Patents by Inventor Gary G. Podrebarac

Gary G. Podrebarac has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20110282117
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2011
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Applicant: CATALYTIC DISTILLATION TECHNOLOGIES
    Inventors: William M. Cross, JR., Gary G. Podrebarac
  • Patent number: 8043495
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventor: Gary G. Podrebarac
  • Publication number: 20110240518
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: CATALYTIC DISTILLATION TECHNOLOGIES
    Inventors: Gary G. Podrebarac, Raymond Chafin
  • Patent number: 7927480
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventor: Gary G. Podrebarac
  • Publication number: 20100081854
    Abstract: A process for treating an alkylation feedstock comprising olefins, n-alkanes, iso-alkanes, and impurities including one or more of butadiene, oxygenates, nitrogen-containing compounds, and sulfur-containing compounds, the process including: contacting an alkylation feedstock containing at least one of oxygenates and nitrogen-containing compounds with water to produce a hydrocarbon fraction having a reduced concentration of the at least one of oxygenates and nitrogen-containing compounds and an aqueous fraction comprising at least a portion of the at least one of oxygenates and nitrogen-containing compounds; separating water from the hydrocarbon fraction having a reduced concentration to produce a hydrocarbon fraction having a reduced water content; contacting the hydrocarbon fraction having a reduced water content with an oligomerization catalyst in a first oligomerization reaction zone under oligomerization conditions to react at least a portion of the olefins to form a reactor effluent comprising olefin oli
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: CATALYTIC DISTILLATION TECHNOLOGIES
    Inventors: William M. Cross, JR., Lawrence A. Smith, JR., Gary G. Podrebarac
  • Patent number: 7638041
    Abstract: A selected boiling range fluid catalytically cracked naphtha stream is subjected to simultaneous splitting, thioetherification of a light boiling range naphtha and selective hydrogenation of the dienes in a medium boiling range naphtha.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventors: Christopher C. Boyer, Gary G. Podrebarac, William M. Cross, Jr., Arvids Judzis
  • Publication number: 20090211943
    Abstract: A process for the reduction of benzene in a gasoline stream, the process including: feeding a gasoline fraction including benzene and C6+ hydrocarbons and at least one of an alcohol and an ether to a catalytic distillation column comprising at least one reaction zone containing an alkylation catalyst, wherein the at least one reaction zone is above a gasoline fraction feed location; concurrently in the catalytic distillation column: separating the C6 hydrocarbons from C7+ hydrocarbons, wherein the C6 hydrocarbons and benzene distill upward into the at least one reaction zone; contacting benzene and the at least one of an alcohol and an ether in the at least one reaction zone in the presence of the alkylation catalyst to convert at least a portion of the benzene and alcohol /ether to an alkylate; recovering an overheads fraction including C6 hydrocarbons, any unreacted alcohol and ether, and water; and recovering a bottoms fraction including C7+ hydrocarbons and the alkylate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2009
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Applicant: CATALYTIC DISTILLATION TECHNOLOGIES
    Inventors: Mitchell E. Loescher, Gary G. Podrebarac, Quoc T. Phan
  • Publication number: 20090188838
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Applicant: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventor: Gary G. Podrebarac
  • Publication number: 20090188837
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2008
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Applicant: CATALYTIC DISTILLATION TECHNOLOGIES
    Inventor: Gary G. Podrebarac
  • Publication number: 20090183981
    Abstract: An integrated process for treating pyrolysis gasolines, including: feeding the pyrolysis gasoline to a first stage wherein the pyrolysis gasoline is substantially depentanized and acetylene and diolefins are reacted with hydrogen to produce an effluent having a reduced acetylene and diolefin content; and feeding the effluent to a second stage, wherein the second stage comprises a catalytic distillation hydrotreating process. The second stage may include a first catalytic distillation reactor system comprising a first distillation reaction zone containing a first hydrogenation catalyst, and the process may further include treating a C6-boiling material in the first distillation reaction zone to react sulfur compounds with hydrogen to produce hydrogen sulfide, the treated C6 material being concurrently separated as a second overheads from C7 and heavier material by fractional distillation, the C7 and heavier material being removed from the first distillation reaction zone as a first bottoms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2008
    Publication date: July 23, 2009
    Applicant: CATALYTIC DISTILLATION TECHNOLOGIES
    Inventors: Gary G. Podrebarac, Paul B. Himelfarb
  • Patent number: 7501549
    Abstract: An integrated process for the isolation of benzene contained within a fluid catalytically cracked naphtha is disclosed wherein a C6 fraction containing a benzene concentrate is subjected to etherification with alcohol (e.g. methanol and/or ethanol) to convert the C6 isoolefins to ethers which are separated by fractional distillation. If desired the ethers may be dissociated to the isoolefins and alcohol. The remaining material in the benzene concentrate may then be treated to remove olefins and organic sulfur compounds so that the benzene may be removed by solvent extraction. Alternatively the benzene in the remaining material may be subjected to hydrogenation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventors: Gary G. Podrebarac, Richard Foley
  • Publication number: 20080086020
    Abstract: An integrated process for the isolation of benzene contained within a fluid catalytically cracked naphtha is disclosed wherein a C6 fraction containing a benzene concentrate is subjected to etherification with alcohol (e.g. methanol and/or ethanol) to convert the C6 isoolefins to ethers which are separated by fractional distillation. If desired the ethers may be dissociated to the isoolefins and alcohol. The remaining material in the benzene concentrate may then be treated to remove olefins and organic sulfur compounds so that the benzene may be removed by solvent extraction. Alternatively the benzene in the remaining material may be subjected to hydrogenation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Publication date: April 10, 2008
    Inventors: Gary G. Podrebarac, Richard Foley
  • Patent number: 7351327
    Abstract: A process for concurrently fractionating and treating a full range naphtha stream. The full boiling range naphtha stream is first subjected to simultaneous thioetherification and splitting into a light boiling range naphtha, an intermediate boiling range naphtha and a heavy boiling range naphtha. The intermediate boiling range naphtha containing thiophene and thiophene boiling range mercaptans is passed on to a polishing hydrodesulfurization reactor where a low sulfur, low olefin gas oil is concurrently fed to the polishing reactor to insure that a liquid phase is present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventors: Gary G. Podrebarac, Willibrord A. Groten, Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7291258
    Abstract: A process for concurrently fractionating and hydrotreating a full range naphtha stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventors: Gary G. Podrebarac, Mario J. Maraschino, Montri Vichailak
  • Patent number: 7220886
    Abstract: A process for the production of propylene from the metathesis of ethylene and 2-butene is disclosed wherein a mixed C4 stream is first treated to enrich and separate the 2-butene from 1-butene and isobutene by isomerization of 1-butene and concurrent fractional distillation of the 2-butene and isobutene to provide the 2-butene feed the metathesis with ethylene. In addition the mixed C4 stream may be treated to remove mercaptans and dienes prior to 2-butene enrichment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventors: Gary G. Podrebarac, John R. Adams, Arvids Judzis
  • Patent number: 7153415
    Abstract: A light cracked naphtha is treated to convert mercaptans to sulfides and saturate dienes and then subjected to destructive hydrodesulfurization (HDS) to convert the organic sulfur compounds to hydrogen sulfide. The recombinant mercaptans formed by reaction of hydrogen sulfide and olefins at the outlet of the HDS are generally heavier than the light cracked naphtha is fractionated in admixture with a heavy cracked naphtha. A low sulfur content light cracked naphtha is produced as an overheads and the major portion of the mercaptans leave with heavy cracked naphtha as bottoms. It also advantageous to pass the heavy cracked naphtha through the HDS in admixture with the light cracked naphtha, since the recombinant mercaptans formed with the heavy cracked naphtha olefins (which displace some of the lower mercaptans which would form the light cracked naphtha olefins) will be even higher boiling and easier to separate by fractionation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventors: Gary G. Podrebarac, Willibrord A. Groten, Manoj Som, Martinus J. Almering
  • Patent number: 7154013
    Abstract: A process in which tetramethylethylene and neohexene are produced by starting with butene in a distillation column reactor to produce a product containing ethylene, diisobutene, tetramethylethylene, heavier oligomers. After separating these components, the separated diisobutene is further reacted with ethylene produced from the first step to produce neohexene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventor: Gary G. Podrebarac
  • Patent number: 7041861
    Abstract: A process in which neohexene is produced by starting with butene in a distillation column reactor to produce a product containing ethylene, diisobutene, heavier oligomers. After separating these components, the separated diisobutene is further reacted with ethylene produced from the first step to produce neohexene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventor: Gary G. Podrebarac
  • Patent number: 6984312
    Abstract: A process for the treatment of a light cracked naphtha is disclosed wherein the light cracked naphtha is first subjected to thioetherification and fractionation into two boiling fractions. The lower boiling fraction is removed as overheads for later recombination with the product and the higher boiling fraction is combined with a heavy cracked naphtha and subjected to simultaneous hydrodesulfurization and fractionation to separate the higher boiling fraction from the heavy cracked naphtha which is recycled. The recycled heavy cracked naphtha is eventually desulfurized and hydrogenated to produce a clean solvent which washes the catalyst and extends catalyst life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventors: Manoj Som, Gary G. Podrebarac, Scott W. Shorey
  • Patent number: 6919016
    Abstract: A process is disclosed for preparing a C4 stream for feeding to an alkylation process which reacts isobutane with butene to produce isooctane. The C4 stream is treated in a first distillation column reactor to remove dienes and mercaptans and separate out any C5's which might be present. The treated C4's are then fed to a second distillation column reactor that concurrently isomerizes 1-butene to 2-butene and splits the normal C4's from the iso C4's. The iso C4's are then fed to a third distillation column reactor where a portion of the isobutene is saturated to isobutane. The C4's from the isomerization/splitter are combined with the C4's from the hydrogenation unit and fed to a cold acid alkylation unit. The third distillation column may also oligomerize a portion of the isobutene to diisobutene in the upper end which is saturated in the bottom of the column to isooctane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventors: Gary G. Podrebarac, Mario J. Maraschino