Abstract: A process for making ethylene from a hydrocarbon feed requires separating the hydrocarbon feed comprising ethane, hydrogen, and/or methane and hydrocarbons with 3 or greater carbons into an ethane-rich stream comprising hydrocarbons with 2 or less carbons and a heavy stream comprising hydrocarbons with 3 or more carbons. The ethane-rich stream is passed to a process which produces ethylene. The ethane-rich stream has an ethane to combined hydrogen and methane molar ratio of at least 1.2 and less than or equal to 10.

Abstract: A fluidized catalytic reactor system cycles from 0.05-5% of catalyst at a time through a rejuvenation unit to be heated in the presence of oxygen to maintain catalyst activity. The use of the rejuvenation unit that may be 2% of the size of the main catalyst regeneration unit allows for reduction in equipment size and in catalyst inventory. The catalyst that is sent to the rejuvenation unit may be spent catalyst but may be partially or fully regenerated catalyst. The rejuvenation unit may be heated by combusting fuel or by hot flue gas.

Abstract: A composition of fuel gas that when mixed with spent catalyst and oxygen has an induction time that allows bubbles to break up while combusting in the regenerator. Bubble breakage in a dense bed avoids generation of a flame that can generate hot spots in the regenerator which can damage equipment and catalyst. The fuel gas can be obtained from paraffin dehydrogenation products, so it can sustain operation of the unit even in remote locations. Heavier streams can be mixed with lighter streams to obtain a fuel gas composition with a desirable induction time to avoid such hot spots. Mixing of a depropanizer bottom stream and/or deethanizer overhead stream with lighter gas streams such as cold box light gas or PSA tail gas can provide the desired fuel gas composition.

Abstract: A process for recovering catalyst from a fluidized catalytic reactor effluent is disclosed comprising reacting a reactant stream by contact with a stream of fluidized catalyst to provide a vaporous reactor effluent stream comprising catalyst and products. The vaporous reactor effluent stream is contacted with a liquid coolant stream to cool it and transfer the catalyst into the liquid coolant stream. A catalyst lean vaporous reactor effluent stream is separated from a catalyst rich liquid coolant stream. A return catalyst stream is separated from the catalyst rich liquid coolant stream to provide a catalyst lean liquid coolant stream, and the return catalyst stream is transported back to said reacting step.

Abstract: A process for preventing hazardous conditions at startup and shutdown of a reactor by sending an inert gas such as nitrogen to strip entrained oxygen from the catalyst when reactor temperatures are below about 240° C. During normal operation the entrained oxygen reacts with hydrocarbons to produce oxides but at the lower temperatures that are present at startup or shutdown these reactions do not occur sufficiently leaving oxygen that can cause hazardous conditions as temperatures increase upon startup. When the temperature is in the safe operating zone above 240° C., the nitrogen gas is stripped by air or other oxygen containing gas.

Abstract: A fluidized catalytic reactor connected to a start-up heater is provided. The start-up heater provides sufficient heat to a catalyst containing stream to gradually increase the feed temperature. This allows for a critical volumetric flow rate to be achieved so that catalyst can be recovered from product instead of being entrained in product.

Abstract: A fluidized reforming process comprising a two stage fluidized reforming reactor is described. A naphtha stream flows upward through the two fluidized stages and contacts the catalyst forming a product stream and spent catalyst. The spent catalyst is separated from the product stream and the naphtha feed stream. Some of the spent catalyst is regenerated by contact with an oxygen-containing regeneration fluid to heat and reactivate the catalyst. The heated, regenerated catalyst forms at least a port of the catalyst stream for the process. A process for cyclizing paraffins or isomerizing cyclopentanes is also described. The process uses a chloride-free Pt/Ga-containing catalyst to form a cyclic aliphatic hydrocarbon or isomerizing a cyclopentane in the presence of the chloride-free Pt/Ga-containing catalyst to form a cyclohexane.

Abstract: A fluidized catalytic reactor decouples the catalyst regenerator temperature from the catalyst reactor residence time. Regenerated catalyst is cooled before it contacts reactant feed. The regenerated catalyst may be cooled by heat exchange with oxygen supply gas, spent catalyst or other materials. The process and apparatus are especially useful for fluidized endothermic catalytic reactions.

Abstract: Higher temperature regenerated dehydrogenation catalyst is mixed with the lower temperature spent dehydrogenation catalyst from a dehydrogenation reaction to heat the spent catalyst. Air or other oxygen containing gas may be introduced to facilitate mixing. The mixing of hot regenerated catalyst with cooler spent catalyst increases the temperature of the spent catalyst and makes the coke on catalyst and in the supplemental fuel gas instantly ready to combust without the delay necessary to heat up the spent catalyst to combustion temperature. The regenerated dehydrogenation catalyst may be mixed with the spent dehydrogenation catalyst before the mixture of catalyst is contacted with the supplemental fuel gas. Combustion with fuel gas should be conditioned to avoid generation of a flame.

Abstract: A process and apparatus cool and remove catalyst from a hot vaporous reactor effluent stream by feeding the hot vaporous reactor effluent stream comprising catalyst and a first quench liquid stream to a first quench chamber. The hot vaporous reactor effluent stream is directly contacted with the first quench liquid stream to cool the hot reactor effluent stream and wash catalyst therefrom into the first quench liquid stream. The first quench liquid stream and the vaporous reactor effluent stream are passed together through a bed while disengaging catalyst from the vaporous reactor effluent stream and transferring catalyst into the first quench liquid stream.

Abstract: A fluidized catalytic reactor utilizes an ascending temperature profile. The apparatus and process deliver cooler spent catalyst to a first catalyst distributor and a hotter regenerated catalyst to a second catalyst distributor that are spaced apart from each other. The reactant stream first encounters the first stream of catalyst and then encounters the second stream of catalyst. The process and apparatus stage the addition of hot catalyst to the reactant stream. The process and apparatus may be particularly advantageous in an endothermic reaction because the hotter catalyst will encounter reactants that have cooled due to the progression of endothermic reactions.

Abstract: A composition of fuel gas that when mixed with spent catalyst and oxygen has an induction time that allows bubbles to break up while combusting in the regenerator. Bubble breakage in a dense bed avoids generation of a flame that can generate hot spots in the regenerator which can damage equipment and catalyst. The fuel gas can be obtained from paraffin dehydrogenation products, so it can sustain operation of the unit even in remote locations. Heavier streams can be mixed with lighter streams to obtain a fuel gas composition with a desirable induction time to avoid such hot spots. Mixing of a depropanizer bottom stream and/or deethanizer overhead stream with lighter gas streams such as cold box light gas or PSA tail gas can provide the desired fuel gas composition.

Abstract: A process for recovering catalyst from a fluidized catalytic reactor effluent is disclosed comprising reacting a reactant stream by contact with a stream of fluidized catalyst to provide a vaporous reactor effluent stream comprising catalyst and products. The vaporous reactor effluent stream is contacted with a liquid coolant stream to cool it and transfer the catalyst into the liquid coolant stream. A catalyst lean vaporous reactor effluent stream is separated from a catalyst rich liquid coolant stream. A return catalyst stream is separated from the catalyst rich liquid coolant stream to provide a catalyst lean liquid coolant stream, and the return catalyst stream is transported back to said reacting step.

Abstract: A fluidized catalytic reactor system cycles from 0.05-5% of catalyst at a time through a rejuvenation unit to be heated in the presence of oxygen to maintain catalyst activity. The use of the rejuvenation unit that may be 2% of the size of the main catalyst regeneration unit allows for reduction in equipment size and in catalyst inventory. The catalyst that is sent to the rejuvenation unit may be spent catalyst but may be partially or fully regenerated catalyst. The rejuvenation unit may be heated by combusting fuel or by hot flue gas.

Abstract: A process for regenerating spent catalyst by combusting coke and fuel gas together in the presence of enriched oxygen restores activity to the catalyst to bring back to adequate activity level while reducing or obviating the need for the oxygen treatment step. The oxygen concentration in the oxygen supply gas should be greater than 21 vol %.

Abstract: A fluidized catalytic reactor utilizes an ascending temperature profile. The apparatus and process deliver cooler spent catalyst to a first catalyst distributor and a hotter regenerated catalyst to a second catalyst distributor that are spaced apart from each other. The reactant stream first encounters the first stream of catalyst and then encounters the second stream of catalyst. The process and apparatus stage the addition of hot catalyst to the reactant stream. The process and apparatus may be particularly advantageous in an endothermic reaction because the hotter catalyst will encounter reactants that have cooled due to the progression of endothermic reactions.

Abstract: A process for recovering catalyst from a fluidized catalytic reactor effluent is disclosed comprising reacting a reactant stream by contact with a stream of fluidized catalyst to provide a vaporous reactor effluent stream comprising catalyst and products. The vaporous reactor effluent stream is contacted with a liquid coolant stream to cool it and transfer the catalyst into the liquid coolant stream. A catalyst lean vaporous reactor effluent stream is separated from a catalyst rich liquid coolant stream. A return catalyst stream is separated from the catalyst rich liquid coolant stream to provide a catalyst lean liquid coolant stream, and the return catalyst stream is transported back to said reacting step.

Abstract: A process and apparatus cool and remove catalyst from a hot vaporous reactor effluent stream by feeding the hot vaporous reactor effluent stream comprising catalyst and a first quench liquid stream to a first quench chamber. The hot vaporous reactor effluent stream is directly contacted with the first quench liquid stream to cool the hot reactor effluent stream and wash catalyst therefrom into the first quench liquid stream. The first quench liquid stream and the vaporous reactor effluent stream are passed together through a bed while disengaging catalyst from the vaporous reactor effluent stream and transferring catalyst into the first quench liquid stream.

Abstract: A process for cracking an olefinic feed comprising diolefins and monoolefins is provided. The process comprises selectively hydrogenating the olefinic feed in a hydrogenation reactor to convert the diolefins to monoolefins to provide a hydrogenated effluent stream. The hydrogenated effluent stream is vaporized to provide a vaporized hydrogenated effluent stream. The vaporized hydrogenated effluent stream is passed to an olefin cracking reactor to provide a cracked olefin stream comprising C2 and C3 olefins. The cracked olefin stream is passed to a recycle column to provide one of an overhead vapor stream comprising C5? hydrocarbons or a side draw vapor stream comprising C6+. At least a portion of the overhead vapor stream or the side draw vapor stream is recycled to the olefin cracking reactor.

Abstract: We have discovered that addition of water to a mixture of oxygenates increases their volatility relative to methanol. A process and apparatus are disclosed for separating methanol from other oxygenates. Water is separated from a stream comprising water, methanol and at least one other oxygenate to provide a water rich stream and a methanol and oxygenate rich stream. The methanol and oxygenate rich stream and water are fed to a column to provide an oxygenate rich stream and a methanol and water extract stream. The methanol and water can then be readily separated from each other.