Patents by Inventor Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
Lawrence A. Smith, Jr. 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).
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Patent number: 5080871Abstract: Organic aromatic compounds are alkylated in a Reactive Distillation.TM. reactor, wherein the solid particulate catalyst is slurried in the aromatic feed stream and fed to a reaction zone containing inert distillation packing. Olefin is vaporized and fed to the bottom of the reaction zone and agitates the catalyst while reacting the olefin with the aromatic to form an alkylation product. The alkylation product is removed from the lower end of the reaction zone and recovered. Any unreacted aromatic is distilled overhead and recycled or recovered. Recycling the aromatic controls the molar ratio of aromatic to olefin to the extent that substantially all of the olefin is reacted.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 1990Date of Patent: January 14, 1992Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing CompanyInventors: John R. Adams, Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
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Patent number: 5055627Abstract: Cumene is produced in a catalyst bed under 0.25 to 50 atmospheres of pressure and at temperatures in the range of 50.degree. C. to 500.degree. C., using as the catalyst a mole sieve characterized as acidic by feeding propylene to the catalyst bed while benzene is conveniently added through the reflux to result in a molar excess present in the reactor to that required to react with propylene, thereby reacting substantially all of the propylene and recovering benzene as the principal overhead and cumene and diisopropyl benzene in the bottoms. The bottoms are fractionated, the cumene recovered and the bottoms are contacted with benzene in the liquid phase in a fixed bed straight pass reactor under conditions to transalkylate the benzene thereby converting most of the diisopropyl benzene to cumene which is again separated and recovered.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 1989Date of Patent: October 8, 1991Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing CompanyInventors: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr., Robert P. Arganbright, Dennis Hearn
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Patent number: 5003124Abstract: A liquid phase process for oligomerization of C.sub.4 and C.sub.5 isoolefins or the etherification thereof with C.sub.1 to C.sub.6 alcohols wherein the reactants are contacted in a reactor with a fixed bed acid cation exchange resin catalyst at an LHSV of 5 to 20, pressure of 0 to 400 psig and temperature of 120 to 300.degree. F. wherein the improvement is the operation of the reactor at a pressure to maintain the reaction mixture at its boiling point whereby at least a portion but less than all of the reaction mixture is vaporized. By operating at the boiling point and allowing a portion of the reaction mixture to vaporize, the exothermic heat of reaction is dissipated by the formation of more boil up and the temperature in the reactor is controlled.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 1988Date of Patent: March 26, 1991Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing CompanyInventors: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr., Dennis hearn, Edward M. Jones, Jr.
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Patent number: 4982022Abstract: A process for the production of tertiary alcohols by the reaction of the corresponding isoolefin and water is disclosed. In particular the production of tertiary butyl alcohol and tertiary amyl alcohol is disclosed. The isoolefin and water are contacted over an acid cation exchange resin catalyst in a distillation column reactor where the products and reactants are separated by fractional distillation. In one embodiment a liquid level is maintained in the catalyst bed.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 1989Date of Patent: January 1, 1991Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing CompanyInventors: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr., Robert P. Arganbright
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Patent number: 4978807Abstract: A method and apparatus for conducting a catalytic distillation process is provided which allows for maintaining a liquid level in selected portions of the catalyst bed. Three particular processes disclosed are the production of methyl tertiary butyl ether, tertiary butyl alcohol and cumene. A method for the production of methyl tertiary butyl ether by reaction of isobutene with methanol in a distillation reaction column is disclosed wherein a liquid level maintained in the distillation reaction zone.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 1989Date of Patent: December 18, 1990Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing CompanyInventor: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
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Patent number: 4950803Abstract: A liquid phase process for oligomerization of C.sub.4 and C.sub.5 isoolefins or the etherification thereof with C.sub.1 to C.sub.6 alcohols wherein the reactants are contacted in a reactor with a fixed bed acid cation exchange resin catalyst at an LHSV of 5 to 20, pressure of 0 to 400 psig and temperature of 120.degree. to 300.degree. F. wherein the improvement is the operation of the reactor at a pressure to maintain the reaction mixture at its boiling point whereby at least a portion but less than all of the reaction mixture is vaporized. By operating at the boiling point and allowing a portion of the reaction mixture to vaporize, the exothermic heat of reaction is dissipated by the formation of more boil up and the temperature in the reactor is controlled.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 1987Date of Patent: August 21, 1990Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing CompanyInventors: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr., Dennis Hearn, Edward M. Jones, Jr.
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Patent number: 4918243Abstract: A portion of the best of vaporization, required to separate and recover methanol from wash water used to remove methanol from a C.sub.4 raffinate resulting from the reaction of isobutene containing C.sub.4 hydrocarbons and methanol to produce MTBE is recovered by conducting the distillation of the methanol/water mixture at a pressure of 40 to 60 psig, thereby increasing the temerature of the methanol overhead to 104.degree. to 114.degree. C. and using the reaction effluent from the MTBE reactor to cool and condense the methanol overhead, said reactor effluent being correspondingly heated prior to entry into a debutanizer tower where unreacted C.sub.4 's and methanol are removed as a raffinate and MTBE product recovered. It is this raffinate that is washed with water to recover the unreacted methanol, with the methanol/water mixture being distilled as set forth above.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 1988Date of Patent: April 17, 1990Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing CompanyInventors: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr., Edward M. Jones, Jr., Dennis Hearn
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Patent number: 4849569Abstract: Aromatic compounds are alkylated in a catalytic distillation, wherein the catalyst structure also serves as a distillation component by contacting the aromatic compound with a C.sub.2 to C.sub.10 olefin in the catalyst bed under 0.25 to 50 atmospheres of pressure and at temperatures in the range of 80.degree. C. to 500.degree. C., using as the catalyst a mole sieve characterized as acidic or an acidic cation exchange resin. For example, ethyl benzene is produced by feeding ethylene below the catalyst bed while benzene is conveniently added through the reflux in molar excess to that required to react with ethylene, thereby reacting substantially all of the ethylene and recovering benzene as the principal overhead and ethyl benzene in the bottoms.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 1988Date of Patent: July 18, 1989Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing CompanyInventor: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
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Patent number: 4629710Abstract: Heat stabilized catalyst compositions are prepared from nuclear sulfonic acid, for example, macroporous crosslinked polyvinyl aromatic compounds containing sulfonic acid groups are neutralized with a metal of Al, Fe, Zn, Cu, Ni, ions or mixtures and alkali, alkaline earth metals or ammonium ions by contacting the resin containing the sulfonic acid with aqueous solutions of the metals salts and alkali, alkaline earth metal or ammonium salts. The catalysts have at least 50% of the sulfonic acid groups neutralized with metal ions and the balance of the sulfonic acid groups neutralized with alkali, alkaline earth ions or ammonium ions.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 1984Date of Patent: December 16, 1986Inventor: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
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Patent number: 4551567Abstract: Ethers such as isobutyl tertiary butyl ether are dissociated into their component alcohols and isolefins by heat stabilized catalyst compositions prepared from nuclear sulfonic acid, for example, macroporous crosslinked polyvinyl aromatic compounds containing sulfonic acid groups are neutralized with a metal of Al, Fe, Zn, Cu, Ni, ions or mixtures and alkali, alkaline earth metals or ammonium ions by contacting the resin containing the sulfonic acid with aqueous solutions of the metals salts and alkali, alkaline earth metal or ammonium salts. The catalysts have at least 50% of the sulfonic acid groups neutralized with metal ions and the balance of the sulfonic acid groups neutralized with alkali, alkaline earth ions or ammonium ions.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 1984Date of Patent: November 5, 1985Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing CompanyInventor: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
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Patent number: 4482775Abstract: A method for isomerizing isobutene or n-butene to produce a mixture of isobutene and normal butene, and polymerizing at least a portion thereof to produce isobutene/n-butene codimer, which comprieses feeding at least 80 weight % of either the isobutene or n-butene to a catalytic distillation reactor containing a fixed bed acidic cation exchange resin catalyst packing which provides both the catalyst sites and distillation sites for the reaction products, isomerizing a portion of the isobutene or n-butene to produce a mixture of isobutene and n-butene and reacting at least a portion of the isobutene and n-butene to form codimer of isobutene and n-butene, whereby an overhead fraction containing any unreacted isobutene and n-butene and a bottoms fraction containing codimer is produced. The result of the reaction is substantially the same regardless whether the feed is isobutene or n-butene. Other aspects of the invention, include combinations of procedures to produce high purity isobutene and n-butene.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 1982Date of Patent: November 13, 1984Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing CompanyInventor: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
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Patent number: 4447668Abstract: Alkyl tertiary butyl ether or alkyl tertiary amyl ether is dissociated by vapor phase contact with a cation acidic exchange resin at temperatures in the range of 150.degree. to 250.degree. F. at LHSV of 0.1 to 20 to produce a stream consisting of unreacted ether, isobutene or isoamylene and an alcohol corresponding to the alkyl radical. After the alcohol is removed, the ether/isoolefin stream may be fractionated to obtain a high purity isoolefin (99+%) or the ether/isoolefin stream can be contacted in liquid phase with a cation acidic exchange resin to selectively dimerize the isoolefin in a highly exothermic reaction, followed by fractionation of the dimerization product to produce high purity diisoolefin (97+%). In the case where the alkyl is C.sub.3 to C.sub.6 and the corresponding alcohol is produced on dissociation of the ether, combined dissociation-distillation may be carried out such that isoolefin is the overhead product and alcohol the bottom.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 1983Date of Patent: May 8, 1984Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing CompanyInventors: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr., Edward M. Jones, Jr., Dennis Hearn
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Patent number: 4443559Abstract: Catalytic distillation structure for use in reaction distillation columns, a providing reaction sites and distillation structure and consisting of a catalyst component and a resilient component intimately associated therewith. The resilient component has at least about 70 volume % open space and being present with the catalyst component in an amount such that the catalytic distillation structure consist of at least 10 volume % open space.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 1981Date of Patent: April 17, 1984Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing CompanyInventor: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
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Patent number: 4375576Abstract: In the liquid phase reaction of isobutene in the presence of resin cation exchange resins with itself in a C.sub.4 hydrocarbon stream to form dimers, the formation of higher polymers, oligomers, and co-dimer by-products is suppressed by the presence of 0.0001 to 1 mole per mole of isobutene of methyl tertiary butyl ether.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 1981Date of Patent: March 1, 1983Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing Co.Inventor: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
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Patent number: 4336407Abstract: A method for conducting chemical reactions and fractionation of the reaction mixture comprising feeding reactants to a distillation column reactor into a feed zone and concurrently contacting the reactants with a fixed bed catalytic packing to concurrently carry out the reaction and fractionate the reaction mixture.For example, a method for preparing methyl tertiary butyl ether in high purity from a mixed feed stream of isobutene and normal butene comprising feeding the mixed feed stream to a distillation column reactor into a feed zone at the lower end of a distillation reaction zone, and methanol into the upper end of said distillation reaction zone, which is packed with a properly supported cationic ion exchange resin, contacting the C.sub.4 feed and methanol with the catalytic distillation packing to react methanol and isobutene, and concurrently fractionating the ether from the column below the catalytic zone and removing normal butene overhead above the catalytic zone.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 1981Date of Patent: June 22, 1982Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing CompanyInventor: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
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Patent number: 4332968Abstract: A method for separating primary and secondary amines by contacting a mixture thereof with mesityl oxide, which forms acetone and an adduct with the primary amine. Acetone is removed to force the reaction. The reaction is particularly useful for separating close boiling amines. The primary amine adducts have high boiling points, thereby allowing the secondary amine to be recovered in high purity by distillation. The primary amine may also be recovered by hydrolyzing the adduct which produces the primary amine and acetone.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 1980Date of Patent: June 1, 1982Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing CompanyInventor: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
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Patent number: 4307254Abstract: A method for conducting chemical reactions and fractionation of the reaction mixture comprising feeding reactants to a distillation column reactor into a feed zone and concurrently contacting the reactants with a fixed bed catalytic packing to concurrently carry out the reaction and fractionate the reaction mixture. For example, a method for preparing methyl tertiary butyl ether in high purity from a mixed feed stream of isobutene and normal butene comprising feeding the mixed feed stream to a distillation column reactor into a feed zone at the lower end of a distillation reaction zone, and methanol into the upper end of said distillation reaction zone, which is packed with a properly supported cationic ion exchange resin, contacting the C.sub.4 feed and methanol with the catalytic distillation packing to react methanol and isobutene, and concurrently fractionating the ether from the column below the catalytic zone and removing normal butene overhead above the catalytic zone.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 1980Date of Patent: December 22, 1981Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing CompanyInventor: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
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Patent number: 4306068Abstract: A method for separating primary and secondary amines by contacting a mixture thereof with mesityl oxide, which forms acetone and an adduct with the primary amine. Acetone is removed to force the reaction. The reaction is particulary useful for separating close boiling amines. The primary amine adducts have high boiling points, thereby allowing the secondary amine to be recovered in high purity by distillation. The primary amine may also be recovered by hydrolyzing the adduct which produces the primary amine and acetone.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 1978Date of Patent: December 15, 1981Assignee: Chemical Research and Licensing CompanyInventor: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
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Patent number: 4302356Abstract: A catalyst system for use in a reaction-distillation column which is a cloth belt having a plurality of pockets therein containing acid cation exchange resin arranged and supported by wire mesh intimately associated with the cloth pockets, particularly by coiling the cloth belt with the wire mesh disposed between the coils, i.e., in a spiral.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 1980Date of Patent: November 24, 1981Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing Co.Inventor: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
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Patent number: 4250052Abstract: Sulfonated cation resin catalyst structures are prepared by extruding a vinyl aromatic polymer or copolymer or by depositing a solution containing a vinyl aromatic polymer or copolymer on a base of the desired structure and sulfonating the structure.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 1978Date of Patent: February 10, 1981Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing CompanyInventor: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.