Abstract: Method, apparatus and adsorbents for the removal of selenium from feeds such as waste water streams from refineries and power plants.

Abstract: A process is described for the recovery of substantially pure ethyl acetate from a feedstock including ethyl acetate, ethanol and water. The process includes supplying the feedstock to a first distillation zone maintained under first distillation conditions effective for distilling from the feedstock a first distillate including ethyl acetate, ethanol, and less than about 10 mol % water. The first distillate is recovered from the first distillation zone and is supplied to a second distillation zone maintained under second distillation conditions, which include use of a higher pressure than that of the first distillation zone. The second distillation conditions are effective for distilling from the first distillate a second distillate including ethanol, water, and a minor proportion of ethyl acetate and yielding a substantially pure ethyl acetate bottom product, which is recovered. The second distillate is returned to the first distillation zone.

Abstract: A process for activating a cobalt-containing catalyst by contacting the catalyst with hydrogen in a reaction system suitable for use in a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis wherein a first gaseous stream comprising 0.25 to 5% by volume of hydrogen and 95 to 99.75% by volume of inert gas is continuously introduced into the reaction system and a second gaseous stream is continuously withdrawn from the reactor system wherein the activation procedure comprises the steps of: (A) heating the contents of the reactor system to a temperature which is in a range of 25 to 5° C. below a critical activation temperature; (B) thereafter increasing the temperature at a rate of up to 20° C. per hour to a first hold temperature which is in a range of from the critical activation temperature to a temperature which is at most 20° C. above the critical activation temperature; and (C) maintaining the contents of the reactor system approaches the hydrogen content of the first gaseous stream.

Abstract: A process for the co-production of a diol product (e.g. butane-1,4-diol) and a cyclic ether (e.g. tetrahydrofuran) by hydrogenation of an aliphatic diester or lactone feedstock (e.g. dimethyl or diethyl maleate), which contains a minor amount of acidic material, such as the corresponding monoester. The process utilizes a plurality of hydrogenation zones connected in series, each containing a charge of a granular ester hydrogenation catalyst. The catalyst in the first hydrogenation zone is tolerant of a minor amount of acidic material, while the catalyst in the second hydrogenation zone provides enhanced yields of cyclic ethers compared to the catalyst of the first hydrogenation zone. The catalyst in a third hydrogenation zone exhibits low selectivity towards conversion of the diester to at least one by product (e.g. 2-4?-hydroxybutoxy-tetrahydrofuran).

Abstract: Ethanol is dehydrogenated in the presence of hydrogen over a dehydrogenation catalyst, for example, a copper on silica catalyst. The liquefiable products present in the resulting intermediate reaction product mixture are selectively hydrogenated over a suitable catalyst, such as 5% ruthenium on carbon, so as selectively to hydrogenate reactive carbonyl-containing by-products to the corresponding alcohols. Butan-2-one and n-butyraldehyde are thereby hydrogenated to 2-butanol and n-butanol respectively. A two stage distillation procedure is then used to purify the selectively hydrogenated product. A first distillate of ethyl acetate, ethanol and water produced in the first distillation zone is redistilled in the second distillation zone, thereby producing a bottom product comprising, typically, from about 99.8 mol % to about 99.

Abstract: A process for activating a cobalt-containing catalyst by contacting the catalyst with hydrogen in a reaction system suitable for use in a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis wherein a first gaseous stream comprising 0.25 to 5% by volume of hydrogen and 95 to 99.75% by volume of inert gas is continuously introduced into the reaction system and a second gaseous stream is continuously withdrawn from the reactor system wherein the activation procedure comprises the steps of: (A) heating the contents of the reactor system to a temperature which is in a range of 25 to 5° C. below a critical activation temperature; (B) thereafter increasing the temperature at a rate of up to 20° C. per hour to a first hold temperature which is in a range of from the critical activation temperature to a temperature which is at most 20° C. above the critical activation temperature; and (C) maintaining the contents of the reactor system approaches the hydrogen content of the first gaseous stream.

Abstract: A process for the recovery of substantially pure alkyl alkanoate, such as ethyl acetate, from an impure feedstock. The impure feedstock is contacted with a selective hydrogenation catalyst in the presence of hydrogen in a selective hydrogenation zone maintained under selective hydrogenation conditions effective for selective hydrogenation of impurities containing reactive carbonyl groups thereby to hydrogenate the impurities to the corresponding alcohols. After recovery from the selective hydrogenation zone of a selectively hydrogenated reaction product mixture including the alkyl alkanoate and the corresponding alcohols, this is distilled in one or more distillation zones so as to produce substantially pure alkyl alkanoate therefrom which is recovered.

Abstract: A process for the co-production of a diol product (e.g. butane-1,4-diol) and a cyclic ether (e.g. tetrahydrofuran) by hydrogenation of an aliphatic diester or lactone feedstock (e.g. dimethyl or diethyl maleate), which contains a minor amount of acidic material, such as the corresponding monoester. The process utilizes a plurality of hydrogenation zones connected in series, each containing a charge of a granular ester hydrogenation catalyst. The catalyst in the first hydrogenation zone is tolerant of a minor amount of acidic material, while the catalyst in the second hydrogenation zone provides enhanced yields of cyclic ethers compared to the catalyst of the first hydrogenation zone. The catalyst in a third hydrogenation zone exhibits low selectivity towards conversion of the diester to at least one by product (e.g. 2-4′-hydroxybutoxy-tetrahydrofuran).

Abstract: The invention provides a process for the purification of a butane-1,4-diol feed containing a minor amount of the cyclic acetal, 2-(4'-hydroxybutoxy)-tetrahydrofuran, which comprises hydrogenating the butane-1,4-diol feed in a hydrogenation zone in the presence of a minor amount of water and a hydrogenation catalyst, and recovering from the hydrogenation zone a butane-1,4-diol product that has a reduced 2-(4'-hydroxybutoxy)-tetrahydrofuran content compared with the butane-1,4-diol feed.