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).

  • Patent number: 5080871
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1992
    Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing Company
    Inventors: John R. Adams, Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5055627
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1991
    Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing Company
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr., Robert P. Arganbright, Dennis Hearn
  • Patent number: 5003124
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1991
    Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing Company
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr., Dennis hearn, Edward M. Jones, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4982022
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 1, 1991
    Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing Company
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr., Robert P. Arganbright
  • Patent number: 4978807
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1990
    Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing Company
    Inventor: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4950803
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing Company
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr., Dennis Hearn, Edward M. Jones, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4918243
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1990
    Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing Company
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr., Edward M. Jones, Jr., Dennis Hearn
  • Patent number: 4849569
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1989
    Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing Company
    Inventor: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4629710
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1986
    Inventor: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4551567
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1985
    Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing Company
    Inventor: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4482775
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1982
    Date of Patent: November 13, 1984
    Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing Company
    Inventor: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4447668
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 1983
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1984
    Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing Company
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr., Edward M. Jones, Jr., Dennis Hearn
  • Patent number: 4443559
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1981
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1984
    Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing Company
    Inventor: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4375576
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1981
    Date of Patent: March 1, 1983
    Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing Co.
    Inventor: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4336407
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1981
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1982
    Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing Company
    Inventor: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4332968
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1980
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1982
    Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing Company
    Inventor: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4307254
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1980
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1981
    Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing Company
    Inventor: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4306068
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1981
    Assignee: Chemical Research and Licensing Company
    Inventor: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4302356
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1980
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1981
    Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing Co.
    Inventor: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4250052
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1978
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1981
    Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing Company
    Inventor: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.