Abstract: A process and apparatus for contacting reactants with a particulate catalyst while indirectly contacting the reactants with a heat exchange medium performs heat exchange in a first reaction zone and moves catalyst, at least intermittently, through the second reaction zone while the process is operating. The first reaction zone is preferably a fixed bed reaction zone. The use of first reaction zone as a fixed bed reaction zone simplifies the process arrangement by not requiring means for catalyst movement in a reaction zone that performs simultaneous heat exchange. Long periods of operation are possible since the first reaction zone will typically experience a slow rate of catalyst deactivation and need infrequent regeneration. The first reaction zone may also be designed for catalyst movement, but independently controlled from the first reaction zone to facilitate the movement of catalyst therethrough.

Abstract: A process and apparatus cools a heat exchange type reaction zone by passing the incoming reactants through heat exchange channels in heat exchange relationship with the reaction zone. The invention simplifies the operation and construction of the heat exchanging type reaction zone by directly communicating reaction channels that contain the reaction with the heating channels that heat reactant across an open manifold located at the end of the channels. Additional reactants, cooling fluids, or other diluents may enter the process directly through the manifold space to permit further temperature control of the reaction zone. The invention promotes better heat transfer efficiency than tube and shell heat transfer arrangements that have been used for similar purposes. The narrow channels are preferably defined by corrugated plates. The reaction channels will contain a catalyst for the promotion of the primary reaction.

Abstract: A cyclic process for the purification of a diolefin hydrocarbon stream produced in a naphtha steam cracker to produce a high quality diolefin hydrocarbon stream having extremely low levels of acetylene over an extended period because of the ability to readily cyclically regenerate catalyst contained in an off-line selective hydrogenation reaction zone. The spent or partially spent catalyst is contacted with a stream containing naphtha and hydrogen to restore at least a portion of the fresh catalyst activity by the extraction of polymer compounds therefrom.

Abstract: A simplified process for jointly producing butene-1 and ether in a catalytic distillation column which comprises an upper catalytic zone for etherification and a lower catalytic zone for isomerization of C.sub.4 plus olefins and conversion of butadiene. The process is especially useful when combined with a process for the production of light olefins including ethylene and propylene from methanol. According to the invention, the produced butene-1 stream is combined with ethylene to produce polyethylene.

Abstract: A hybrid reactor arrangement provides a reactive design that achieves higher acrylonitrile yield and lower catalyst circulating rate. The hybrid reactor design first passes a mixture of reactants and catalyst through a circulating bubbling bed reaction section. Heat exchange coils or other cooling medium in the bubbling bed reactor section maintain temperature in a range that will maximize the selectivity of reactants to the acrylonitrile product. The bubbling bed reactor section provides the initial conversion of the reactant. A circulating fluidized bed reaction zone finishes the conversion of reactants to a high yield under conditions that reduce the occurrence of secondary reactions that could otherwise produce unwanted by-products. The circulating fluidized bed reactor section maintains nearly plug flow conditions that allow continued conversion of unreacted feed components through primary reactions while limiting the time for secondary reactions to continue and diminish the final yield of products.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for enhancing the production of light olefins with a catalytic reaction zone containing small pore zeolitic and non-zeolitic catalysts which can significantly improve the yield of ethylene and propylene in a process for the conversion of light olefins having four carbon atoms per molecule and heavier. Specifically, a C.sub.4 olefin stream from an ethylene production complex is converted in a reaction zone over a non-zeolitic catalyst at effective conditions to produce a product mixture containing ethylene and propylene. Ethylene and propylene are separated from the product mixture and recovered. A portion of the remaining heavy hydrocarbons and paraffins may be recycled to the reaction zone for further conversion, or oligomerized to produce valuable downstream products. The additional step of removing iso-olefins from the recycle stream provided significant advantages.

Abstract: This process for the production of heavy oligomers by a combination of dehydrogenation and oligomerization uses a bed of saturation catalyst in a debutanizer to simplify the saturation and recycle of C.sub.4 hydrocarbons to the dehydrogenation zone. The catalytic distillation zone is located in the top of the debutanizer column and may offer further efficiency improvements to the process when used in series with a bed of alkylation or oligomerization catalyst in the distillation zone. The bed of alkylation or oligomerization catalyst reduces the quantity of C.sub.4 hydrocarbons recycled to the dehydrogenation zone by oligomerizing unconverted C.sub.4 olefins in the distillation column. Conversion of C.sub.4 olefins in the distillation column facilitates the operation of the oligomerization zone at lower conversion conditions that favor production of high octane products.

Abstract: A process to remove polymeric by-products from the product of an acetylene selective hydrogenation reactor has been developed. The product is generated by introducing hydrogen and a liquid hydrocarbon stream containing largely butadiene and some acetylenes to a reactor containing a catalyst effective for the selective hydrogenation of acetylenes. The product contains at least hydrogen, butadiene, and polymeric by-products. The pressure of the product is reduced and the product cooled. The cooled product is conducted to a low pressure flash drum to produce a hydrogen enriched stream and a butadiene and polymeric by-product-enriched stream. The hydrogen-enriched stream is removed. The butadiene and polymeric by-product is passed to a knockout drum to produce a stream enriched in butadiene and polymeric by-products having less than about 12 carbon atoms and a stream enriched in polymeric by-products having about 12 or more carbon atoms.

Abstract: For the removal of trace quantities of iodine-containing contaminants from corrosive liquid feed streams, an adsorbent with distinct advantages over prior-art materials is provided. The treatment method involves the use of a metal phthalocyanine compound where the metal selected from the group consisting of silver, mercury, copper, lead, thallium, palladium, or mixtures thereof. Such metals are known to be reactive with the iodine-containing contaminants in the feed stream. Furthermore, the metal phthalocyanine is deposited on a carrier material selected from the group consisting of an activated carbon, a phenolic polymer, and an inorganic refractory metal oxide. Such adsorbent materials have proven substantially insoluble even in corrosive liquid feed streams associated with the invention. Reactivation and regeneration techniques, which are generally incompatible with prior-art adsorbent materials, are also disclosed.

Abstract: A simplified process for jointly producing butene-1 and ether in a catalytic distillation zone which comprises an upper catalytic zone for etherification and a lower catalytic zone for isomerization of C.sub.4 plus olefins. The process is especially usefull when combined with a process for the production of light olefins including ethylene and propylene from methanol. According to the invention, the produced butene-1 stream is combined with ethylene to produce polyethylene.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the production of light olefins comprising olefins having from 2 to 4 carbon atoms per molecule from an oxygenate feedstock. The process comprises passing the oxygenate feedstock to an oxygenate conversion zone containing a metal alumninophosphate catalyst to produce a light olefin stream. The light olefin stream is fractionated and a portion of the products are metathesized to enhance the yield of the ethylene, propylene, and/or butylene products. Propylene can be metathesized to produce more ethylene, or a combination of ethylene and butene can be metathesized to produce more propylene. This combination of light olefin production and metathesis, or disproportionation provides flexibility to overcome the equilibrium limitations of the metal aluminophosphate catalyst in the oxygenate conversion zone. In addition, the invention provides the advantage of extended catalyst life and greater catalyst stability in the oxygenate conversion zone.

Abstract: A process for the production motor fuel components from isoparaffins by dehydrogenation, oligomerization and saturation uses a combination of low severity dehydrogenation, first and second feed input locations and a primary separation column that receives feed and effluent components to deliver a dehydrogenation zone feed and a motor fuel products. A separation column receives the an isobutane input stream and a product containing effluent stream to distill a dehydrogenation zone input steam. The dehydrogenation zone operates at low severity conditions to produce the effluent stream that compliments the operation of an oligomerization zone by delivering an effluent stream that is higher in pressure and contains inert paraffinic diluent materials. The oligomerization effluent passes to a saturation reaction zone that provides a saturated effluent stream.

Abstract: An integrated process to produce diisopropyl ether from propane has been developed. In a first reaction zone the propane in a feedstock, after any hydrocarbons containing four or more carbon atoms are removed from the feedstock via fractionation, is dehydrogenated in the presence of a dehydrogenation catalyst to form propylene. After removing hydrogen, the propane and propylene mixture generated in the first reaction zone is separated into a propane enriched stream and a propylene enriched stream where the propylene enriched stream contains at least 65 mass % propylene. The propane enriched stream is recycled to the feedstock fractionation unit, and the propylene of the propylene enriched stream is reacted with water in a second reaction zone in the presence of an acidic catalyst to form isopropyl alcohol which is concurrently reacted with propylene to produce diisopropyl ether.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for the production of light olefins from a hydrocarbon gas stream by a combination of reforming, oxygenate production, and oxygenate conversion wherein a crude methanol stream--produced in the production of oxygenates and comprising methanol, light ends, and heavier alcohols--is passed directly to the oxygenate conversion zone for the production of light olefins. Furthermore, the combination provides the synergy for increased catalyst life and reduced water treatment costs by recycling by-product water produced in the oxygenate conversion zone to provide water to the syngas production zone. The advantage of this integration is the elimination of costly methanol separation and purification steps which result in the overall reduction in the costs of producing the light olefins. Other advantages include the reduction in catalyst cost in the oxygenate production zone by the reduction in the catalyst selectivity by the extension of catalyst life in the oxygenate production zone.

Abstract: An improved process for the catalytic dehydrogenation of paraffinic hydrocarbons is disclosed. Feed paraffinic hydrocarbons are dehydrogenated by means of contacting the dehydrogenatable hydrocarbon with a dehydrogenation catalyst in a first dehydrogenation zone wherein the endothermic dehydrogenation reaction reduces the temperature of the resulting hydrocarbon stream containing dehydrogenated hydrocarbon compounds. The resulting effluent from the preceding dehydrogenation zone is then contacted with a hot hydrogen-rich gaseous stream having a temperature greater than the hydrocarbon stream to increase the temperature of the hydrocarbon stream and then the resulting heated stream is introduced into a subsequent dehydrogenation zone to produce additional dehydrogenated hydrocarbon compounds.

Abstract: An etherification process combines an alkylation zone with a skeletal olefin isomerization zone in an arrangement that rejects isoalkanes and normal alkanes with only minor loss of valuable olefin isomers. The invention also provides a balanced feed to an alkylation zone for the production of high octane gasoline components. This invention can be used to provide ethers and gasoline boiling range alkylates from either C.sub.4 or C.sub.5 feedstocks. The invention fully utilizes all olefin isomers improve octane and vapor pressure charactristics of the gasoline components.

Abstract: The present invention provides an integrated process for the production of propylene oxide from an alternate feedstream such as synthesis gas. In the process, propylene oxide is produced from a feedstream comprising hydrogen and a carbon oxide. A portion of the feedstream is passed to an oxygenate production zone to produce an oxygenate stream comprising methanol and dimethyl ether, and the oxygenate stream is passed to an olefin production zone containing a metal aluminophosphate catalyst to produce a propylene stream. The propylene stream is epoxidized with hydrogen peroxide which has been produced from hydrogen separated from a portion of the feedstream. The spent water stream produced by the epoxidation reaction is treated to remove heavy components and returned to the hydrogen peroxide production zone. The return of the unreacted propylene from the epoxidation reaction zone for its subsequent recovery and recycle permits a less complicated, lower energy propylene separation.

Abstract: An improved process for the catalytic dehydrogenation of paraffinic hydrocarbons is disclosed. Feed paraffinic hydrocarbons are dehydrogenated by means of contacting the dehydrogenatable hydrocarbon with a dehydrogenation catalyst in a first dehydrogenation zone wherein the endothermic dehydrogenation reaction reduces the temperature of the resulting hydrocarbon stream containing dehydrogenated hydrocarbon compounds. The resulting effluent from the first dehydrogenation zone is then contacted with a hot hydrogen-rich gaseous stream having a temperature greater than the hydrocarbon stream to increase the temperature of the hydrocarbon stream and then introducing the resulting heated stream into a second dehydrogenation zone to produce additional dehydrogenated hydrocarbon compounds.

Abstract: An improved process for the catalytic dehydrogenation of paraffinic hydrocarbons is disclosed. Feed paraffinic hydrocarbons are dehydrogenated by means of contacting the dehydrogenatable hydrocarbon with a dehydrogenation catalyst in a first dehydrogenation zone wherein the endothermic dehydrogenation reaction reduces the temperature of the resulting hydrocarbon stream containing dehydrogenated hydrocarbon compounds. The resulting effluent from the first dehydrogenation zone is then contacted with a stream of gas comprising normally gaseous hydrocarbon compounds having a temperature greater than the hydrocarbon stream to increase the temperature of the hydrocarbon stream and then introducing the resulting heated stream into a second dehydrogenation zone to produce additional dehydrogenated hydrocarbon compounds.

Abstract: A combination of an etherification process and a process for the isomerization of linear alkenes to isoalkenes uses an adsorptive separation zone for olefin and paraffin separation upstream of the MTBE unit to reduce olefin losses associated with the rejection of butanes. The location of the MTBE unit downstream of the adsorptive separation zone facilitates the essentially complete removal of isobutane from the process. Supplemental rejection of isobutane downstream of the adsorptive separation permits the use of low purity adsorptive separation zone and also allows the recovery of a high purity butene-1 product.