Abstract: An apparatus is shown for contacting a bed of particulate material with a cross flowing fluid, which maintains the bed of particulate material within a retention volume. The apparatus includes partitions for retaining particles, with apertures disposed within the partitions. The apertures are covered by louvers that extend above the edges of the apertures to prevent solid particles from spilling through inlet apertures. And the apparatus includes baffles to inhibit erosion of the particles by redirecting the inlet gas flow.

Abstract: An apparatus for contacting a bed of particulate material with a cross flowing fluid, which maintains the bed of particulate material within a retention volume. The apparatus includes partitions for retaining particles, with apertures disposed within the partitions. The apertures are covered by shrouds that extend above the edges of the apertures to prevent solid particles from spilling through inlet apertures.

Abstract: A method of prilling or spray drying comprising calculating and controlling the viscosity of a shear-thinnable fluid stream at a particle-forming section of a dispersion device. The method comprises measuring the static head of fluid in the dispersion device, providing a pressurized blanket of inert gas over the fluid, mechanically agitating the fluid in the dispersion device, calculating the viscosity at the particle-forming section and controlling the viscosity by adjusting the speed of mechanical agitation.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a process for removal of oxygenates from a paraffin-rich or olefin-rich paraffin stream which comprises passing a feed stream, comprising one or more C10 to C15 feed paraffins or C10 to C15 olefin-rich paraffin stream and one or more oxygenates through an adsorbent bed comprising one or more adsorbents selected from silica gel, activated alumina and sodium x zeolites to remove essentially all of said oxygenates; and recovering said paraffins. A second adsorbent bed may be employed to more thoroughly remove these oxygenates.

Abstract: The invention comprises a process of removing carbon dioxide from a natural gas feed stream comprising sending a natural gas feed stream comprising methane and carbon dioxide through an adsorbent bed to produce a carbon dioxide depleted methane rich product stream after removal of carbon dioxide. The adsorbent bed is regenerated and then the spent regeneration gas stream cooled to produce a cooled spent regeneration gas stream that is sent to a membrane element. A permeate stream passes through the membrane element and a residue stream passes by the membrane element without passing through said membrane element. Substantially all of the carbon dioxide and a minor portion of the methane comprises the permeate stream which is disposed of and a major portion of the methane and a minor portion of the carbon dioxide comprises the residue stream which is then recirculated to the regeneration gas stream.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method of rejuvenating silicoaluminophosphate molecular sieve catalyst that has been deactivated hydrothermally as well as a method of using the rejuvenated catalyst to make an olefin product from an oxygenate feed. In particular, the invention is directed to rejuvenating the catalyst by contacting it with warm water, ammonium salts, dilute acids or low pressure steam until the catalytic activity level of the catalyst has been increased to the desired extent.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method of rejuvenating silicoaluminophosphate molecular sieve catalyst that has been deactivated hydrothermally as well as a method of using the rejuvenated catalyst to make an olefin product from an oxygenate feed. In particular, the invention is directed to rejuvenating the catalyst by contacting it with warm water, ammonium salts, dilute acids or low pressure steam until the catalytic activity level of the catalyst has been increased to the desired extent.

Abstract: A catalyst for converting methanol to light olefins and the process for making and using the catalyst are disclosed and claimed. SAPO-34 is a specific catalyst that benefits from its preparation in accordance with this invention. A seed material is used in making the catalyst that has a higher content of the EL metal than is found in the principal part of the catalyst. The molecular sieve has predominantly a roughly rectangular parallelepiped morphology crystal structure with a lower fault density and a better selectivity for light olefins.

Abstract: The present invention is for novel high performance cross-linkable and cross-linked mixed matrix membranes and the use of such membranes for separations such as for CO2/CH4, H2/CH4 and propylene/propane separations. More specifically, the invention involves the preparation of cross-linkable and cross-linked mixed matrix membranes (MMMs). The cross-linkable MMMs were prepared by incorporating microporous molecular sieves or soluble high surface area microporous polymers (PIMs) as dispersed microporous fillers into a continuous cross-linkable polymer matrix. The cross-linked MMMs were prepared by UV-cross-linking the cross-linkable MMMs containing cross-linkable polymer matrix such as BP-55 polyimide. Pure gas permeation test results demonstrated that both types of MMMs exhibited higher performance for CO2/CH4 and H2/CH4 separations than those of the corresponding cross-linkable and cross-linked pure polymer matrices.

Abstract: The average propylene cycle yield of an oxygenate to propylene (OTP) process using a dual-function oxygenate conversion catalyst is substantially enhanced by the use of a combination of: 1) moving bed reactor technology in the catalytic OTP reaction step in lieu of the fixed bed technology of the prior art; 2) a separate heavy olefin interconversion step using moving bed technology and operating at an inlet temperature at least 15° C. higher than the maximum temperature utilized in the OTP reaction step; 3) C2 olefin recycle to the OTP reaction step; and 4) a catalyst on-stream cycle time of 700 hours or less. These provisions hold the build-up of coke deposits on the catalyst to a level which does not substantially degrade dual-function catalyst activity, oxygenate conversion and propylene selectivity, thereby enabling maintenance of average propylene cycle yield for each cycle near or at essentially start-of-cycle levels.

Abstract: The present invention is for a polymer/polymer mixed matrix membrane and the use of such membranes in gas separation applications. More specifically, the invention involves the preparation of polymer/polymer mixed matrix membranes incorporating soluble polymers of intrinsic microporosity as microporous fillers. These polymeric fillers of intrinsic microporosity exhibit behavior analogous to that of conventional microporous materials including large and accessible surface areas, interconnected micropores of less than 2 nm in size, as well as high chemical and thermal stability, but, in addition, possess properties of conventional polymers including good solubility and easy processability. Gas separation experiments on these mixed matrix membranes show dramatically enhanced gas separation performance for CO2 removal from natural gas.

Abstract: The average propylene cycle selectivity of an oxygenate to propylene (OTP) process using a dual-function oxygenate conversion catalyst is substantially enhanced by the use of a combination of: 1) moving bed reactor technology in the hydrocarbon synthesis portion of the OTP flow scheme in lieu of the fixed bed technology of the prior art; 2) a hydrothermally stabilized and dual-functional catalyst system comprising a molecular sieve having dual-function capability dispersed in a phosphorus-modified alumina matrix containing labile phosphorus and/or aluminum anions; and 3) a catalyst on-stream cycle time of 400 hours or less. These provisions stabilize the catalyst against hydrothermal deactivation and hold the build-up of coke deposits on the catalyst to a level which does not substantially degrade dual-function catalyst activity, oxygenate conversion and propylene selectivity, thereby enabling maintenance of average propylene cycle yield near or at essentially start-of-cycle levels.

Abstract: The average cycle propylene selectivity of an oxygenate to propylene (OTP) process using one or more fixed or moving beds of a dual-function oxygenate conversion catalyst with recycle of one or more C4+ olefin-rich fractions is substantially enhanced by the use of selective hydrotreating technology on these C4+ olefin-rich recycle streams to substantially eliminate detrimental coke precursors such as dienes and acetylenic hydrocarbons. This hydrotreating step helps hold the build-up of detrimental coke deposits on the catalyst to a level which does not substantially degrade dual-function catalyst activity, oxygenate conversion and propylene selectivity, thereby enabling a substantial improvement in propylene average cycle yield. The propylene average cycle yield improvement enabled by the present invention over that achieved by the prior art using the same or a similar catalyst system but without the use of the hydrotreating step on the C4+ olefin-rich recycle stream is of the order of about 1.5 to 5.

Abstract: A process for the purification of hydrogen based gas mixtures utilizing zeolite X wherein the particle size distribution of the zeolite X powder has a coefficient of variation from about 15% to about 30%.

Abstract: The process of the invention comprises contacting a hydrocarbon stream, comprising light olefins plus impurities such as acetylenes, in the absence of hydrogen with a supported copper catalyst, preferably CuO/alumina. The acetylene component undergoes a coupling reaction producing a diacetylene which can be more readily removed. Thus, the methylacetylene (MA) contaminant in liquid propylene yields at about 80° C. and 3792 kPa (550 psig) a significant amount dimethyl diacetylene (2,4-hexadiyne). Surprisingly, very little cyclization products are present. The process is useful for purification of olefin feeds. It can be used alone or in combination with known purification methods such as catalytic distillation or selective hydrogenation.

Abstract: The average propylene selectivity per on-stream cycle of an alcoholic oxygenate to propylene (OTP) process using one or more fixed beds of a dual-function oxygenate conversion catalyst is substantially enhanced by the use of a feed pretreatment step involving a catalytic etherification reaction, by switching to moving bed reactor technology in the olefin synthesis portion of the OTP flow scheme in lieu of fixed bed technology and by the selection of a catalyst on-stream cycle time of 300 hours or less. These provisions hold the build-up of coke deposits on the dual-function catalyst to a level which does not substantially degrade catalyst activity, oxygenate conversion and propylene selectivity, thereby enabling maintenance of propylene average cycle yield at essentially start-of-cycle levels.

Abstract: The average cycle propylene selectivity of an oxygenate to propylene (OTP) process using one or more fixed beds of a dual-function oxygenate conversion catalyst is substantially enhanced by the use of moving bed reactor technology in the hydrocarbon synthesis portion of the OTP flow scheme in lieu of fixed bed technology coupled with the selection of a catalyst on-stream cycle time of 200 hours or less. Those provisions hold the build-up of coke deposits on the catalyst to a level which does not substantially degrade dual-function catalyst activity, oxygenate conversion and propylene selectivity, thereby enabling maintenance of propylene average cycle yield at essentially start-of-cycle levels. The propylene average cycle yield improvement enabled by the present invention over that achieved by the fixed bed system of the prior art using the same or a similar catalyst system is of the order of about 1.5 to 5.5 wt-% or more.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a process for removal of oxygenates from a paraffin-rich or olefin-rich paraffin stream which comprises passing a feed stream, comprising one or more C10 to C15 feed paraffins or C10 to C15 olefin-rich paraffin stream and one or more oxygenates through an adsorbent bed comprising one or more adsorbents selected from silica gel, activated alumina and sodium x zeolites to remove essentially all of said oxygenates; and recovering said paraffins. A second adsorbent bed may be employed to more thoroughly remove these oxygenates.

Abstract: An improved mixed matrix membrane for the separation of gases comprises a nitrogen containing compound such as an amine, silicone rubber and activated carbon on a porous support. The membrane may also comprise a carbonate such as potassium carbonate and a plasticizer such as polyethylene glycol. Membranes of this design may be used in processing natural gas or other gases. The gases which may be separated by the membrane include mixtures of methane and carbon dioxide, mixtures of oxygen and nitrogen, and mixtures of carbon dioxide and nitrogen.

Abstract: Assemblies for use in separation of a fluid feed. Assemblies typically include an elongated housing having a fluid feed stream inlet, a residual stream outlet and a permeate stream outlet. The housing contains at least one membrane separation element to form a membrane separation element linear string that at least in part defines a linear permeate passage tube. A permeate adapter is joined with an end of the linear permeate passage tube. The permeate adapter includes a receiving opening for receiving an end of the linear permeate passage tube. The adapter defines a permeate passageway extending therethrough and includes a plurality of permeate discharge openings disposed such as to place the receiving opening and the permeate discharge openings in fluid flow communication.