Abstract: A process is disclosed for driving a turbine, which preferably is connected to an electrical generator, using energy supplied by the reboiler system of a fractionation column. The portion of the bottoms liquid of the column which is to be recycled through the reboiler is pressurized by a pump, and the high pressure liquid is heated and vaporized or brought to a supercritical state in the reboiler. The resultant high temperature stream is then depressurized through the turbine down to the desired pressure and temperature of the vapor stream used to reboil the column. The process is an extremely efficient method of generating electrical energy in a petroleum refinery or petrochemical installation.

Abstract: The separation of mono- or disaccharides such as glucose or maltose from polysaccharides such as starch may be effected by passing a mixture of these saccharides through an ultra-filtration membrane whereby the glucose or maltose is separated from the starch. The ultra-filtration membranes which are employed for this purpose will comprise a cross-linked polyurethane composited on a support. As an example of the type of membrane which may be employed, an amine-modified polyepihalohydrin such as epichlorohydrin which has been cross-linked with toluene diisocyanate is composited on a polysulfone. This type of ultra-filtration membrane will permit the use of a relatively high flux with a good separation efficiency.

Abstract: An integrated hydrocarbon conversion process wherein two different heavy oil feed streams are thermally processed is disclosed. Preferably a vacuum gas oil is charged to a thermal cracking zone and a reduced crude fraction is charged to a visbreaking heater. The effluent of each thermal operation is separated into vapor and liquid fractions, with the vapor fractions being fed to a product fractionator. The liquid fractions each enter separate but interconnected subatmospheric pressure separation zones, one of which is a vacuum column. The bottoms of a product fractionator and distillate from the vacuum column are also charged to the thermal cracking zone.

Abstract: Improved double wall tubing assembly which is especially useful in heat exchangers of the "coil-in-can" type for solar applications has a double wall construction which insures that a leak developing from a failure in either of the walls will not result in a mixing of fluid external to the outer tube with the fluid flowing internally of the inner tube. An outwardly projecting helical fin configuration formed on the outer surface of the inner tube provides an effective heat transfer medium between the inner and outer walls of the tube assembly while defining a spiral flow channel through which leakage entering through either wall can flow and be detected. A method of making the double wall tube assembly is disclosed wherein a finned outer tube is assembled over a previously finned inner tube. The assembled tubes are then brought into firm mechanical contact by the step of forming the assembled tubes into a coil and/or by expanding the inner tube.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for recovering useful energy from the overhead stream of a fractionation column. A high efficiency for the overall process is achieved by first removing heat from the overhead stream by vaporizing an expansion turbine working fluid stream and by then removing an additional amount of heat in a working fluid preheater. The amount of working fluid flowing through the preheater is more than is vaporized by exchange against the overhead stream. The remaining liquid-phase portion of the working fluid is separately passed into a second vaporizer having a different heat source.

Abstract: An FCC sulfur oxide acceptor, its method of manufacture and use in the FCC process. The acceptor, a particulate solid containing magnesium, sodium and aluminum, the precursor of which comprises a mixture of precipitates. One precipitate is a compound of aluminum and another is a compound of magnesium. The precipitates are simultaneously precipitated from a common solution in which they have a highly limited solubility.

Abstract: A new process for reforming hydrocarbons is disclosed. Also disclosed is a method for making a catalyst utilized in the process. The catalyst comprises a platinum group component and a phosphorous component with a porous support material. The catalyst is made by compositing a platinum group component with a porous support material and then contacting that composite with phosphorus or a compound of phosphorus to incorporate the phosphorous component. In a preferred embodiment of the invention a catalyst comprising platinum, phosphorus and chlorine with alumina is utilized in the catalytic reforming of hydrocarbons boiling in the gasoline range to produce a high octane reformate suitable for gasoline blending or a high aromatics content reformate suitable as a petrochemical feedstock.

Abstract: Surfactants or surface active agents may be obtained by treating the product obtained from the boron trifluoride etherate catalyzed depolymerization of coal with a sulfonating agent such as sulfur trioxide and thereafter neutralizing the sulfonated product with a basic compound such as sodium hydroxide to obtain a sodium sulfonated derivative of the depolymerized coal product.

Abstract: Sucrose which is found in molasses such as beet molasses or cane molasses may be selectively extracted therefrom by passing an aqueous solution of the molasses over a solid adsorbent such as activated carbon. The sucrose will be selectively adsorbed thereon and separated from the betaine and mineral salts, specifically potassium chloride, in the molasses. The sucrose is then removed from the adsorbent by treatment with a desorbent material comprising an alcohol. An essential step in the process is the flushing of the desorbent from the adsorbent with water prior to the subsequent contact of the adsorbent with the feed stream.

Abstract: An energy recovery method is disclosed for use on acid catalyzed alkylation processes which produce motor fuel blending components. The method is used on alkylation processes in which a light hydrocarbon, such as isobutane, is withdrawn from an elevated pressure fractionation column as a vapor-phase stream which is preferably a sidecut stream, condensed and then recycled to the reaction zone of the alkylation process. In the subject method, the vapor-phase stream is first depressurized to recover useful energy and is then condensed.

Abstract: A catalyst regeneration process and apparatus for the oxidative removal of coke from a coke contaminated fluid catalyst. The process comprises a high temperature coke combustion zone, a catalyst disengagement zone and an external heat removal zone. A mixture of coke contaminated catalyst, oxygen containing gas, hot regenerated catalyst and cool regenerated catalyst from the heat removal zone are contacted in the high temperature combustion zone, the temperature of which is controlled by adjusting the rate at which catalyst is recycled from the heat removal zone. The temperature of the catalyst-gas mixture is controlled by adjusting the rate at which hot catalyst is recycled from the disengagement zone.

Abstract: Hydrogenation of fatty materials using zerovalent platinum group metals supported on alpha-alumina are substantially more selective than those where the metal is supported on a porous alumina. An alpha-alumina with surface area less than about 5 m.sup.2 /g, a micropore volume under about 0.05 ml/g, and a macropore volume less than about 0.25 ml/g is particularly desirable. Using these methods, continuous hydrogenations based on a fixed bed process are sufficiently selective to be commercially practicable.

Abstract: Surfactants, or surface active agents, may be prepared by treating oil shale with an aromatic compound such as benzene, toluene, etc. in the presence of a Friedel Crafts catalyst such as aluminum chloride at temperatures up to the reflux temperature of the aromatic compound. Thereafter, the alkylated product is separated from any excess aromatic compound and oil shale, sulfonated by treatment with a sulfonating agent such as sulfur trioxide and neutralized to produce the desired surfactant.

Abstract: A catalyst regeneration process and apparatus for the oxidative removal of coke from a coke contaminated fluid catalyst. The process comprises a high temperature coke combustion zone, a catalyst disengagement zone and an external heat removal zone comprising a shell and tube heat exchanger. Catalyst is cooled by passing it through the shell side of the heat exchanger with a cooling medium through the tube side. A mixture of coke contaminated catalyst, oxygen containing gas, and cool regenerated catalyst from the heat removal zone are contacted in the high temperature combustion zone, the temperature of which is controlled by adjusting the rate at which fluidizing gas is passed to the bottom portion of the shell of the heat exchanger which varies the degree of turbulence of the fluidized bed in the shell side and thus the heat transfer coefficient at the outside surface of the tubes which in turn varies the quantity of heat transferred to the cooling medium in the tubes.

Abstract: Selective reductions of fatty materials occur using a catalyst consisting of essentially of zerovalent nickel dispersed on a support which shows strong metal, support interaction. A particularly desirable catalyst is one where the nickel is dispersed on titania which is subsequently activated in hydrogen at a temperature above about 325.degree. C. The catalyst is sufficiently selective so as to permit continuous reduction of fatty material using a fixed bed of catalyst.

Abstract: A catalytic composite is disclosed which catalyst comprises a silica-alumina carrier material, a nickel component and a vanadium component, and which catalyst is useful for the conversion of hydrocarbons. A preferred method of preparation comprises the incorporation of the vanadium component from an alcoholic solution of a vanadium compound.

Abstract: A hydrocarbon conversion process is disclosed which may be used to produce high purity isobutylene and/or tertiary butyl alcohol and methyl tertiary butyl ether. A mixed C.sub.4 feed stream is divided into two portions with a first portion being passed through a hydration zone to produce the tertiary butyl alcohol. The remaining hydrocarbons withdrawn from the hydration zone and the second portion of the feed stream are changed to an etherification zone. The unconverted hydrocarbons exiting the etherification zone may be subjected to isomerization and/or dehydrogenation to produce additional isobutylene. The high purity isobutylene is obtained by dehydrating the tertiary butyl alcohol.

Abstract: An apparatus for regenerating coke-contaminated fluid catalyst which comprises a vertical combustion chamber, an inlet to said chamber for spent catalyst and regeneration gas, a disengagement chamber above and in communication with the combustion chamber, a heat removal chamber below the combustion chamber in which may be maintained a dense phase catalyst bed, heat removal means positioned within the heat removal chamber such that it will be immersed in the catalyst bed, a recycle conduit for passing catalyst from the disengagement chamber to the heat removal chamber, a vertical cooled catalyst inlet conduit connecting the heat removal chamber with the lower portion of the combustion chamber so that catalyst can pass from the former to the latter, and a regeneration gas inlet line connecting with a lower part of the cooled catalyst inlet conduit to enable the flow of cooled catalyst up into the combustion chamber, wherein a control system senses the catalyst level in the heat removal zone, formulates an outpu

Abstract: Improved lead attachment method accommodates a situation wherein electrical signal leads must be connected to portions of a circuit operating at high temperatures such as 900.degree. F. or more and terminate in equipment operating at or near ambient temperatures. For example, in solid electrolyte oxygen sensors incorporating a tubular ceramic member, a connection wire which is sufficiently thick to resist wire breakage during normal handling has been found to be too thick to bond to a connection pad on the ceramic without having the bond crack during thermal cycling. With improved method, a thin wire is attached to a thicker one in a region where flexing cannot occur. At least the larger wire is shrunk-fit into a hole formed in the ceramic before firing, and then the thinner wire is bonded to the pad with a conductive paste which must also be fired.

Abstract: A process for the separation of the para-isomer from a hydrocarbon feed mixture comprising at least two bi-alkyl substituted monocyclic aromatic isomers, including the para-isomer, said isomers having from 8 to about 18 carbon atoms per molecule, which process employs an adsorbent comprising a zeolite which has been contacted at pyrolyzing conditions with a pyrolyzing agent to preferentially adsorb the para-isomer. The para-isomer thereafter is removed from the adsorbent by contacting it with a desorbent material and is recovered as a product stream. In a preferred embodiment the process uses a simulated moving-bed countercurrent flow system.