Patents Assigned to Exxon Research and Engineering Company
  • Patent number: 5371758
    Abstract: Apparatus for transversely irradiating a region equally from two directions using a single incident beam of substantially collimated radiation. The apparatus includes perpendicular reflective planes having a common edge and defining a corner region in which an irradiated region entirely within said corner region, said irradiated region being suitably positioned within said corner region such that said irradiated region does not intercept any ray of incident radiation from striking said common edge, said irradiated region receiving only radiation from two directions. Said irradiated region being directly irradiated from a first direction by incident radiation, and said irradiated region being also indirectly irradiated from a second direction opposite said first direction by incident radiation reflected from both of said planes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1994
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company
    Inventor: Shawn M. Dougal
  • Patent number: 5365006
    Abstract: An alkane-containing feedstream is passed through one or more tubes, which may contain alkane-dehydrogenation catalyst, immersed in a bed of fluidized particles. The bed is at an elevated temperature which maintains the temperature within the tube(s) at an alkane-dehydrogenation temperature. The particles may be inert, chemically active and/or catalytically active. In one embodiment, cracking catalyst particles are circulated between a reaction zone wherein they contact a cracker feedstock which is converted to cracked hydrocarbon products and a regenerator (22) wherein carbonaceous deposits on the catalyst particles are exothermically removed by contact with an oxygen-containing gas (24). Hot regenerated particles from the regenerator (22) are recirculated (27) to the reaction zone for re-use therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1994
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company
    Inventor: Willibald Serrand
  • Patent number: 5365009
    Abstract: An alkylation process which utilizes a solid alkylation catalyst is disclosed. The catalyst, which has carbonaceous material adsorbed thereto, is regenerated by reacting the adsorbed carbonaceous material. The reaction step is accomplished by heating the catalyst in the presence of ozone to form an ozonated hydrocarbon, wherein the ozonated hydrocarbon includes carbonyl carbons. The ozonated hydrocarbon is removed by desorbing the carbonyl carbons from the solid alkylation catalyst. The carbonaceous material is preferably reacted at a temperature ranging from about 20.degree. C. to 200.degree. C. The ozone is preferably in a gaseous stream at a concentration ranging from about 1 to 50 volume percent. The carbonyl components are preferably desorbed from the heated alkylation catalyst by sweeping the catalyst with a desorption fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1994
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Ashok Uppal, William J. Murphy, Joseph P. Boyle
  • Patent number: 5360778
    Abstract: High surface purity heat transfer solids are formed, suitably by washing and treating particulate refractory inorganic solids, notably alumina, which contains as impurities up to about 0.5 wt. % silicon and/or up to about 500 wppm boron, with an acid, or dilute acid solution sufficient to reduce the concentration of silicon and boron in the outer peripheral surface layer of the particles, e.g., as measured inwardly toward the center of a particle to a depth of about 50 .ANG. using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, to no greater than about 5 atom percent silicon and boron, preferably about 2 atom percent silicon and boron, based on the total number of cations within said outer peripheral surface layer, thereby reducing the tendency of said particles to sinter and agglomerate in the conversion of said hydrocarbon to hydrogen and carbon monoxide in a fluidized bed synthesis gas operation vis-a-vis particles otherwise similar except that the particles are not treated with the acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1994
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Stephen M. Davis, LeRoy R. Clavenna, Geoffrey R. Say, Rocco A. Fiato
  • Patent number: 5360598
    Abstract: Disclosed is a fluid catalytic cracking system in which the catalytic cracking reaction takes place in a dilute phase, and the reaction product contains a reduced volume of off gas having a low concentration of SO.sub.x and NO.sub.x. The use of off gas, which is produced during a regeneration step, to strip entrained vapor from spent catalytic cracking catalyst acts to reduce SO.sub.x and NO.sub.x byproducts, and eliminates the need to separately recover and treat the off gas stream from the regenerator portion of the system. The entire process, including the reaction step, the stripping step and the regeneration step, can be performed in a single non-partitioned vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1994
    Assignee: Exxon Research & Engineering Company
    Inventor: Patrick H. Terry
  • Patent number: 5360777
    Abstract: Alumina heat transfer solids are admixed with a catalyst, or catalysts, and used in conducting high temperature fluidized bed reactions, particularly in a process for the production of hydrogen and carbon monoxide from a low molecular weight hydrocarbon by contact with a fluidized bed of catalyst and said heat transfer solids at high temperature in the presence of oxygen, or steam, or both oxygen and steam. The particulate heat transfer solids are characterized as having a performance index, PI, greater than 20, preferably greater than 40, as characterized by the formula PI=[(i).times.(ii).times.(iii).times.(iv)].sup.-1 where (i) the peripheral outer surface of the particle contains <5 atom % (Si+B) as impurities, and (ii) <20 atom % Na, Fe, Ca and Ti as impurities, where the bulk concentrations of the (Si+B) is sufficient to migrate into and contaminate the outer surface layer of the particles at process conditions. Moreover the (iii) tapped bulk density of the particles range from about 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1994
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Stephen M. Davis, LeRoy R. Clavenna, Rocco A. Fiato, Geoffrey R. Say
  • Patent number: 5360877
    Abstract: Epoxy interpenetrating polymer networks having chemical bonds between the interpenetrating networks are prepared from a first and a second polymer network, at least one of which contains an EPRXE resin; a resin having two epoxide functionalities represented by E and a reactive pendant nonepoxide functionality X. The two resin networks are sequentially crosslinked followed by activation of the pendant functionality of the EPRXE resin to form internetwork chemical bonds between the two resin networks affording an epoxy resin with both increased strength and toughness. The invention is also directed to the process of making interpenetrating polymer networks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1994
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Jyi-Faa Hwang, John P. Dismukes
  • Patent number: 5357752
    Abstract: The injection of secondary air into the exhaust system of an internal combustion engine equipped with an electrically heated catalyst (EHC) upstream of a catalytic converter using a secondary pump is controlled by use of a dedicated heated oxygen sensor located downstream of the electrically heated catalyst in the exhaust stream from said EHC. The sensor measures the oxygen content in the EHC exhaust stream and sends a signal to a controller which turns on a secondary air pump when the signal from the heated sensor exceeds a pre-selected set point on the controller thereby injecting supplementary air into the exhaust stream from the internal combustion engine to the EHC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1994
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company
    Inventor: Robert P. Lucchesi
  • Patent number: 5356219
    Abstract: The instrumentation probe of the present invention comprises a tubular housing for enclosing a sensing element, the tubular housing being adapted to project into a process stream. The tubular housing is surrounded by an outer casing that has its longitudinal axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tubular housing and which outer casing is aerodynamically shaped to be substantially non-disruptive of the flow of the process stream while protecting the tubular housing from erosion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1994
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Robert F. Tammera, Donald F. Shaw
  • Patent number: 5356845
    Abstract: A process for the reactivation, or rejuvenation of a nickel-alumina catalyst employed in the production of a gas comprised of an admixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, or synthesis gas, by the conversion, in a reactor, or reaction zone, of light hydrocarbons in a fluidized bed of the catalyst at elevated temperature, in the presence of steam and oxygen. Catalyst reactivation is accomplished by withdrawing a portion of the catalyst from the fluidized bed of the reactor and treating the catalyst in an oxidation zone at temperature sufficient to oxidize and convert the nickel component of the catalyst to nickel aluminate and disperse said nickel aluminate within the alumina support, and then recycling the treated catalyst to the reactor, or reaction zone, to reactivate and increase the activity of the catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1994
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: LeRoy R. Clavenna, Stephen M. Davis, Brent E. Beasley
  • Patent number: 5354916
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for selectively producing alkyl halides from alkanes, such as methane and ethane at low temperatures and low pressures. Optional hydrolysis to the corresponding alcohols may follow. The process involves adding an alkane and an added halogen source to an aqueous solution in a homogeneous system in the presence of a transition metal halide containing complex, for a time, under conditions and in effective amounts that will permit the formation of alkyl monohalides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1994
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Istvan T. Horvath, John M. Millar, Raymond A. Cook
  • Patent number: 5354451
    Abstract: A two stage process for catalytically reforming a gasoline boiling range hydrocarbonaceous feedstock. The reforming is conducted in two stages wherein the first stage is operated in a fixed-bed mode, and the second stage is operated in a moving-bed continual catalyst regeneration mode. A gaseous stream comprised of hydrogen and predominantly C.sub.4.sup.-- hydrocarbon gases are separated between stages. A portion of the hydrogen-rich gaseous stream is recycled and the remaining portion along with the C.sub.5.sup.+ stream are sent to second stage reforming.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1994
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Stuart S. Goldstein, Paul W. Kamienski, David W. Staubs, Gerrit S. Swart, George A. Swan, III
  • Patent number: 5346875
    Abstract: This invention is to a method of manufacturing fluid catalytic cracking catalyst. In particular, the invention is to a method of manufacturing a catalytic cracking catalyst which incorporates a step of matching the isoelectric point of each component of the catalyst framework structure to the pH of an inorganic oxide sol used to form the matrix component of the catalyst. The resulting catalyst product has a controlled pore size and is extremely durable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1994
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: William A. Wachter, Stuart L. Soled
  • Patent number: 5342506
    Abstract: Catalytic reforming wherein the lead reactor contains a catalyst comprised of platinum and a relatively low level of Re on an inorganic oxide support. The tail reactor contains a tin modified platinum-iridium catalyst wherein the metals are substantially uniformly dispersed throughout the inorganic oxide support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 30, 1994
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: William C. Baird, Jr., George A. Swan, III, Joseph P. Boyle, Eduardo Mon
  • Patent number: 5340549
    Abstract: In its simplest sense, the present invention provides a method for improving the contacting of plural, distinct phases in a vertically disposed vessel containing distinct fluid phases by injecting a stream of dispersed distinct phases together into the phases contained in the vessel at a sufficient velocity to force the fluid in the vessel to circulate downwardly through a central region in the vessel and upwardly in the annular region surrounding the central region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1994
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Milind B. Ajinkya, Robert M. Koros, Barry L. Tarmy
  • Patent number: 5340657
    Abstract: This invention relates to pillared micas, which comprise an active metal selected from the group consisting of Pt, Cr, Pd, It, Rh and mixtures thereof, and a first modifier metal selected from the group consisting of Sn, Ga and mixtures thereof. The mica may also be modified with a second modifier metal selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, or rare earth metals and mixtures thereof. This invention further relates to a process for preparing such a catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1994
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Michael C. Kerby, Kenneth L. Riley, Fred M. Long, Jack W. Johnson, John F. Brody
  • Patent number: 5338717
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the preparation of catalysts for heteroatom removal, particularly sulfur, from petroleum and synthetic fuel feedstocks. The catalyst is comprised of at least one Group VIII metal, and at least one Group VI metal, on a refractory support. The catalyst is prepared by: impregnating an inorganic oxide support material with a Group VI heteropolyacid; treating said impregnated support with an aqueous solution of a reducing agent which is capable of at least partially reducing the Group VI metal of the heteropolyacid; drying said treated support at a temperature from about 20.degree. C. to about 200.degree. C. at about atmospheric pressure; impregnating the treated support with a Group VIII metal salt of an acid having an acidity less than that of the Group VI heteropolyacid; drying said impregnated treated support at a temperature from about 20.degree. C. to about 200.degree. C. at about atmospheric pressure; and sulfiding said impregnated support, thereby forming the catalysts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1994
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Clyde L. Aldridge, Kenneth L. Riley
  • Patent number: 5338441
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a catalytic process for converting a solid carbonaceous material, such as coal, to a liquid product in the presence of hydrogen. More particularly, this invention relates to a coal liquefaction process wherein a mixture of coal, bottoms, solvent and a sulfiding agent is subjected to liquefaction conditions in the presence of a catalyst precursor. This catalyst or catalyst precursor is comprised of a thermally decomposable compound of Groups IIB, IVB, VB, VIB, VIIB, and VIII of the Periodic Table of the Elements such as molybdenum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1994
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Steve C. LeViness, Steve J. Hsia, Michael Y. Wen, Stephen M. Davis, Claude C. Culross, Peter S. Maa
  • Patent number: 5338526
    Abstract: This invention relates to novel zeolitic compositions having one or more transition metals as well as aluminum and silicon in the framework tetrahedral positions. The composition has a mazzite-like structure. The invention also involves a process of preparation in which at least one divalent transition metal is directly synthesized into the product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1994
    Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: David E. W. Vaughan, Karl G. Strohmaier
  • Patent number: 5338330
    Abstract: A compacted, single phase or multiphase composite article. Particles for use in the compacted article are produced by providing a precursor compound containing at least one or at least two metals and a coordinating ligand. The compound is heated to remove the coordinating ligand therefrom and increase the surface area thereof. It may then be reacted so that at least one metal forms a metal-containing compound. The particles may be consolidated to form a compacted article, and for this purpose may be used in combination with graphite or diamonds. The metal-containing compound may be a nonmetallic compound including carbides, nitrides and carbonitrides of a refractory metal, such as tungsten. The metal-containing compound may be dispersed in a metal matrix, such as iron, nickel or cobalt. The dispersed nonmetallic compound particles are no larger than about 0.1 micron in particle size and have a volume fraction greater than about 0.15 within the metal matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1994
    Assignee: Exxon Research & Engineering Company
    Inventors: Richard S. Polizzotti, Larry E. McCandlish, Edwin L. Kugler