Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Mark Goldberg
  • Patent number: 8349291
    Abstract: Crystalline microporous zeolites designated calcined UZM-22 and UZM-22HS have been synthesized. The calcined UZM-22 is represented by the empirical formula: M1?mn+Al1-xExSiyOz and UZM-22HS has an empirical formula of: M1an+Al(1-x)ExSiy?Oz? where M1 and M1? are exchangeable cations such as lithium or strontium and E is a framework element such as gallium. Both zeolites are obtained from an as synthesized microporous crystalline composition having an empirical formula of: Mmn+RrAl1-xExSiyOz either by calcination for UZM-22 or by various treatments such as ammonium hexafluorosilicate treatment for UZM-22HS.M is an alkali, alkaline earth, or rare earth metal such as lithium and strontium, R is a singly charged organoammonium cation such as the choline cation and E is a framework element such as gallium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Mark A. Miller, Jaime G. Moscoso, Gregory J. Lewis
  • Patent number: 8343880
    Abstract: A process for forming a zeolite beta dielectric layer onto a substrate such as a silicon wafer has been developed. The zeolite beta is characterized in that it has an aluminum concentration from about 0.1 to about 2.0 wt. %, and has crystallites from about 5 to about 40 nanometers. The process involves first dealuminating a starting zeolite beta, then preparing a slurry of the dealuminated zeolite beta followed by coating a substrate, e.g. silicon wafer with the slurry, heating to form a zeolite beta film and treating the zeolite beta with a silylating agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Hayim Abrevaya, Richard R. Willis, Stephen T. Wilson
  • Patent number: 8337593
    Abstract: One exemplary embodiment can be a process for purifying a natural gas by using first and second adsorbers. The process may include passing a feed including the natural gas through the first adsorber to obtain a purified natural gas product, regenerating the second adsorber in a heating stage, and regenerating the second adsorber in a cooling stage. The heating stage may include separating a portion of the feed comprised in a regeneration gas, passing the regeneration gas to a dryer for removing water, heating the regeneration gas with a heater after exiting the dryer, and passing the regeneration gas to the second adsorber to regenerate the second adsorber. The cooling stage may include expelling at initiation of cooling at least a part of a fluid present in the second adsorber to the dryer to desorb water from a molecular sieve in the dryer, and cooling the second adsorber by circulating the regeneration gas bypassing the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Leonid Bresler, Cedric Freeman, Keith R. Clark
  • Patent number: 8323747
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process for applying a coating on a heat exchanger or a temperature controlled adsorber surface. This coating comprises a zeolite, an organic solvent, an organic siloxane resin that constitutes a binder and a plasticizing agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Stephen R. Dunne, Pamela J. Dunne, legal representative, Alexander M. Bershitsky, Mariola J. Proszowski
  • Patent number: 8318013
    Abstract: The present invention involves the use of a multi-stage membrane system for gas, vapor, and liquid separations. In this multi-stage membrane system, high selectivity and high permeance or at least high selectivity polybenzoxazole membranes or cross-linked polybenzoxazole membranes are applied for a pre-membrane or both the pre-membrane and the secondary membrane. A primary membrane can be from conventional glassy polymers. This multi-stage membrane system can reduce inter-stage compression cost, increase product recovery and product purity for gas, vapor, and liquid separations. It can also save the cost compared to the system using all the high cost polybenzoxazole membranes or cross-linked polybenzoxazole membranes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Lubo Zhou, Chunqing Liu, Carlos A. Cabrera, Peter K. Coughlin
  • Patent number: 8314277
    Abstract: The service life and deactivation rate of a benzene saturation catalyst is improved through use of a new sulfur guard bed containing a chloride additive. This sulfur guard bed, which contains supported CuO material having an increased resistance to reduction, shows such improvement. Thus, the danger of run-away reduction followed by a massive release of water and deactivation of an isomerization catalyst is practically eliminated. The fact that the guard bed material preserves the active metal phase-copper in an active (oxide) form is an important advantage leading to very low sulfur content in the product stream. The sulfur capacity per unit weight of sorbent is also significantly increased, making this sorbent a superior cost effective sulfur guard product. The guard bed is effective in treating mixed phase feed streams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
  • Patent number: 8313641
    Abstract: The service life and deactivation rate of a reforming catalyst is improved through use of a new sulfur guard bed containing a chloride additive. This sulfur guard bed, which contains supported CuO material having an increased resistance to reduction, shows such improvement. Thus, the danger of run-away reduction followed by a massive release of water causing process upsets in a catalytic reforming process is practically eliminated. The fact that the guard bed material preserves the active metal phase—copper in an active (oxide) form is an important advantage leading to very low sulfur content in the product stream. The sulfur capacity per unit weight of sorbent is also significantly increased, making this sorbent a superior cost effective sulfur guard product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
  • Patent number: 8314281
    Abstract: The service life and deactivation rate of a paraffin isomerization catalyst is improved through use of a new sulfur guard bed containing a chloride additive. This sulfur guard bed, which contains supported CuO material having an increased resistance to reduction, shows such improvement. Thus, the danger of run-away reduction followed by a massive release of water and deactivation of an isomerization catalyst is practically eliminated. The fact that the guard bed material preserves the active metal phase-copper in an active (oxide) form is an important advantage leading to very low sulfur content in the product stream. The sulfur capacity per unit weight of sorbent is also significantly increased, making this sorbent a superior cost effective sulfur guard product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
  • Patent number: 8282899
    Abstract: Solvent absorption processes for separating components of an impure feed gas are disclosed. The processes involve two stages of gas-liquid contacting, namely a first, absorption stage and a second, stripping stage. In the case of a carbon dioxide (CO2)-containing methane gas as an impure feed gas, contacting, in the stripping stage, the solvent effluent from the absorption stage with a recycled vapor fraction of the solvent effluent from the stripping stage can improve the recovery and purity of not only the methane (and/or other light hydrocarbons in the impure feed gas), but also that of the CO2 contaminant gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: David A. Bahr, Lamar A. Davis
  • Patent number: 8282707
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an integrated membrane/absorbent/adsorbent process and system for removal of mercury and sulfur compounds from natural gas on a ship that houses natural gas purification equipment. First mercury and most of the sulfur compounds are removed by an adsorbent bed and then the natural gas stream passes through a membrane unit to produce a partially purified natural gas residue stream to be dried and then liquefied and a carbon dioxide permeate stream that can be used as a fuel gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Leonid Bresler, John M. Foresman, William I. Echt, Mark E. Schott
  • Patent number: 8278242
    Abstract: The hydrothermal stability of transition aluminas used as adsorbents and catalyst carriers is improved through their treatment with a soluble silicon inorganic compound such as sodium silicate wherein the silicon compound is mixed with the alumina powder at the production stage of forming particulates by liquid addition. The silicon containing particulates are activated by heating at a temperature lower than 500° C. and treated, before or after the thermal activation, by a colloidal silica solution to produce a hydrothermally stable, low dust alumina. The total silica content of the final product is typically less than 5 mass-%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Vladislav I. Kanazirev, Peter Rumfola, III
  • Patent number: 8268049
    Abstract: Vapor-liquid contacting apparatuses comprising both a primary absorption zone and a secondary absorption zone comprising a plurality of vortex contacting stages are described. The apparatuses provide improved heat and mass transfer between vapor and liquid phases in processes such as absorption, to selectively solubilize contaminants (e.g., acid gases) from an impure vapor (e.g., sour natural gas). Vortex contacting stage(s) in a zone of vapor-liquid contacting, such as a secondary or finishing absorption zone, are used following bulk absorption in a primary or main absorption zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: Lev Davydov
  • Patent number: 8262787
    Abstract: Vapor-liquid contacting apparatuses comprising a primary contacting zone and a secondary contacting zone are disclosed. A representative secondary contacting zone is a secondary absorption zone, such as a finishing zone for subsequent contacting of the vapor effluent from the primary contacting zone to further remove impurities and achieve a desired purity of purified gas exiting the secondary absorption zone. The secondary contacting zone is disposed below the primary contacting zone, such that the secondary contacting zone, which must operate efficiently in removing generally trace amounts of remaining impurities, is more protected from movement than the more elevated, primary or initial contacting stages for bulk impurity removal. The apparatuses are therefore especially beneficial in offshore applications where they are subjected to rocking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: Zhanping Xu
  • Patent number: 8262779
    Abstract: The present invention discloses microporous aluminophosphate (AlPO4) molecular sieve membranes and methods for making and using the same. The microporous AlPO4 molecular sieve membranes, particularly small pore microporous AlPO-14 and AlPO-18 molecular sieve membranes, are prepared by three different methods, including in-situ crystallization of a layer of AlPO4 molecular sieve crystals on a porous membrane support, coating a layer of polymer-bound AlPO4 molecular sieve crystals on a porous membrane support, and a seeding method by in-situ crystallization of a continuous second layer of AlPO4 molecular sieve crystals on a seed layer of AlPO4 molecular sieve crystals supported on a porous membrane support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Chunqing Liu, Stephen T. Wilson, David A. Lesch
  • Patent number: 8241501
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a new type of high performance polymer membranes prepared from aromatic polyimide membranes by thermal treating and crosslinking and methods for making and using these membranes. The polymer membranes were prepared from aromatic polyimide membranes by thermal treating under inert atmosphere followed by crosslinking preferably by using a UV radiation source. The aromatic polyimide membranes were made from aromatic polyimide polymers comprising both pendent hydroxy functional groups ortho to the heterocyclic imide nitrogen and cross-linkable functional groups in the polymer backbone. The membranes showed significantly improved selectivity and permeability for gas separations compared to the aromatic polyimide membranes without any treatment. The membranes can be fabricated into any convenient geometry and are not only suitable for a variety of liquid, gas, and vapor separations, but also can be used for other applications such as for catalysis and fuel cell applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Chunqing Liu, Peter K. Coughlin, Man-Wing Tang, Raisa Minkov, Lubo Zhou
  • Patent number: 8231785
    Abstract: The present invention involves the use of a multi-stage membrane system for gas, vapor, and liquid separations. In this multi-stage membrane system, high selectivity and high permeance or at least high selectivity polybenzoxazole membranes or cross-linked polybenzoxazole membranes are applied for a pre-membrane or both the pre-membrane and the secondary membrane. A primary membrane can be from conventional glassy polymers. This multi-stage membrane system can reduce inter-stage compression cost, increase product recovery and product purity for gas, vapor, and liquid separations. It can also save the cost compared to the system using all the high cost polybenzoxazole membranes or cross-linked polybenzoxazole membranes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Lubo Zhou, Chunqing Liu, Carlos A. Cabrera, Peter K. Coughlin
  • Patent number: 8227375
    Abstract: The present invention involves the use of certain metal organic frameworks that have been treated with water or another metal titrant in the storage of carbon dioxide. The capacity of these frameworks is significantly increased through this treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignees: UOP LLC, Northwestern University
    Inventors: Richard R. Willis, John J. Low, Syed A. Faheem, Annabelle I. Benin, Randall Q. Snurr, Ahmet Ozgur Yazaydin
  • Patent number: 8226746
    Abstract: Systems and processes are provided that relate to the recovery of sorbates in processes utilizing temperature controlled adsorption. Sorbate recovery can include providing a temperature controlled adsorber that is undergoing a regeneration cycle after undergoing an adsorption cycle. The temperature controlled adsorber can have one or more adsorption flow passages and one or more heat transfer flow passages. The one or more adsorption flow passages can contain an adsorptive material coating with a sorbate adsorbed thereto. A heating fluid can be provided to the one or more heat transfer flow passages of the temperature controlled adsorber. A regeneration stream can be provided to the one or more adsorption flow passages of the temperature controlled adsorber. The adsorptive material coating can be regenerated by removing the sorbate from the temperature controlled adsorber to produce a regeneration effluent stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Stephen R. Dunne, David A. Wegerer
  • Patent number: 8227367
    Abstract: The invention relates to a conversion process for making olefin(s) using a molecular sieve catalyst composition. More specifically, the invention is directed to a process for converting a feedstock comprising an oxygenate in the presence of a molecular sieve catalyst composition, wherein the air feed to the catalyst regenerator is free of or substantially free of metal salts. The air feed is first cooled to remove water and then washed with water to remove essentially all salts from said air feed. The water removed in the cooling step is preferably recirculated to wash the salts from the air feed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventor: Lawrence W. Miller
  • Patent number: 8227648
    Abstract: Systems and processes for dehydration of a process stream in the production of motor fuel grade ethanol (MFGE) can include temperature controlled adsorption of water in the process stream, and heat pumping to transfer heat from the process stream to a heat sink using one or more stages of heat pumping. One stage of heat pumping can be achieved during the regeneration process of a temperature controlled adsorber by desorbing the adsorbed water at a thermal condition enabling useful heat recovery. Another stage of heat pumping can be achieved during the adsorption process of a temperature controlled adsorber by transferring the heat of water adsorption to a heat sink. The heat sink with respect to each stage of heat pumping can be a solids separation unit, such as a beer column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: David A. Wegerer, Stephen R. Dunne