Abstract: The invention relates to hydrocarbon conversion processes, to equipment useful in such processes, to the products of such hydrocarbon conversion processes and the use thereof, and to the use of energy derived from such processes.

Abstract: In a process for producing cyclohexylbenzene, benzene is contacted with hydrogen under hydroalkylation conditions effective to form a first effluent stream comprising cyclohexylbenzene, cyclohexane, methylcyclopentane, and unreacted benzene. At least a portion of the first effluent stream is contacted with a dehydrogenation catalyst under dehydrogenation conditions to convert at least a portion of the cyclohexane to benzene thereby forming a second effluent stream. The amount of methylcyclopentane in the second effluent stream is different by no more than 65% of the total amount of the portion of the first effluent stream, said amounts being on a weight basis. A methylcyclopentane-containing stream is removed from either the first or the second effluent stream and at least a portion of the second effluent stream containing benzene is recycled to the hydroalkylation step.

Abstract: In one aspect, the invention includes in a process for cracking a hydrocarbon feedstock comprising: a) feeding a hydrocarbon feedstock containing at least 1 wt % of resid components having boiling points of at least 500° C. to a furnace convection section to heat the feedstock; b) flashing the heated feedstock in a first flash separation vessel to create a first overhead stream and a first bottoms liquid stream; c) hydrogenating at least a portion of the first bottoms liquid stream to create a hydrogenated bottoms stream; d) flashing the hydrogenated bottoms stream in a second flash separation vessel to create a second overhead stream and a second bottoms liquid stream; e) cracking the first overhead stream and the second overhead stream in a cracking furnace to produce a pyrolysis effluent stream. In other embodiments, the process further comprises heating the hydrocarbon feedstock in step a) to a temperature within a range of from 315° C. to 705° C.

Abstract: In a process for producing phenol and cyclohexanone, a feed comprising cyclohexylbenzene is oxidized to produce an oxidation reaction product comprising cyclohexyl-1-phenyl-1-hydroperoxide. At least a portion of the oxidation reaction product is then cleaved to produce a cleavage reaction product comprising phenol, cyclohexanone, and at least one contaminant. At least a portion of the cleavage reaction product is contacted with an acidic material to convert at least a portion of the at least one contaminant to a converted contaminant and thereby produce a modified reaction product. The cleavage reaction product may comprise 1 wt %-30 wt % phenol; 1 wt %-30 wt % cyclohexanone; and 0.

Abstract: In a process for producing phenol, cyclohexylbenzene hydroperoxide is cleaved to produce a cleavage effluent stream comprising phenol and cyclohexanone and at least a portion of the cleavage effluent stream is fractionated to produce a first fraction richer in cyclohexanone than the cleavage effluent stream portion and a second fraction richer in phenol and depleted in cyclohexanone as compared with said cleavage effluent stream portion. At least a portion of the second fraction is then contacted with a dehydrogenation catalyst in a dehydrogenation reaction zone under dehydrogenation conditions effective to convert at least a portion of the cyclohexanone in said second fraction portion into phenol and cyclohexanol.

Abstract: In a process for purifying a hydrogen stream, the stream is contacted with a first washing fluid in a first purification zone under conditions effective to transfer at least some water from the hydrogen stream to the first washing fluid, thereby transforming the hydrogen stream into a water-depleted hydrogen stream. At least a portion of the water-depleted hydrogen stream may then be transferred from the first purification zone to a second purification zone, where it is contacted with a second washing fluid under conditions effective to transfer at least some oxygenates from the water-depleted hydrogen stream to the second washing fluid.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a hydrogenation process that may be used in connection with the production of phenol. In the process, a composition comprising: (i) cyclohexylbenzene; and (ii) a hydrogenable component are contacted with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst under hydrogenation conditions. The hydrogenable component can be one or more of an olefin, a ketone or phenol. The hydrogenation catalyst has hydrogenation component and a support.

Abstract: Described herein is a process for producing phenol in which (a) benzene and hydrogen are contacted with a hydroalkylation catalyst under hydroalkylation conditions to produce cyclohexylbenzene; (b) the cyclohexylbenzene is contacted with an oxidation catalyst under oxidation conditions to produce cyclohexylbenzene hydroperoxide; (c) the cyclohexylbenzene hydroperoxide is contacted with a cleavage catalyst under cleavage conditions to produce a cleavage effluent comprising phenol and cyclohexanone; (d) the cyclohexanone is contacted with a dehydrogenation catalyst under dehydrogenation conditions to produce a dehydrogenation effluent having at least a portion of the cyclohexanone and a first contaminant; and (e) the first contaminant is contacted with an acidic material under contaminant treatment conditions to convert at least a portion of the first contaminant into a converted first contaminant. Phenol compositions made from the above-described process are also described herein.

Abstract: In a process for producing phenol and cyclohexanone, a feed comprising cyclohexylbenzene is oxidized to produce an oxidation reaction product comprising cyclohexyl-1-phenyl-1-hydroperoxide. At least a portion of the oxidation reaction product is then cleaved to produce a cleavage reaction product comprising phenol, cyclohexanone, and at least one contaminant. At least a portion of the cleavage reaction product is contacted with an acidic material to convert at least a portion of the at least one contaminant to a converted contaminant and thereby produce a modified reaction product. The oxidation reaction product may have at least 50 wt % of cyclohexylbenzene, no greater than 80 wt % of cyclo-hexyl-1-phenyl-1-hydroperoxide, and 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % of another hydroperoxide.

Abstract: Described herein are compositions having (a) at least 99 wt % phenol; and (b) 0.1 wppm to 1000 wppm of at least one of the following components: bicyclohexane, cyclohexylbenzene, methylcyclopentylbenzene, hydroxycyclohexanone, cyclohexenone, cyclohexanol, cyclohexanone, cyclohexanedione, benzoic acid, hexanal, and methycyclopentanone, wherein the wt % and wppm are based upon the total weight of the composition.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a process for producing phenol. The process includes oxidizing at least a portion of a feed comprising cyclohexylbenzene to produce an oxidation composition comprising cyclohexyl-1-phenyl-1-hydroperoxide. The oxidation composition may then be cleaved in the presence of an acid catalyst to produce a cleavage reaction mixture comprising the acid catalyst, phenol and cyclohexanone. At least a portion of the cleavage reaction mixture may be neutralized with a basic material to form a treated cleavage reaction mixture. In various embodiments, the treated cleavage reaction mixture contains no greater than 50 wppm of the acid catalyst or no greater than 50 wppm of the basic material.

Abstract: In a process for producing phenol and cyclohexanone, a feed comprising cyclohexylbenzene is oxidized to produce an oxidation reaction product comprising cyclohexyl-1-phenyl-1-hydroperoxide. At least a portion of the oxidation reaction product is then cleaved to produce a cleavage reaction product comprising phenol, cyclohexanone, and at least one contaminant. At least a portion of the cleavage reaction product is contacted with an acidic material to convert at least a portion of the at least one contaminant to a converted contaminant and thereby produce a modified reaction product.

Abstract: In a process for producing phenol and cyclohexanone, a feed comprising cyclohexylbenzene is oxidized to produce an oxidation reaction product comprising cyclohexyl-1-phenyl-1-hydroperoxide. At least a portion of the oxidation reaction product is then cleaved to produce a cleavage reaction product comprising phenol, cyclohexanone, and at least one contaminant At least a portion of the cleavage reaction product is contacted with an acidic material to convert at least a portion of the at least one contaminant to a converted contaminant and thereby produce a modified reaction product. The composition comprising cyclohexylbenzene may have at least 10 wt % of cyclohexylbenzene; 1 wppm to 1 wt % of bicyclohexane; 1 wppm to 1 wt % of biphenyl; and 1 wppm to 2 wt % of methylcyclopentylbenzene, wherein the wt % s and wppms are based upon total weight of the composition.

Abstract: A hydrocarbon composition that comprises species of at least 3 different carbon numbers, at least about 95 wt % non-normal hydrocarbons, no greater than 1000 wppm aromatics, no greater than 10 wt % naphthenes, and also has a certain boiling point range; and a process for making the hydrocarbon composition.

Abstract: In a process for the dehydrogenation of cyclohexanone to produce phenol, a feed comprising cyclohexanone is contacted with a dehydrogenation catalyst under dehydrogenation conditions comprising a temperature of less than 400° C. and a pressure of less than 690 kPa, gauge, such 0.1 to 50 wt % of the cyclohexanone in said feed is converted to phenol and the dehydrogenation product contains less than 100 ppm by weight of alkylbenzenes.

Abstract: A hydrocarbon fluid composition that comprises species of at least two different carbon numbers, an aerobic biodegradability of greater than 40% at 28 days, a cetane number of less than 60, and a certain boiling point range; and a process for making the hydrocarbon fluid composition.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a hydrogenation process that may be used in connection with the production of phenol. In the process, a composition comprising: (i) cyclohexylbenzene; and (ii) a hydrogenable component are contacted with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst under hydrogenation conditions. The hydrogenable component can be one or more of an olefin, a ketone or phenol. The hydrogenation catalyst has hydrogenation component and a support.

Abstract: In one aspect, the invention includes in a process for cracking a hydrocarbon feedstock comprising: a) feeding a hydrocarbon feedstock containing at least 1 wt % of resid components having boiling points of at least 500° C. to a furnace convection section to heat the feedstock; b) flashing the heated feedstock in a first flash separation vessel to create a first overhead stream and a first bottoms liquid stream; c) hydrogenating at least a portion of the first bottoms liquid stream to create a hydrogenated bottoms stream; d) flashing the hydrogenated bottoms stream in a second flash separation vessel to create a second overhead stream and a second bottoms liquid stream; e) cracking the first overhead stream and the second overhead stream in a cracking furnace to produce a pyrolysis effluent stream. In other embodiments, the process further comprises heating the hydrocarbon feedstock in step a) to a temperature within a range of from 315° C. to 705° C.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for converting a feed including an oxygenate to a product including a light olefin. In particular, this invention relates to converting an oxygenate feedstock with a silicoaluminophosphate catalyst to a product including a light olefin in a reaction apparatus. More particularly, this invention provides a means by which an optimum level of coke can be determined and utilized to generate an optimum or near-optimum yield of light olefins such as ethylene and propylene in a oxygenates to olefins system.

Abstract: A method of producing synthesis gas for methanol synthesis that comprises the steps of: (a) obtaining a hydrogen stream that has greater than 5 mol % methane from an external process; (b) feeding into a reforming reactor: (i) a feed gas that comprises methane, (ii) water in a specified amount, (iii) oxygen in a specified amount, and (iv) the hydrogen stream in a specified amount; (c) reacting the feed gas, water, oxygen and the hydrogen stream in the reactor; and (d) withdrawing from the reactor the synthesis gas that is at a specific temperature, has less than 3 mol % methane, and has a stoichiometric number of from 1.9 to 2.3.