produce a CPO reactor effluent characterized by a hydrogen to carbon monoxide (H2/CO) molar ratio and an M ratio (H2—CO2)/(CO+CO2); a steam methane reforming (SMR) reactor operable to produce an SMR reactor effluent characterized by a H2/CO molar ratio greater than that of the CPO reactor effluent, and an M ratio greater than that of the CPO reactor effluent. The system includes a flow line(s) configured to combine at least a portion of the CPO reactor effluent with at least a portion of the SMR reactor effluent to provide a combined syngas stream upstream or downstream of a heat exchanger operable to transfer heat from at least a portion of the CPO reactor effluent, at least a portion of the SMR reactor effluent, or the combined syngas stream to the first portion and/or the second portion of hydrocarbons.

Abstract: A process for the manufacture of a useful product from synthesis gas having a desired hydrogen to carbon monoxide molar ratio comprises gasifying a first carbonaceous feedstock comprising waste materials and/or biomass in a gasification zone to produce a first synthesis gas; optionally partially oxidising the first synthesis gas in a partial oxidation zone to generate oxidised synthesis gas; reforming a second carbonaceous feedstock to produce a second synthesis gas, the second synthesis gas having a different hydrogen to carbon ratio from that of the first raw synthesis gas; combining at least a portion of the first synthesis gas and at least a portion of the second synthesis gas in an amount to achieve the desired hydrogen to carbon molar ratio and to generate a combined synthesis gas and subjecting at least part of the combined synthesis gas to a conversion process effective to produce the useful product.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for direct conversion of methane and/or ethane to methanol. The methods can include exposing methane to an oxidant, such as O2, in a solvent at conditions that are supercritical for the solvent while having a temperature of 310° C. or less, or about 300° C. or less, or about 290° C. or less. The solvent can correspond to an electron donor solvent that, when in a supercritical state, can complex with O2. By forming a complex with the O2, the supercritical electron donor solvent can facilitate conversion of alkane to methanol at short residence times while reducing or minimizing further oxidation of the methanol to other products.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relates to two improved catalysts and associated processes that directly converts carbon dioxide and hydrogen to liquid fuels. The catalytic converter is comprised of two catalysts in series that are operated at the same pressures to directly produce synthetic liquid fuels or synthetic natural gas. The carbon conversion efficiency for CO2 to liquid fuels is greater than 45%. The fuel is distilled into a premium diesel fuels (approximately 70 volume %) and naphtha (approximately 30 volume %) which are used directly as “drop-in” fuels without requiring any further processing. Any light hydrocarbons that are present with the carbon dioxide are also converted directly to fuels. This process is directly applicable to the conversion of CO2 collected from ethanol plants, cement plants, power plants, biogas, carbon dioxide/hydrocarbon mixtures from secondary oil recovery, and other carbon dioxide/hydrocarbon streams.

Abstract: A nitration reactor (10) incorporating sections of downward flow for use in preparing nitrated organic compounds. It comprises a first vertically-oriented reactor section (12), a second vertically-oriented reactor section (14), a connecting section (16) between the two reactor sections, one or more inlets (20, 22) for introducing nitration reactants into the reactor, an outlet (24) for the removal of nitration reaction products, a vertically-downward flowpath (26) for the nitration reactants in one of the reactor sections or the connecting section, and operating conditions that produce a flow regime in the vertically-downward flowpath that is a dispersed flow regime or a bubbly flow regime. The invention overcomes the limitations of prior art nitration reactors of the type in which fluids flow largely in a vertically upward direction, with respect to hydrostatic demands and plant layout considerations.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for preparing vinyl chloride by catalytic thermal cracking of 1,2-dichloroethane, in which method the heat required for the thermal cracking is supplied via a liquid or condensing heat transfer medium. The present invention also relates to a plant for preparing vinyl chloride by catalytic thermal cracking of 1,2-dichloroethane, in which the heat required for the thermal cracking, as well as for the preceding preheating, evaporation and optionally overheating of the 1,2-dichloroethane, is supplied via a liquid or condensing heat transfer medium, said plant comprising at least one reactor in which the thermal cracking takes place and at least one first heating device by means of which heat is transported to the reaction medium in the reactor by means of the liquid or condensing heat transfer medium.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for preparing 2-ethyl-4-fluoro-1-nitrobenzene, including: (1) nitrifying 3-fluoroacetophenone with a nitration reagent, to obtain 1-(5-fluoro-2-nitrophenyl)ethanone; (2) reducing 1-(5-fluoro-2-nitrophenyl)ethanone with a reducing agent, to obtain 4-fluoro-2-(1-hydroxyethyl)-1-nitrobenzene; (3) iodinating 4-fluoro-2-(1-hydroxyethyl)-1-nitrobenzene, to obtain 4-fluoro-2-(1-iodoethyl)-1-nitrobenzene; and (4) reducing 4-fluoro-2-(1-iodoethyl)-1-nitrobenzene with a reducing agent, to obtain 2-ethyl-4-fluoro-1-nitrobenzene.

Abstract: A method of producing methanol is disclosed. The method involves adding alkali to crude methanol and distilling the crude methanol in one or more distillation columns. The method also includes flowing a vapor side draw from one of the distillation columns, where the vapor side draw comprises fusel oil substantially free from alkali. The fusel oil is recycled to a methanol synthesis reactor and/or a MTBE synthesis reactor.

Abstract: A polyester polyol is synthesized through an esterification reaction with a sebacic acid by-product fatty acid as a raw material; wherein the sebacic acid by-product fatty acid is refined from a by-product produced during preparing a sebacic acid from a castor oil; the sebacic acid by-product fatty acid includes, in weight percentage: a palmitic acid 15-25%, a stearic acid 10-16%, an oleic acid 45-57%, and a linoleic acid 12-28%. A method for preparing the polyester polyol is provided, as well as a polyurethane controlled-release fertilizer envelope and a polyurethane controlled-release fertilizer. The sebacic acid by-product fatty acid is used as a raw material to synthesize the polyester polyol because of a low price. The prepared fertilizer has excellent envelope and controlled-release performance, product structure performance is stable, cost performance is high, and degradation performance is sufficient after being applied to soil.

Abstract: Provided are industrial processes for producing an organic acid alky ester from a feedstock containing organic acids and/or saponifiables, comprising: countercurrently contacting a feedstock with an organic alkylating reagent over two or more vessels or stages at temperature between 100° C. and 400° C. and pressure between barg and 355 barg while simultaneously removing water and/or glycerin with unreacted alkylating reagent from the final vessel or stage to result in a first reaction method product containing organic acid alkyl esters, followed by a choice of using the alkyl esters as-is, purifying the organic acid alkyl esters from the first reaction product mixture or subjecting the first reaction product mixture to an additional transesterification reaction to convert saponifiables into additional organic acid alkyl esters, then purifying the organic acid alkyl esters from this second reaction method product.

Abstract: Single iron atoms embedded in graphene can catalyse the conversion of methane into methanol at room temperature. Dependent upon the flow of gas from the well, a reactor vessel will be built and housed in a building heated by the raw gas to a temperature of seventy degrees Fahrenheit. This catalyst is carried on a bed of zeolite which will remove nitrogen and nitrogen compounds in adsorption process, as well as some sulphur and a good percentage of carbon dioxide. Iron— nitrogen—carbon (Fe—N—C) acts as the most satisfactory alternatives to platinum for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).

Abstract: A method for preparing an isocyanate in a gaseous phase by feeding, in the presence or absence of an inert gas, an amine-containing gas stream and a phosgene-containing gas stream into a reaction region, allowing the amine and the phosgene to contact in gaseous forms and undergo a phosgenation reaction in the reaction region, thus preparing the target isocyanate in a gaseous form in the reaction region. The phosgene-containing stream is subjected to preheating and warming before being fed into the reaction region, and the phosgene-containing stream comprises a substance A at a mass fraction of <1% before being subjected to the preheating and warming up. Substance A is a NCO group-containing substance and/or an olefinic double bond-containing substance. The method reduces the formation of clogging matter in a heat exchanger and a vessel during the preheating and warming of the phosgene and during the reaction process.