Abstract: A process to remove organic sulfur from organic compounds and organic carbonaceous fuel substrates containing sulfur compounds having sulfur-carbon bonds is disclosed. The steps of the process include oxidizing the sulfur species to the sulfone and/or sulfoxide form, and reacting the sulfone and/or sulfoxide form in an aqueous media of the reacting step including a hydride transfer reducing agent. In a particular embodiment, the reducing agent is sodium formate, the oxidizing agent is a microorganism as exemplified by Rhodococcus species ATCC 55309 or Rhodococcus species ATCC 55310 or combinations thereof.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 12, 1996
Date of Patent:
June 8, 1999
Assignee:
Exxon Research and Engineering Company
Inventors:
Matthew J. Grossman, Michael Siskin, David T. Ferrughelli, M. Kathryn Lee, James D. Senius
Abstract: The present invention is a method for controlling a process for producing a distillate fuel heavier than gasoline. The process includes several different fractions, streams, including alcohols, olefins, and acids. At least one of the streams is irradiated with IR radiation, allowing the determination of the concentrations of at least one of alcohols, olefins and acids. The temperature of the separator is then adjusted to change the concentrations to pre-determined values.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 20, 1998
Date of Patent:
April 20, 1999
Inventors:
Bruce Randall Cook, Paul Joseph Berlowitz, Rebecca Lynn Rucker
Abstract: The present invention includes a method for blending two or more petroleum feedstreams, petroleum process streams, or combination thereof, at least one of which includes the solute asphaltenes so that the asphaltenes remains a solute. The blending method includes the steps of determining the insolubility number, I.sub.N, for each feedstream, determining the solubility blending number, S.sub.BN, for each feedstream, and combining the feedstreams in order of decreasing S.sub.BN number of each feedstream such that the solubility blending number of the mixture is greater than the insolubility number of any component of the mix, when the solubility blending number of any of the feedstreams or streams is equal or less than the insolubility number of any of the streams.
Abstract: The present invention is an electrophoretic unit for the purification, concentration, and size fractionation of nucleic acids contaminated by organic acids, such as humic acids. The electrophoretic unit includes a counter ion, Bis (2-hydroxyethyl)-imino-tris (hydroxymethyl)-methane (BisTris), and an electrolyte 2-(N-Morpholino)ethanesulfonic Acid (MES).
Abstract: The present invention is a method to determine the chemical concentration of one or more of a number of the constituent classes of a feed to a catalytic cracking process. These constituent classes which are referred to as "lumps", include 14 different molecular types in 4 different boiling range fractions. A specific lump will include all individual molecular components which are expected to react in a similar way in the catalytic cracking unit.
Abstract: The present invention includes microorganisms that are resistant to non-aqueous solvents. In addition, the organisms of interest are able to grow and/or carry out various organic (e.g. hydrocarbon) transformations in non-aqueous/aqueous mixtures.The invention also includes a gene which encodes an enzyme, hydroperoxide reductase, which renders the host microorganism resistant to many organic solvents. The invention also includes the operon which includes the mutant gene and the ahpF gene which encodes an NAD(P)H dehydrogenase. The invention also includes a plasmid vehicle and a host microorganism containing these genes.The invention also includes cloning the genes encoding for solvent-resistance into other organisms rendering them solvent-resistant. In addition, the genes encoding for a specific organic or hydrocarbon transformation are placed into the solvent resistant microorganism.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 1, 1997
Date of Patent:
September 15, 1998
Assignee:
Exxon Research and Engineering Company
Inventors:
Alexander A. Klibanov, Kim Lewis, Anthony Ferrante, Catherine L. Coyle, Gerben Zylstra, Michael S. P. Logan, Matthew J. Grossman
Abstract: A new copolymer composition comprises the hard segment of a polyimide and the soft segment of an oligomeric aliphatic polycarbonate or a mixture of an oligomeric aliphatic polycarbonate and an oligomeric aliphatic polyester. The new polyimide copolymer membranes have exhibited high selectivity and flux for separation of an aromatic/saturate mixture.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 7, 1996
Date of Patent:
May 26, 1998
Assignee:
Exxon Research and Engineering Company
Inventors:
W. S. Winston Ho, Guido Sartori, Warren A. Thaler, David C. Dalrymple
Abstract: The present invention is a database and a method of producing that database which can be used to determine the meaning of scientific or technical documents, such as patents and/or technical or scientific publications and/or abstracts of these patents or publications, and to assign the technical documents to one or more scientific or technical categories within a multidimensional hierarchical model which reflects the business, scientific or technical interests of a business, scientific or technical entity or specialty.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 4, 1996
Date of Patent:
February 24, 1998
Assignee:
Exxon Research and Engineering Company
Inventors:
Sandra S. Unger, Sibylle Pagnucco, Roger W. Cohen, Rocco A. Fiato
Abstract: The present invention is a method to determine the water content and/or total organic carbon content in a petrochemical stream including water, organic carbon and acid comprising irradiating a feed stream including an acid, water, and organic carbon, with optical radiation; determining the optical absorption of the feed stream for at least two selected wavelengths; and determining the weight percent of the water and/or organic carbon content from the optical absorption.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 30, 1996
Date of Patent:
January 13, 1998
Assignee:
Exxon Research and Engineering Company
Inventors:
Robert John Louis Chimenti, Gerald Martin Halpern, Bernie John Pafford
Abstract: The present invention is a method for the non-intrusive determination of average particle velocity and average particle mass density from the mass flux and RMS acceleration in a gas/particle transfer line. The method includes the steps of determining the RMS acceleration of the wall of the transfer line at one or more positions along the length of the transfer line, determining the average mass flux through the transfer line, and from both quantities determining the average particle mass density or the average particle velocity from the RMS acceleration and the average mass flux.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 22, 1995
Date of Patent:
October 7, 1997
Assignee:
Exxon Research & Engineering Company
Inventors:
George D. Cody, Eugene R. Elzinga, Jr., Charles L. Baker, Jr.
Abstract: A copolymer composition comprising the hard segment of a polyimide, the soft segment of an oligomeric aliphatic polyester, and a diepoxide for crosslinking and esterification. The diepoxide polyimide copolymer membranes have exhibited high selectivity and flux for separation of an aromatic/saturate mixture. These membranes have shown much better stability in soaking with an aromatic/saturate feed than the copolymer membranes without a diepoxide.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 30, 1996
Date of Patent:
September 23, 1997
Assignee:
Exxon Research & Engineering Company
Inventors:
Win-Sow Winston Ho, Guido Sartori, Warren A. Thaler, David C. Dalrymple
Abstract: A method for producing hydrocarbon synthesis catalyst pellets which include a solid or inert core and a coated layer of porous support impregnated with a catalytic metal, the method provides catalysts which optimize the CO conversion and minimizes selectivity to CH.sub.4.
Abstract: The present invention is a method for non-intrusively monitoring the chemical and physical processes associated with gas generation in the feed riser of a cat-cracker and the correlation of those changes in these processes to changes in the output product produced the cat-cracker. The method includes the steps of measuring RMS accelerations along a feed riser at one or more positions, determining the initial RMS acceleration at each of these positions when the unit is operating at its desired performance, comparing the measured FRP to the reference FRP when said reactor is operating at its desired performance and determining the reference FRP, and determining the change in the FRP.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 22, 1995
Date of Patent:
July 29, 1997
Assignee:
Exxon Research and Engineering Company
Inventors:
George D. Cody, E. R. Elzinga, Jr., Charles L. Baker, Jr.
Abstract: The present invention is a method to distinguish and measure normal paraffins, isoparaffins, and naphthenes in a saturated hydrocarbon mixture. The method includes the step of field-ionizing hydrocarbon mixture; separating the normal paraffins, isoparaffins and naphthenes as a separate saturates class; and detecting the normal paraffins as molecular ions, naphthenes as molecular ions, and isoparaffins as fragment ions.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 2, 1996
Date of Patent:
July 1, 1997
Assignee:
Exxon Research & Engineering Company
Inventors:
Chang S. Hsu, Saul C. Blum, Zhenmin Liang, Peter B. Grosshans, Winston K. Robbins
Abstract: A method for determining a property or composition data of a test sample from a correlation between a calibration sample set and that property or composition data using the spectrum of the test sample, a linear prediction model and a non linear correction to the linear prediction.
Abstract: ECR-31 is a new zeolite having a 12-ring channel. It may be expected to have similar properties to other 12-ring channel zeolites in catalysis and separations.
Abstract: A process is provided for removing organic sulfur from a sulfur-containing organic carbonaceous fuel substrate such as coal or petroleum products having sulfur-carbon bonds. The process comprises contacting the substrate with a microorganism having all the identifying characteristics of Rhodococcus species ATCC 55309 or ATCC 55310 which cleaves the sulfur-carbon bonds resulting in the removal or the organic sulfur from the substrates.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 13, 1995
Date of Patent:
March 4, 1997
Assignee:
Exxon Research and Engineering Company
Inventors:
Matthew J. Grossman, Mary K. Lee, James D. Senius, Robert L. Burghoff, David L. Elmendorf
Abstract: A gas treating composition prepared by reacting 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol with KOH, diluting with water and adding K.sub.2 CO.sub.3 and a vanadium corrosion inhibitor.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 15, 1994
Date of Patent:
February 11, 1997
Assignee:
Exxon Research and Engineering Company
Inventors:
Warren A. Thaler, Guido Sartori, W. S. Winston Ho, Larry J. Shulik, George E. Milliman