Abstract: The present invention provides a reactor design that enables an auto-thermal cracking process to be conducted at any suitable pressure wherein the gaseous reactants are preheated separately before mixing and then presented to the reaction zone in a uniformly distributed manner.

Abstract: A process for the oxidation of a hydrocarbon, said process comprising partially oxidising in a reaction zone, a mixture comprising a hydrocarbon and an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a catalyst which is capable of supporting oxidation of the hydrocarbon, wherein prior to said partial oxidation, said mixture comprising the hydrocarbon and the oxygen-containing gas is passed through a heat exchanger. Preferably the heat exchanger is a compact heat exchanger. Prior to passage through the heat exchanger a mixture of hydrocarbon and oxygen-containing gas may be passed through a baffle zone which comprises a housing containing at least one baffle plate. In a preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a process for the production of an olefin such as ethylene by the catalytic oxidative dehydrogenation of a hydrocarbon or mixture of hydrocarbons.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the production of mono-olefins from a paraffin-containing hydrocarbon feed, comprising partially combusting a mixture of the hydrocarbon feed and a molecular oxygen-containing gas in contact with a catalyst capable of supporting combustion beyond the normal fuel rich limit of flammability and subsequently separating the products of said combustion wherein energy for the separation is provided by a cogeneration process which simultaneously produces thermal energy and mechanical energy by combustion of fuel, the mechanical energy being converted to electricity, and the thermal energy being used to create steam for use in a steam turbine.

Abstract: A process for the production of a mono-olefin from a feedstock comprising a paraffinic hydrocabon which process comprises a) partially combusting at a pressure of at least (15) barg a mixture of the hydrocarbon feed and a molecular oxygen-containing gas in contact with a catalyst capable of supporting combustion beyond the normal fuel rich limit of flammability where they are reacted to form a product comprising one or more mono-olefin(s), carbon monoxide and hydrogen and b) recovering the one or more olefin(s).