Patents Represented by Attorney Kenneth H. Johnson
  • Patent number: 6995296
    Abstract: A process for the alkylation of alkane with olefin or olefin precursor such as an oligomer of tertiary olefin comprising contacting a liquid system comprising acid catalyst, isoparaffin and olefin in concurrent downflow into contact in a reaction zone with a disperser mesh under conditions of temperature and pressure to react said isoparaffin and said olefin to produce an alkylate product is disclosed. Preferably, the liquid system is maintained at about its boiling point in the reaction zone. Unexpectedly, the olefin oligomers have been found to function as olefin precursors and not as olefins in the reaction. Thus, for example, a cold acid alkylation using an oligomer of isobutene (principally dimer and trimer) with isobutane produces isooctane with the isobutane reacting with the constituent isobutene units of the oligomers on a molar basis. The product isooctane is essentially the same as that produced in the conventional cold acid process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr., Mitchell E. Loescher, John R. Adams, Abraham P. Gelbein
  • Patent number: 6984312
    Abstract: A process for the treatment of a light cracked naphtha is disclosed wherein the light cracked naphtha is first subjected to thioetherification and fractionation into two boiling fractions. The lower boiling fraction is removed as overheads for later recombination with the product and the higher boiling fraction is combined with a heavy cracked naphtha and subjected to simultaneous hydrodesulfurization and fractionation to separate the higher boiling fraction from the heavy cracked naphtha which is recycled. The recycled heavy cracked naphtha is eventually desulfurized and hydrogenated to produce a clean solvent which washes the catalyst and extends catalyst life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventors: Manoj Som, Gary G. Podrebarac, Scott W. Shorey
  • Patent number: 6984695
    Abstract: Novel polyethylene copolymer compositions prepared with a homogeneous catalyst system are characterized by having a unique high molecular weight, low comonomer (high density) fraction. These heterogeneous/homogeneous compositions may be prepared using a solution polymerization process in which the polymerization reactor contains a gradient in temperature, catalyst concentration or monomer concentration. The heterogeneous/homogeneous compositions of this invention are easily processed into films having excellent tear strengths and low hexane extractables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: Nova Chemicals (International) S.A.
    Inventors: Stephen John Brown, Christopher John Brooke Dobbin, Clayton Trevor Elston, Norman Dorien Joseph Aubee, Gilbert Alexander Arnould, Sarah Marshall, Lawrence Thomas Kale, Mark Weber
  • Patent number: 6946068
    Abstract: A process for concurrently fractionating and hydrotreating of a full range naphtha stream. The full boiling range naphtha stream, for example which is derived from fluid catalytic cracking, is first subjected to simultaneous hydrogenation of the thiophene contained therein and thioetherification and fractionation to remove the mercaptans the light fraction and then to simultaneous hydrodesulfurization and splitting of the bottoms into an intermediate boiling range naphtha and a heavy boiling range naphtha. The three boiling range naphthas are treated separately according to the amount of sulfur in each cut and the end use of each fraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventor: Willibrord A. Groten
  • Patent number: 6939994
    Abstract: Bisphenol-A (BPA) is efficiently produced from phenol and acetone via countercurrent and multistage contact with a solid acid catalyst in the presence of an agent that enhances the removal of water of reaction from the reaction zone. A preferred contacting device is a distillation column wherein the catalyst is contained within a distillation mass transfer structure. A preferred water removal agent is a C6 hydrocarbon, e.g., n-hexane. The column is configured with a reboiler, reflux condenser, and decanter as reflux drum. Phenol (in excess of the reaction stoichiometry) is fed to the column above the catalyst zone and acetone toward the bottom of the catalyst zone. Hexane is fed directly into the reboiler. Boilup is primarily hexane vapor which as it ascends the column removes water from the reaction zone in the vapor stream while the acetone is maintained within the reaction zone by dissolving in the descending phenol rich liquid stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr., Abraham P. Gelbein
  • Patent number: 6936742
    Abstract: A process for the production of diisobutene is disclosed wherein tertiary butyl alcohol is dehydrated to isobutene in a distillation column reactor containing an acid cation exchange resin catalyst in the form of catalytic distillation structure. The isobutene reacts with itself in the presence of the catalyst to form primarily diisobutene which is removed as bottoms from the distillation column reactor with the bulk of the water. Unreacted isobutene along with an azeotrope of water is removed as overheads with the water being separated and removed from the unreacted isobutene. A portion or all of the unreacted isobutene may be returned to the distillation column reactor as reflux.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventor: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6930206
    Abstract: A process for reacting a first component with itself or a second component to produce a third component in which a first material comprising a first component or said first component and a second component is fed to divided wall column having a catalytic distillation structure in at least one of the separate vertical sections of the divided wall column where concurrently: (1) a first component alone or with a second component is contacted with a catalytic distillation structure in a distillation reaction zone thereby catalytically reacting at least a portion of the first component with itself or with the second component to form a product and (2) a first mixture comprising the first component and the product or the first component, the second component and the product; and withdrawing the product from the distillation column reactor; while within the column concurrently with the catalytic reaction and fractionation a second mixture is fractionated, which contains the first component and the product or first a
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventors: Willibrord A. Groten, Mario J. Maraschino
  • Patent number: 6919016
    Abstract: A process is disclosed for preparing a C4 stream for feeding to an alkylation process which reacts isobutane with butene to produce isooctane. The C4 stream is treated in a first distillation column reactor to remove dienes and mercaptans and separate out any C5's which might be present. The treated C4's are then fed to a second distillation column reactor that concurrently isomerizes 1-butene to 2-butene and splits the normal C4's from the iso C4's. The iso C4's are then fed to a third distillation column reactor where a portion of the isobutene is saturated to isobutane. The C4's from the isomerization/splitter are combined with the C4's from the hydrogenation unit and fed to a cold acid alkylation unit. The third distillation column may also oligomerize a portion of the isobutene to diisobutene in the upper end which is saturated in the bottom of the column to isooctane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventors: Gary G. Podrebarac, Mario J. Maraschino
  • Patent number: 6899966
    Abstract: A composite surface having a thickness from 10 to 5,000 microns comprising a spinel of the formula MnxCr3?xO4 wherein x is from 0.5 to 2 and oxides of Mn, Si selected from the group consisting of MnO, MnSiO3, Mn2SiO4 and mixtures thereof which are not prone to coking and are suitable for hydrocarbyl reactions such as furnace tubes for cracking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Nova Chemicals (International) S.A.
    Inventors: Leslie Wilfred Benum, Michael C. Oballa, Sabino Steven Anthony Petrone
  • Patent number: 6881324
    Abstract: A process for the treatment of light naphtha hydrocarbon streams is disclosed wherein the mercaptans contained therein are reacted with diolefins simultaneous with fractionation into a light stream and a heavy stream. The heavy stream is then simultaneously treated at high temperatures and low pressures and fractionated. The naphtha is then stripped of the hydrogen sulfide in a final stripper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventor: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6881012
    Abstract: A continuously interlocked segmental precast concrete underpinning pile using a method of installation where a cooperating extension on one segment engages a cooperating depression on an adjacent segment and aligns the precast segments during installation, which provides a laterally stable pile. With the addition of an adhesive, a locking engagement or both the piling has both linear and rotational stability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Inventor: Gregory R. Covington
  • Patent number: 6878658
    Abstract: The present invention provides a Ziegler-Natta catalyst useful in solution processes for the polymerization of olefins having a low amount of aluminum and magnesium. The catalysts of the present invention contain an alkyl silanol and have a molar ratio of Si:Ti from 0.25:1 to 4:1. The catalysts are effective for the solution polymerization of olefins at high temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Nova Chemicals (International) S.A.
    Inventor: Isam Jaber
  • Patent number: 6867338
    Abstract: Acetylenes and dienes in a stream containing hydrogen, methane, C2-C6 olefins and paraffins, C2-C6 acetylenes and dienes, benzene, toluene, xylenes, and other C6+ components are hydrogenated in a downflow boiling point reactor wherein the heat of reaction is absorbed by the liquid in the reactor which produces a vapor. Besides the feed to the reactor there is a recirculating stream which is fed at a rate sufficient to ensure that the catalyst particles within the reactor are wetted. A third stream, which is taken from a downstream distillation column, is fed to provide the make up mass corresponding to the mass evaporated in the reactor. The composition of the this third stream controls the steady state composition of the liquid flowing through the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventors: Abraham P. Gelbein, Lawrence A. Smith, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6867160
    Abstract: By controlling the hold up times and temperatures for mixing the components of aluminum, titanium and magnesium based catalyst for solution polymerization it is possible to prepare a catalyst having a high activity, which prepares high molecular weight polyolefins. Generally, catalyst loses activity and produces lower molecular weight polymer at higher temperatures. The catalyst of the present invention permits comparable polymers to be produced at higher reaction temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Nova Chemicals (International) S.A.
    Inventors: Jesus Vela Estrada, Vaclav George Zboril
  • Patent number: 6863778
    Abstract: A process for the separation of diisobutylene from tertiary butyl alcohol utilizing pressure swing azeotropic distillation to achieve the desired separation. The pressure swing azeotropic distillation takes advantage of the fact that different azeotropes are formed at different pressures. Isobutylene in C4 streams is oligomerized in the presence of tertiary butyl alcohol to produce the diisobutylene. Tertiary butyl alcohol is present in the dimerization because it improves the selectivity to the dimer (diisobutylene) by suppressing further reaction to the trimer or higher. The diisobutylene is separated from the tertiary butyl alcohol utilizing two distillation columns. The first distillation is operated at a higher pressure than the second such that the minimum boiling azeotropes of tertiary butyl alcohol and diisobutylene have different concentrations of tertiary butyl alcohol. Diisobutylene is removed as bottoms from the first distillation column and unreacted C4's are removed as overheads at 60-130 psig.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventors: Jianhua Wang, Nishit Sahay, Mitchell E. Loescher, Montri Vichailak
  • Patent number: 6858677
    Abstract: A solution polymerization process in a series or parallel of two or more reactors at different temperatures is used to prepare a multimodal polyolefin resin of narrow molecular weight distribution. This resin is used to manufacture melt extruded pipe that has an improved performance at elevated temperatures and an improved hydrostatic design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Nova Chemicals (International) S.A.
    Inventors: Alexei Kazakov, Stephen John Brown, Christopher John Brooke Dobbin, Stanley Allan Grabow
  • Patent number: 6858770
    Abstract: A process for the alkylation of alkane with olefin or olefin precursor such as an oligomer of tertiary olefin comprising contacting a liquid system comprising acid catalyst, isoparaffin and olefin in concurrent downflow into contact in a reaction zone with a disperser mesh under conditions of temperature and pressure to react said isoparaffin and said olefin to produce an alkylate product is disclosed. Preferably, the liquid system is maintained at about its boiling point in the reaction zone. Unexpectedly, the olefin oligomers have been found to function as olefin precursors and not as olefins in the reaction. Thus, for example, a cold acid alkylation using an oligomer of isobutene (principally dimer and trimer) with isobutane produces isooctane with the isobutane reacting with the constituent isobutene units of the oligomers on a molar basis. The product isooctane is essentially the same as that produced in the conventional cold acid process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Smith, Jr., Mitchell E. Loescher, John R. Adams, Abraham P. Gelbein
  • Patent number: 6855853
    Abstract: A process for the production of low benzene content gasoline is disclosed wherein a full boiling range naphtha is fractionated to produce a light naphtha, a medium naphtha and a heavy naphtha. The benzene is contained in the medium naphtha and this stream is subjected to hydrogenation to convert the benzene to cyclohexane which may be isomerized to improve the octane. The valuable olefins are removed in the light naphtha and the valuable heavier aromatics (toluene and xylenes) are removed in the heavy naphtha. In a preferred embodiment all of the reactions are carried out in distillation column reactors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Catalytic Distillation Technologies
    Inventors: Willibrord A. Groten, Kerry L. Rock
  • Patent number: 6852843
    Abstract: The present invention relates to novel complexes of (transition) metals containing ligands having phosphorus centers supporting a carbene atom or heteroalkane radical bonded to the (transition) metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: The Governors of the University of Alberta
    Inventors: Ronald G. Cavell, Ruppa P. Kamalesh Babu, Aparna Kasani
  • Patent number: D503076
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Inventor: J. Yen Ligh