Patents Examined by Nadine Preisch
  • Patent number: 6419820
    Abstract: A novel catalyst and the use thereof in a reforming process is disclosed. The catalyst comprises a refractory inorganic oxide, platinum-group metal, uniform Group IVA(IUPAC 14) metal and surface-layer lanthanide-series metal. The catalyst is particularly suitable for the reforming of a hydrocarbon feedstock to obtain an aromatics-rich product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Paula L. Bogdan, Maureen L. Bricker
  • Patent number: 6416659
    Abstract: A process for the hydrodesulfurization of a diesel boiling range petroleum fraction wherein the hydrodesulfurization is carried out concurrently with a fractional distillation in a distillation column reactor containing a catalyst bed. The diesel is fed above the catalyst bed and hydrogen is fed below the bed. The bottoms from the distillation column reactor is then separated by fractional distillation to remove a bottoms containing most of the unconverted sulfur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventors: Willibrord A. Groten, Mitchell E. Loescher
  • Patent number: 6416656
    Abstract: This discloses a process for catalytically cracking hydrocarbon stocks in a riser or fluidized bed reactor simultaneously to increase yields of diesel and liquefied gas. The process includes the steps of: first, charging a gasoline stock and a catalytic cracking catalyst into a lower zone of the reactor to permit contact between the catalyst and the gasoline stock and to produce a liquefied gas-rich oil-gas mixture containing reacted catalyst. The resulting liquefied gas-rich oil-gas mixture (still containing reacted catalyst) is then introduced into a reaction zone above the lower zone of the reactor. Simultaneously, at least one conventional catalytic cracking hydrocarbon feed is also fed independently into at least two sites is situated at a different height above the lower zone of the reactor. The resulting mixture is then separated in a conventional fashion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignees: China Petrochemical Corporation, Research Institute of Petroleum Processing, Sinopec
    Inventors: Jiushun Zhang, Anguo Mao, Xiaoxiang Zhong, Zhigang Zhang, Zubi Chen, Yamin Wang, Wei Wang, Shuxin Cui, Zeyu Wang, Hua Cui, Ruichi Zhang
  • Patent number: 6416657
    Abstract: A method for the isomerization of a hydrocarbonic charge containing a substantial quantity of paraffin base hydrocarbons with 5 or 6 carbon atoms and a benzene content that is greater than or equal to 2% by weight, in which the charge to be treated passes, in the presence of hydrogen, at a total pressure greater than or equal to 10.105 Pa (10 bars) and at an average temperature ranging between 100 and 200° C., through at least one reactor (5) containing a catalyst. An adjunctive fluid is introduced in the upstream section of the reaction zone; a fluid that at 40° C. and under atmospheric pressure (1.0134.105 Pa), is in a gaseous phase and has a density that is less than or equal to that of the normal-pentane taken into account under the same conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: Total Raffinage Distribution S.A.
    Inventors: Marc Fersing, Pedro Nascimento
  • Patent number: 6416655
    Abstract: A method for concentrating the amount of alkylated mono-aromatics in a lubricating oil feedstock useful as a feedstock for sulfonation. The method comprises extracting a feedstock rich in aromatics with a solvent selected from NMP, phenol and furfural, said feedstock containing sufficient water to provide a raffinate having a target VI between about 86 and 97 under extraction conditions of treat and temperature selected to achieve the target VI. The raffinate is then hydrofmed and solvent dewaxed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Christopher J. S. Kent, Anne M. Zinicola
  • Patent number: 6406613
    Abstract: A method for mitigating the condensation of liquid hydrocarbons and subsequent coke deposition in refinery reactor units by dew point suppression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2002
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Co.
    Inventors: Nicholas Charles Nahas, Dean Clise Draemel, Richard Edwards Walter, Michael Siskin, Glen Edward Phillips
  • Patent number: 6406616
    Abstract: A process for desulfurizing hydrocarbons such as gasoline and similar petroleum products to reduce the sulfur content to a range of from about 2 to 15 ppm sulfur without affecting the octane rating is described. The sulfur containing hydrocarbon is contacted at slightly elevated temperatures with an oxidizing/extracting solution of formic acid, a small amount of hydrogen peroxide, and no more than about 25 wt % water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2002
    Assignee: Unipure Corporation
    Inventors: Alkis S. Rappas, Vincent P. Nero, Stephen J. DeCanio
  • Patent number: 6402940
    Abstract: A process for desulfurizing fuels such as diesel oil and similar petroleum products to reduce the sulfur content to a range of from about 2 to 15 ppm sulfur is described. The sulfur containing fuel is contacted at slightly elevated temperatures with an oxidizing/extracting solution of formic acid, a small amount of hydrogen peroxide, and no more than about 25 wt % water. A removal process for separating substituted dibenzothiophene oxidation products from tile fuel is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Unipure Corporation
    Inventor: Alkis S. Rappas
  • Patent number: 6398950
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a catalyst for hydrogenation treatment in which Mo—Ni, Mo—Co or the like is supported on an alumina-type carrier, and a method for hydrogenation treatment of heavy oil using the same. More specifically, it relates to the catalyst showing a specific X-ray diffraction pattern, and a method for hydrogenation treatment of heavy oil using the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryuichiro Iwamoto, Takao Nozaki, Kei Uchikawa
  • Patent number: 6395166
    Abstract: A method of reclaiming used motor oil for further use is disclosed comprising (a) admixing used impurity laden motor oil with an effective amount of acetone as a flocculating agent and an effective amount of a second ketone as a wetting agent thereby forming an oil impurity flocculent mixture; (b) subjecting said mixture to a force such that a heavy phase and a light phase are formed, wherein said light phase is comprised of lean motor oil, acetone, and a second ketone, and wherein said heavy phase is comprised of flocculated impurities, any remaining acetone, and any remaining second ketone; and (c) separating said light phase containing said lean motor oil from said heavy phase containing said flocculated impurities. Preferably the second ketone is diisopropyl ketone, though other second ketones are also functional.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Inventor: Frederick J. Haydock
  • Patent number: 6388152
    Abstract: A process for producing polymers from olefins selectively produced from a catalytically cracked or thermally cracked naphtha stream is disclosed herein. The naphtha stream is introduced into a process unit comprised of a reaction zone, a stripping zone, a catalyst regeneration zone, and a fractionation zone. The naphtha feedstream is contacted in the reaction zone with a catalyst containing from about 10 to 50 wt. % of a crystalline zeolite having an average pore diameter less than about 0.7 nanometers at reaction conditions which include temperatures ranging from about 500° to 650° C. and a hydrocarbon partial pressure from about 10 to 40 psia. Vapor products are collected overhead and the catalyst particles are passed through the stripping zone on the way to the catalyst regeneration zone. Volatiles are stripped with steam in the stripping zone and the catalyst particles are sent to the catalyst regeneration zone where coke is burned from the catalyst, which is then recycled to the reaction zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Paul K. Ladwig, John E. Asplin, Gordon F. Stuntz, Tan-Jen Chen
  • Patent number: 6383366
    Abstract: Waxy feeds are treated under hydroisomerization conditions to produce good yields of an isomerate product of high VI by using a silica-alumina based catalyst in which the silica-alumina has a pore volume less of 0.99 ml/gm (H2O), an alumina content in the range of 35 to 55 wt % and an isoelectric point in the range of 4.5 to 6.5. A lube fraction of the isomerate is dewaxed to provide a lube basestock of high VI. The silica-alumina may be modified with a rare earth oxide or yttria or boria or magnesia in which instance the modified catalyst has an isoelectric point greater than but no more than 2 points greater than base the silica-alumina.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Kenneth Lloyd Riley, William John Murphy, Ian Alfred Cody, Stuart Leon Soled, Gary Brice McVicker, Sabato Miseo
  • Patent number: 6379532
    Abstract: A hydrocracking process wherein the undesirable production of polynuclear aromatic compounds is controlled by removing a small dragstream of high pressure product stripper bottoms to reject polynuclear aromatic compounds and recovering valuable diesel boiling range hydrocarbons and unconverted feedstock by routing the dragstream to a hot flash separator and subsequently to a divided wall fractionation zone to produce a concentrated stream of polynuclear aromatic compounds while recovering the valuable hydrocarbon compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Richard K. Hoehn, Bradford L. Bjorklund
  • Patent number: 6380452
    Abstract: A process for recovering halides from hydrocarbon containing streams is disclosed using a sulfonated hexafluro bis-A-polysulfone membrane of polymers and copolymers having the polymer repeat unit of the formula: in the polymer or copolymer. This process is applicable to recovering and recycling hydrogen chloride, which is used as a catalytic promoter, in hydrocarbon conversion processes such as isomerization and alkylation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Mark M. Davis, William B. Dolan, Robert J. Schmidt, Paul J. Kuchar
  • Patent number: 6372121
    Abstract: This invention is a method to inhibit the polymerization of carbonyl compounds in a basic wash unit operation in a hydrocarbon cracking process, wherein a compound selected from the group consisting of alpha-amino acids and esters thereof and amides thereof and salts thereof and mixtures thereof or Mercaptoacetic acid and alkyl esters thereof, is added either to a stream comprising a carbonyl compound or to the basic wash unit operation; wherein the compound is selected such that it remains water-soluble and base-soluble and does not flocculate in the stream or in the basic wash unit operation; and wherein the stream is contacted with the compound either before or at the same time as the stream enters the basic wash unit operation; or wherein the compound is added to the basic wash unit operation before or while the stream enters the basic wash unit operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: Nalco/Exxon Energy Chemicals, L.P.
    Inventors: Robert D. McClain, Natu R. Patel, Raymond M. Glath
  • Patent number: 6372123
    Abstract: A method for contaminant and water removal from crude oil. The method involves recirculating at least a portion of the dewatered crude into a dehydrator. The dehydrator contains a heated dehydrated crude oil and the surface or adjacent thereto is maintained at a temperature sufficient to vaporize any water contacting the surface from crude oil to be treated in the dehydrator. It has been found important to maintain a substantially uniform temperature at or below the vaporizing surface in order to effectively treat crude oil for dewatering purposes. Significant temperature fluctuations are typically realized by dehydrators since heat enthalpy is removed in order to vaporize the water in the crude oil. Such fluctuations lead to process complications and upset and are therefore undesirable. The instant invention recognizes this limitation and substantially reduces foaming and provides for a smoothly running and efficient dehydration process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: Colt Engineering Corporation
    Inventors: Steve Kresnyak, Fred Shaw
  • Patent number: 6368495
    Abstract: A novel process effective for the removal of organic sulfur compounds from liquid hydrocarbons is disclosed. The process more specifically addresses the removal of thiophenes and thiophene derivatives from a number of petroleum fractions, including gasoline, diesel fuel, and kerosene. In the first step of the process, the liquid hydrocarbon is subjected to oxidation conditions in order to oxidize at least some of the thiophene compounds to sulfones. Then, these sulfones can be catalytically decomposed to hydrocarbons (e.g. hydroxybiphenyl) and volatile sulfur compounds (e.g. sulfur dioxide). The hydrocarbon decomposition products remain in the treated liquid as valuable blending components, while the volatile sulfur compounds are easily separable from the treated liquid using well-known techniques such as flash vaporization or distillation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Joseph A. Kocal, Timothy A. Brandvold
  • Patent number: 6368494
    Abstract: A method of reducing the formation of coke deposits on the heat-transfer surfaces of an ethylene dichloride to vinyl chloride pyrolysis furnace comprising exposing the heat transfer surfaces of said pyrolysis furnace to a phosphite selected from the group consisting of phosphites with the general formula: wherein A1, A2 and A3 are selected from the group consisting of —OR1, —SR2 and Cl, wherein R1 and R2 are selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl, alkylaryl and arylalkyl, wherein A1, A2 and A3 may be the same or different, provided that at least one of A1, A2, and A3 is not Cl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Nalco/Exxon Energy Chemicals, L.P.
    Inventor: Youdong Tong
  • Patent number: 6361683
    Abstract: A catalytic hydrocracking process wherein a hydrocarbonaceous feedstock and a liquid recycle stream having a temperature greater than about 500° F. and saturated with hydrogen is contacted with hydrogen in a hydrocracking reaction zone at elevated temperature and pressure to obtain conversion to lower boiling hydrocarbons. The resulting hot, uncooled effluent from the hydrocracking reaction zone is hot hydrogen stripped in a stripping zone maintained at essentially the same pressure as the hydrocracking zone to produce a first gaseous hydrocarbonaceous stream and a first liquid hydrocarbonaceous stream. The first gaseous hydrocarbonaceous stream is passed through a post-treat hydrogenation zone to saturate aromatic compounds and at least partially condensed to produce a second liquid hydrocarbonaceous stream and a second hydrogen-rich gaseous stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: Tom N. Kalnes
  • Patent number: 6358399
    Abstract: A process and a device for separating ethane and ethylene from a hydrocarbon steam-cracking effluent is described. Effluent (1) is absorbed in an absorption column (7) by a cooled solvent (9). At the bottom of the column, liquid phase (12) that contains the solvent and the C2+ hydrocarbons is recovered and hydrogenated (15). The hydrogenation effluent that contains the solvent is introduced into a first distillation column (70) where the solvent is regenerated. The solvent is cooled and recycled at the top of absorption column (7). The C2+ hydrocarbons are collected at the top, and a condensed liquid phase is distilled in a second distillation column (77) to recover a C2 fraction that consists of ethane and ethylene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Institute Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Ari Minkkinen, Jean-Hervé Le Gal, Pierre Marache