Abstract: A process for the selective hydrogenation of dienes in mixed streams of olefin containing hydrocarbons, such as butadiene in a mixed C4 stream with minimum loss of monoolefins is disclosed wherein the reactor is operated at conditions which induce pulse flow. The pulse flow is induced in a downflow boiling point reactor by vaporization of a portion of the liquid feed at proper conditions.

Abstract: Improved Ni catalysts for hydrogenation reactions are disclosed. The catalysts are useful for hydrogenation such as selective hydrogenation of acetylenic impurities in crude olefin and diolefin streams. The catalysts are prepared by depositing nickel on a porous support which has the following specific physical properties; BET surface area of from 30 to about 100 m2/g, total nitrogen pore volume of from 0.4 to about 0.9 cc/g, and an average pore diameter of from about 110 to 450 ? with or without modifiers of one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Cu, Re, Pd, Zn, Mg, Mo, Ca and Bi.

Abstract: A process for the reduction of naphthalene in process streams containing alkylaromatic solvents. Naphthalene is contacted with alkylbenzenes in a distillation column reactor in the presence of transalkylation catalyst to produce alkylnaphthalenes which are concurrently separated by fractional distillation as bottoms and the alkylbenzenes are separated as overheads.

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.

Abstract: A light cracked naphtha is treated to convert mercaptans to sulfides and saturate dienes and then subjected to destructive hydrodesulfurization (HDS) to convert the organic sulfur compounds to hydrogen sulfide. The recombinant mercaptans formed by reaction of hydrogen sulfide and olefins at the outlet of the HDS are generally heavier than the light cracked naphtha is fractionated in admixture with a heavy cracked naphtha. A low sulfur content light cracked naphtha is produced as an overheads and the major portion of the mercaptans leave with heavy cracked naphtha as bottoms. It also advantageous to pass the heavy cracked naphtha through the HDS in admixture with the light cracked naphtha, since the recombinant mercaptans formed with the heavy cracked naphtha olefins (which displace some of the lower mercaptans which would form the light cracked naphtha olefins) will be even higher boiling and easier to separate by fractionation.

Abstract: A process in which tetramethylethylene and neohexene are produced by starting with butene in a distillation column reactor to produce a product containing ethylene, diisobutene, tetramethylethylene, heavier oligomers. After separating these components, the separated diisobutene is further reacted with ethylene produced from the first step to produce neohexene.

Abstract: Alkenes, such as normal butenes in a mixed C4 stream are oligomerized, preferably to dimers, which are dimerized in a distillation column reactor over ZSM-57 zeolite catalyst at high conversions and high selectivity to octenes. Prior to oligomerization the mixed C4 stream is pretreated to remove dimethyl ether, butadienes and sulfur compounds.

Abstract: A process for the etherification of C4, C5 and/or C6 tertiary olefins in a hydrocarbon feed with at least one C1 to C6 alcohol, preferably C1–C4 alcohols in a distillation column reactor, preferably where C4's and C5's ethers are co-produced, in which the amount of alcohol employed in the etherification is below that which will produce an azeotrope with hydrocarbons in the overheads from the distillation column reactor. The azeotrope results from the presence of unreacted alcohol in the reaction system in the distillation column reactor. The amount of alcohol is less than the stoichiometric amount, preferably less than 90%, more preferably 10 to 80%, of the stoichiometric amount and the overheads contain less than a stoichiometric of alcohol.

Abstract: An improvement in the alkylation of olefins with isoalkanes in the presence of sulfuric acid wherein the sulfuric acid is removed from the product by a mechanical coalescer means prior to fractionation. No water wash or caustic treatment is required. Any sulfonates or sulfonic esters are removed by hydrodesulfurization or decomposition catalyst in a separate reactor or in either the deisobutanizer (DIB) or debutanizer (DB) column.

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.

Abstract: A process for the removal of organic sulfur compounds, primarily oxygenated organic compounds, such as sulfates and sulfonic esters from a hydrocarbon liquid is disclosed which comprises contacting the hydrocarbon liquid with a coalescer comprising a mesh material which has been wetted by sulfuric acid. The hydrocarbon liquid may be the product from a sulfuric acid catalyzed alkylation process and contain sufficient sulfuric acid to remove the sulfates and sulfonic esters. Sulfuric acid may be added to the coalescer vessel counter current to the hydrocarbon liquid to improve the efficiency of the contacting and removal.

Abstract: Bubble columns fractionate with vapor-liquid mass transfer efficiencies approaching that of distillation towers when vapor velocities in excess of 50% of jet flood are used. If the vapor velocities are pushed above about 70% of jet flood then the distillation performance of a given column packing becomes similar for both liquid continuous operation (bubble column mode) and vapor continuous operation (ordinary distillation tower mode).

Abstract: The charge gas from the thermal cracking of a hydrocarbon feedstock is processed in a front-end catalytic distillation hydrogenation system of an olefins plant to more effectively recover ethylene and propylene product and to process the by-products. The rate of fouling in the system is reduced by employing two columns in the system with the first column operating at a higher pressure and the second column operating at a lower pressure. The hydrogenation as well as fractionation takes place in the first column while the second column is only a fractionator. The temperature of the bottoms from each column is maintained at a temperature less than 200° C. to avoid fouling.

Abstract: An improved selective hydrogenation process for removing acetylenic impurities such as vinyl acetylene, ethyl acetylene, propyl acetylene and acetylene in a steam cracked crude butadiene stream by selective hydrogenation is carried out in two steps. In the first step, the partial selective hydrogenation is carried out in a fixed bed with a copper based catalyst to have the ratio of vinyl acetylene to ethyl acetylene in a range of from 0 to about 1, preferably from about 0.01 to 0.6, in the product stream. In the second step, the selective hydrogenation of the remaining C4 acetylenic impurities is carried out to completion in the catalytic distillation mode using a palladium promoted copper catalyst, an improved palladium catalyst or a combination of these two.

Abstract: A process in which neohexene is produced by starting with butene in a distillation column reactor to produce a product containing ethylene, diisobutene, heavier oligomers. After separating these components, the separated diisobutene is further reacted with ethylene produced from the first step to produce neohexene.

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

Abstract: Improved Ni catalysts for hydrogenation reactions are disclosed. The catalysts are useful for hydrogenation such as selective hydrogenation of acetylenic impurities in crude olefin and diolefin streams. The catalysts are prepared by depositing nickel on a porous support which has the following specific physical properties; BET surface area of from 30 to about 100 m2/g, total nitrogen pore volume of from 0.4 to about 0.9 cc/g, and an average pore diameter of from about 110 to 450 ? with or without modifiers of one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Cu, Re, Pd, Zn, Mg, Mo, Ca and Bi.

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

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.

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.