Abstract: The rejuvenative catalytic oxidation of offensive substances, such as cyanides, sulfides, sulfites, thiosulfates, mercaptans, disulfides, ammonia and mixtures thereof, contained in waste water. The process involves the addition of a low concentration of a metal compound to the waste water to be treated and then passing the waste water along with a source of oxygen over an adsorbent material, thus catalytically oxidizing the offensive substances contained in the waste water. The process reduces the catalytic impact of the loss of metal from the adsorbent material due to leaching and allows the catalyst to be rejuvenated and allows recovery from process upsets in the treating system without unit shutdown and catalyst replacement. An example of the catalytic support is activated carbon and an example of the metal is copper.

Abstract: There is disclosed a linear block copolymer comprising at least one triblock I-B-I, wherein I is a block of at least one polymerized conjugated diene of at least five (5) carbon atoms, such as isoprene, and B is a block of a polymer of at least one conjugated diene, different from that used to polymerize the block I, of at least four (4) carbon atoms, such as 1,3-butadiene. The B block is selectively hydrogenated, while each of the I blocks is unhydrogenated and therefore retains a sufficient amount of its original unsaturation to vulcanize the copolymer. There is also disclosed an alternative linear block copolymer containing at least one triblock of the first polymer block made from a minor proportion of at least one aryl-substituted olefin, such as styrene, and a major proportion of at least one conjugated diene used to polymerize the block I, the second middle polymer block of at least one diene used to polymerize the block B, and the third polymer block which is the same as the first polymer block.

Abstract: A catalytic process for the dimerization of norbornene and/or norbornadiene using a reduced valence state Group VIB metal oxide as the catalyst, preferably Cr(II) on a porous support such as silica. The product norbornene dimer or norbornadiene dimer is obtained in high yield and high stereospecificity at greater than 90 weight percent of the exo-trans-exo stereoisomer. The norbornene dimer is useful as a high energy density fuel. The norbornadiene dimer can be further functionalized to yield novel chemical intermediates or polymerized or copolymerized with other olefins. The norbornadiene dimer can also be hydrogenated for high energy fuel applications.

Abstract: With sufficient oxygen but with no added fuel gas, recovering sulfur from a gas stream containing hydrogen sulfide by oxidizing the gas stream with heat exchange from heat generated in a thermal converter section of a sulfur recovery unit to convert the hydrogen sulfide in the gas stream to sulfur oxide, and thus form a sulfur oxide enriched gas stream. The sulfur oxide enriched gas stream is contacted with a solid adsorbent bed to extract the sulfur oxides and retain them as sulfur compounds, thus forming a sulfur oxide depleted gas stream. The adsorbent bed is then contacted with a reducing gas stream to reduce the retained sulfur compounds to hydrogen sulfide and/or sulfur dioxide and thereby form a hydrogen sulfide and/or sulfur dioxide bearing stream. Sulfur is recovered from the hydrogen sulfide and/or sulfur dioxide bearing stream, and the sulfur oxide depleted gas stream maybe sent to an incinerator or vented through a stack.

Abstract: A process for reducing sulfur content in a gaseous stream with the production of elemental sulfur by first treating the gaseous steam with hydrogenation and hydrolysis to convert substantially all of the sulfur components therein to hydrogen sulfide. Then reducing the water content of the gaseous stream to optimize chemical equilibrium. Thereafter, the gaseous steam is contacted in an oxidation reactor with an acid catalyst at a temperature of about 150.degree. C. to about 350.degree. C. to convert hydrogen sulfide to elemental sulfur. The product gas leaving the oxidation reactor is cooled to separate elemental sulfur by condensation. The acid catalyst is a shape selective zeolite, a metal-exchanged or impregnated alumina, or a mixture thereof. The alumina is gamma phase alumina impregnated with from about 0.2 wt % to about 2.0 wt % metal.

Abstract: There is disclosed a linear block copolymer comprising at least one triblock I-B-I, wherein I is a block of at least one polymerized conjugated diene of at least five (5) carbon atoms, such as isoprene, and B is a block of a polymer of at least one conjugated diene, different from that used to polymerize the block I, of at least four (4) carbon atoms, such as 1,3-butadiene. The B block is selectively hydrogenated, while each of the I blocks is unhydrogenated and therefore retains a sufficient amount of its original unsaturation to vulcanize the copolymer. There is also disclosed an alternative linear block copolymer containing at least one triblock of the first polymer block made from a minor proportion of at least one aryl-substituted olefin, such as styrene, and a major proportion of at least one conjugated diene used to polymerize the block I, the second middle polymer block of at least one diene used to polymerize the block B, and the third polymer block which is the same as the first polymer block.

Abstract: A synthetic hydrocarbon-based material for direct use in foods and pharmaceuticals which includes a hydrogenated oligomer of an alpha olefin having 5 to 20 carbon atoms.

Abstract: A process for catalytically desulfurizing cracked fractions in the gasoline boiling range to acceptable sulfur levels uses an initial hydrotreating step to desulfurize the feed with some reduction in octane number, after which the desulfurized material is treated with a self-bound or binder-free zeolite to restore lost octane. The process may be utilized to desulfurize catalytically and thermally cracked naphthas such as FCC naphtha as well as pyrolysis gasoline and coker naphthas, while maintaining octane so as to reduce the requirement for reformate and alkylate in the gasoline blend. The self-bound catalyst offers advantages in activity and permits the process to be carried out at lower temperatures.

Abstract: There are disclosed novel comb graft polymers and copolymers comprising a backbone of a linear polymer of p-methylstyrene (p-MS) and grafted branches of a linear addition polymer of at least one anionically polymerizable compound. The polymers may be produced by metallating the p-MS polymer with an organo alkali metal metallating agent, e.g., an alkyllithium, at active hydrogen sites along the polymer chain and graft polymerizing the anionically polymerizable compound at the metallated sites to form the grafted branches. Certain of the foregoing comb graft polymers and copolymers, e.g., wherein the backbone is a homopolymer of p-MS or a copolymer of p-MS and a ring-substituted alkylstyrene such as p-tert-butylstyrene (t-BS) and the branches are a polymer of t-BS, are useful as additives to functional fluids, particularly hydrocarbon lubricating oils, for the purpose of thickening and improving their viscosity index.

Abstract: Low sulfur gasoline of relatively high octane number is produced from a cracked, sulfur-containing olefinic naphthas by hydrodesulfurization followed by treatment over an acidic catalyst comprising an intermediate pore size zeolite such as zeolite ZSM-5 in combination with molybdenum. The use of the molybdenum in combination with the zeolite has been found to give improved catalytic acitivity coupled with lower coking, longer catalyst life and other advantages.

Abstract: Well fluids such as drilling muds, especially useful in offshore drilling, are formulated with a hydrocarbon oil blend of a low viscosity poly alpha-olefin (PAO) such as a low molecular weight oligomer of decene together with a C.sub.10 to C.sub.18 paraffinic hydrocarbon of petroleum origin and a C.sub.10 to C.sub.18 olefin such as dodecene-1 or tetradecene-1. The fluids exhibit good biodegradability and are non-toxic to marine organisms; they also meet viscosity and pour points specifications for formulation into oil based muds.

Abstract: A method and system useful for the removal of contaminants such as sulfur oxides from waste gas streams using a graded-bed system is disclosed. The graded-bed system uses beds with solid sorbents of two or more particle sizes in separate sections of the bed. In one embodiment, the solid sorbents are arranged so that the larger sorbent particles are disposed in the entrance region of the graded-bed system. In operation, a waste gas stream is passed over and through the solid sorbents so that contaminants, such as sulfur oxides and/or nitrogen oxides are adsorbed. The sorbent bed is then contacted with a reducing gas to desorb the sulfur oxides.

Abstract: A benzene-rich gasoline stream is alkylated with higher olefins in contact with a fluid bed of shape selective zeolite catalyst to produce a gasoline product stream reduced in benzene content wherein the high octane value alkylaromatics formed by benzene alkylation are of low carbon number, essentially C10-. Concurrently, a portion of olefins in the gasoline stream are converted to gasoline boiling range hydrocarbons and the sulfur content of the gasoline feedstream is lowered. Besides enhancing the octane value of the feedstream, the process results in a lower Reid vapor pressure and lower sulfur content.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for the production of alkyl tertiary alkyl ethers in C.sub.4 + hydrocarbon streams rich in isoolefins, typically containing catalyst deactivating amounts of dienes and/or compounds containing heteroatoms. The process is especially advantageous in extending the cycle length for the zeolite catalyzed etherification of isoolefins in C.sub.4 + FCC gasoline by reducing catalyst aging. It has been discovered that if hydrogen is cofed with the alkanol and C.sub.4 + isoolefin rich feedstreams to an etherification reaction catalyzed by acidic zeolite wherein the zeolite has been impregnated with a noble metal the rate of catalyst aging or deactivation is substantially lowered. The process is especially effective, i.e., catalyst aging is particularly reduced, when hydrogen is cofed to an etherification reaction using acidic zeolite Beta catalyst containing palladium.

Abstract: Novel star-branched polymers in which the arms are each a polymer of an anionically polymerizable monomer consisting of monoethylenically unsaturated compounds comprising p-tert-butylstyrene (t-BS) coupled with a polyalkenyl coupling agent. Certain of the foregoing star-branched polymers, e.g., wherein the arms are a homopolymer of t-BS and the coupling agent is divinylbenzene (DVB), are useful as additives to functional fluids, particularly hydrocarbon lubricating oils, for the purpose of improving their viscometric properties.

Abstract: A hydrocarbon oligomer and a process for its production is disclosed that is useful as a pour point depressant and as a combination pour point depressant and viscosity index improver for mineral oil or synthetic oil. The oligomer is also useful in modifying wax crystal formation at low temperature when added to distillate fuels. The oligomer is a near linear copolymer of a mixture of ethylene and C.sub.3 -C.sub.28 1-alkenes, or only 1-alkenes, wherein a large proportion of the pendant alkyl groups of the recurring 1-alkene monomer units contain between 14 and 22 carbon atoms. The oligomer is produced by polymerization of mixed 1-alkenes with reduced chromium oxide catalyst on silica support.

Abstract: A process is presented for the hydration of light olefins to produce C.sub.2 -C.sub.7 aliphatic alcohols with improved selectivity, catalyst productivity and catalyst stability. Acidic medium pore, shape selective metallosilicate catalyst particles are contacted with a feedstream containing light olefin plus water at elevated temperature above the dew point of water, i.e., in a gas phase, wherein the reaction mixture is essentially starved with respect to the mole ratio of water to C.sub.2 -C.sub.7 light olefin. Isopropanol is produced at a selectivity greater than 70 weight percent when the mole ration of water to propylene is between 0.05 and 0.499. Zeolite ZSM-5, ZSM-23, ZSM-35 and ferrierite are preferred catalysts.

Abstract: A distributor system for uniformly directing vapor and liquid across the surface of a fixed bed of solids in a downflow reactor comprising a distributor tray, and a plurality of open-ended downpipes extending through the tray. A first array of the downpipes has a plurality of vertically spaced elevations of holes above the level of the tray. A second array of the downpipes has at least one elevation of holes at substantially the same height above the level of the tray as one of the upper elevations of holes in the first array of the downpipes. But, the second array has no elevation of holes corresponding to the lowermost elevation of holes, and possibly other lower elevations of holes, in the first array of downpipes. The absence of the lowermost holes in the second array of downpipes causes the liquid flow rate through the distributor tray at a given liquid height to be reduced when that liquid height falls below the elevation of the holes second from the bottom in the first array.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of a polymer concentrate which is a relatively concentrated solution in a base stock oil, e.g., a mineral oil or synthetic hydrocarbon oil, of a highly branched polymer having segments of a polymer of p-tert-butylstyrene (t-BS), comprising the free radical solution polymerization in the base stock oil of t-BS and optionally, one or more additional polymerizable monoethylenically unsaturated (monofunctional) monomers together with a small amount of a multiethylenically unsaturated (multifunctional) cross-linking agent, e.g., divinylbenzene (DVB). Optionally, the polymer solution obtained from the polymerization may be diluted with an additional amount of the base stock oil employed in the polymerization to obtain a polymer concentrate having a lower polymer concentration and viscosity than the polymerization solution.

Abstract: An exhaust gas treatment process useful for the removal of nitrogen oxides using an iron impregnated zeolite as the catalyst and ammonia as a reducing agent. It is desired to extend the effective temperature range for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of nitrogen oxides below about 400.degree. C. This is accomplished in the instant invention through the use of an intermediate pore size zeolite, such as ZSM-5, based catalyst which has been ferrocene treated to substantially incorporate iron into its pores. The catalyst may also be hydrothermally treated at least once, if desired.