Abstract: A coalescence element is provided with at least one coalescence medium configured to coalesce water contained in a fluid. The at least one coalescence medium is made of a material with a packing density of at most 10%. The coalescence element is embodied as a single layer formed as a cylindrical jacket and has a fluid path for a fluid between an inlet side and an outlet side of the cylindrical jacket. A filter element with a filter bellows and a support pipe arranged coaxially inside the filter bellows is provided with such coalescence element that is arranged between the filter bellows and the support pipe in the flow direction so as to surround the support pipe at a radial outer side.

Abstract: In an improved fiber-film type contactor/separator an enhanced coalescing zone is provided by the presence of a disengagement device connected to a shroud that contains a bundle of high surface area vertical hanging fibers, where the enhanced coalescing zone diverts a portion of an admixture of immiscible liquids to flow radially in a path not parallel to the vertical axis of the hanging fibers whereby the diverted portion of liquids contacts a coalescing surface to cause at least one of the liquids to coalesce into droplets. The immiscible liquids are allowed to settle into separate phase layers and first and second outlets selectively remove the higher density liquid from the lower density liquid.

Abstract: A process for the dissociation of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), which includes at least a) catalytic dissociation of MTBE which is present in two streams I and VII over a catalyst to give a dissociation product II, b) separation by distillation of the dissociation product II obtained in a) into an overhead stream III containing more than 90% by mass and a bottom stream IV containing diisobutene, MTBE and more than 80% of the methanol present in the dissociation product II, c) separation by distillation of the bottom stream IV obtained in b) into a methanol-containing bottom stream V, a side stream VI containing diisobutene, methanol and MTBE and an overhead stream VII containing MTBE and methanol and d) recirculation of the overhead stream VII to a).

Abstract: Isobutene is prepared by a process in which a) an MTBE-containing stream I is separated by distillation into an MTBE-containing overhead stream II and a bottom stream III which comprises compounds having boiling points higher than that of MTBE; and b) the MTBE present in the overhead stream II is dissociated over a catalyst to give a dissociation product IV; wherein the stream I has a proportion of 2-methoxybutane (MSBE) of greater than 1000 ppm by mass, based on MTBE, and wherein the separation by distillation in step a) and/or the dissociation in step b) is carried out so that the dissociation product IV has a concentration of less than 1000 ppm by mass of linear butenes, based on a C4-olefin fraction.

Abstract: Removing impurities from a heptane stream by contacting the heptane stream with an acidic catalyst, wherein the contacting reduces a concentration of one or more close boiling impurities, one or more olefins, or both. The impurities are isomerized via contact with the acidic catalyst into species that possess lower octane levels or that do not possess boiling points as near to the boiling point of n-heptane, which promotes separation of the impurities via distillation. Close boiling impurities may include such compounds as cis-1,2-dimethylcyclopentane and methylcyclohexane or may be compounds having boiling points at a standard pressure of 760 Torr in the range of about 96.5 to about 100.5 degrees Celsius including such compounds as cis-1,2-dimethylcyclopentane and methylcyclohexane. The concentration of cis-1,2-dimethylcyclopentane and methylcyclohexane may be reduced by at least about 25 and 10 percent by weight, respectively.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for the separation and recovery of an unsaturated hydrocarbon from its mixture with at least one other material by the selective and reversible complexation of the unsaturated hydrocarbon using a single cubane-type cluster of palladium, molybdenum and sulfur as a complexation agent.

Abstract: A process for the removal of mercury from natural gas condensate wherein hydrogen sulfide is mixed into the natural gas condensate and the mixture is fed along with a stripping gas through a reactor containing a catalyst, e.g. a cobalt/molybdenum catalyst.

Abstract: A process for the removal of mercury from natural gas condensate wherein elemental sulfur is mixed into the natural gas condensate and the mixture, along with a stream of hydrogen, is fed through a reactor containing a hydrodesulfurization catalyst.

Abstract: A process for the removal of mercury from natural gas condensate wherein the natural gas condensate is passed over a catalyst, while also passing a stream of methane containing hydrogen sulfide over the catalyst.

Abstract: Mixtures of C.sub.12 -C.sub.18 n-paraffins with paraffinsulphonic acids having the same number of carbon atoms, water and sulphuric acid, and obtained by sulphoxidation of said paraffins with SO.sub.2 and O.sub.2 in the presence of water and UV radiation are stripped of their excess SO.sub.2 and decanted to separate most of the paraffins, and obtain a residual mixture. The residual mixture is dehydrated according to the invention until a two-phase system forms or at least until the mixture becomes turbid, and the dehydrated mixture either as such or after separating the heavier phase consisting of water and sulphuric acid is extracted with supercritical CO.sub.2, which removes with it the n-paraffins, these being reused in the sulphoxidation process.

Abstract: A mixture of normally liquid organic compounds, particularly a light cycle oil obtained by the catalytic cracking of petroleum oils, is separated by contacting the mixture with an essentially anhydrous organic sulfoxide, particularly dimethylsulfoxide, to dissolve an organic extract in said sulfoxide and form an extract phase, comprising sulfoxide and the organic extract, and a raffinate phase, comprising the organic raffinate; diluting the extract phase with about 4.0 to 10.0 wt.

Abstract: Olefin mixtures containing vinyl, vinylidene and internal olefins are upgraded in value by removing the vinylidene olefin content and lowering the internal olefin content by selective reaction with a sulfur halide such as S.sub.2 Cl.sub.2 followed by reaction with aqueous alkali metal hydrosulfide and optionally alkali metal sulfide. The reaction mixture is distilled to remove mainly vinyl and a reduced amount of internal olefins. The distillation residue is an effective extreme pressure additive for lubricating oil.

Abstract: This invention provides a process for isolating and recovering butene-1 of high purity at high yield. Firstly, a butane-butene fraction containing 0.1 to 7 wt % of isobutylene, 10 to 50 wt % of butene-1 and 5 to 20 wt % of isobutane is rectified to reduce the content of isobutane to not more than 0.1 wt %. Then, the rectified butane-butene fraction is passed through a reactor packed with an extrusion molded silica-alumina catalyst to polymerize isobutylene at a reaction velocity as high as 50 times or more of that of butene-1, thus forming oligomers of isobutylene. Finally, the hydrocarbon mixture from the reactor is rectified to remove the oligomers of isobutylene and the other C.sub.4 -hydrocarbons.

Abstract: MTBE can be dissociated with high selectivity to isobutene and methanol over acid action exchange resin catalysts using very high LHSV, e.g. of 7 to 35 at pressure drops of 0.5 to 50 psig through the fixed bed at reaction pressure of 0.5 to 4 atmospheres and bed temperatures in a fixed bed tubular-reactor in the range of 90.degree. C. to 160.degree. C. Good conversions are obtained and undissociated MTBE and by-products of the dissociation may be recycled to a liquid phase MTBE synthesis.

Abstract: A method for harvesting algae of the genus Dunaliella from suspensions thereof in brines containing sodium chloride at a concentration of about 3M or above, wherein the algal suspension is contacted with an adsorbent having a hydrophobic surface so as to adsorb the algae thereon, and the adsorbent with the algae adsorbed thereon is separated from the brine..beta.-carotene and other useful cell components may be extracted from the adsorbed algae by treatment with a suitable solvent.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method for upgrading of hydrocarbon mixtures, so as to reduce their content of gum precursors such as diolefins and pseudo-diolefins, and provide a resulting product mixture suitable for mild hydrogenation, for use as a motor fuel or as a feed stock to an extraction unit. The process comprises obtaining a hydrocarbon mixture containing about 60-90 wt. % of aromatic components, about 3-40 wt. % of dienes and pseudodienes, and monoolefins, and up to about 6 wt. % of relatively unreactive organic compounds, reacting this mixture with elemental sulfur in the approximate weight ratio of about 5-95 wt. % of the hydrocarbon mixture with about 95-5 wt. % of elemental sulfur, the reaction being carried out at a temperature in the range of 100.degree.-150.degree. C. for about 10 minutes to 24 hours with good mixing, removing the unreacted materials by distillation and separating a sulfur-hydrocarbon reaction product to provide the upgraded hydrocarbon mixture.

Abstract: A process for isolating and recovering butene-1 of high purity at a high yield is provided. The process comprises the steps of continuously passing a butane-butene fraction containing 0.1 to 15 wt % of isobutylene and 10 to 50 wt % of butene-1 through a first reactor packed with a strongly acidic cation exchange resin having an average particle size of from 0.2 to 10 mm at a temperature of from 30.degree. to 100.degree. C. and at a space velocity of liquid of from 0.1 to 50 hr.sup.-1 under a pressure of from 1 to 50 atm., dividing the output mixture flowing out of said first reactor into two flows at a division ratio in flow rate of 1.about.15:1, recirculating the first flow having the flow rate of 1.about.

Abstract: A method for separating olefins from paraffins in which a mixture of olefin and paraffin is contacted with a dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) extractant stream in the liquid phase thereby dissolving olefins in the DMSO and permitting separation of a paraffin stream. The DMSO containing dissolved olefin is then contacted with water and a phase separation is effected between olefin and a mixture of DMSO and water. At least a portion of the DMSO and water mixture can be fractionated to produce a dried DMSO product which can be recycled as a portion of the extractant into contact with the mixture of olefin and paraffin.

Abstract: An improved process for recovering isobutylene contained in a mixture of hydrocarbons having four carbon atoms by selective extraction with an aqueous solution of sulfuric acid of a concentration of about 50 wt. % followed by separating the isobutylene-rich sulfuric acid extract by a first flash distillation of the extract and by a second physical separation of the isobutylene-enriched extract from said flashing step (which the latter physical separation is preferaby a second flash distillation at a temperature which is higher than the first and is at 75.degree. C. or less, and wherein said first flash distillation is between 10.degree. and 60.degree. C. and both distillations are preferably at a pressure between 0.5 and 1.5 bars absolute to give an isobutylene purity greater than 99.5%).