Abstract: A process for dimerizing light olefinic hydrocarbons in a reaction zone containing a solid acidic catalyst. The process comprises recovering a reaction zone effluent which contains unreacted olefinic hydrocarbons, converting the unreacted olefinic hydrocarbons into an intermediate product in the effluent and separating the intermediate product from the effluent. By decomposing the separated intermediate product the unreacted olefinic hydrocarbons can be recovered and recycled to the reaction zone. By means of the invention, the yield of the product and the lifetime of the catalyst can be improved in a direct dimerization process of light olefins.

Abstract: The invention relates to process for dimerizing olefinic hydrocarbon feedstock, to hydrocarbon compositions and to fuel components produced by the process. According to the invention, fresh olefinic hydrocarbon feedstock is fed to a reaction zone of a system including at least one reaction zone and at least one distillation zone. The olefinic hydrocarbon feedstock is contacted with an acidic catalyst in the presence of an oxygenate at conditions in which at least a part of the olefins dimerizes. The effluent from the reaction zone is conducted to the distillation zone where dimerized reaction product is separated from effluent, and at least one flow comprising oxygenate is withdrawn from the side of at least one distillation column. The flow is circulated from distillation zone back to dimerization. The reaction mixture is recovered and optionally hydrogenated to form a parafinic reaction product.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process and to an apparatus for preparing a heterogeneous catalyst having at least one catalytically active species bound to the surface of a support material. According to the process, the surface of the support is first pretreated. A catalyst reagent containing the catalytically active species or its precursor is vaporized and the vapor is routed into a reaction chamber where it is brought to interact with the support material. The catalyst reagent not bound to the support is withdrawn from the reaction chamber in gaseous form. If necessary, the species bound to the support is posttreated in order to convert it into a catalytically active form. According to the invention, the amount of catalyst reagent brought into the reaction chamber is at least equal to, preferably in excess of the number of available binding sites on the surface.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for separating materials of two different phases from one another and an assembly for implementing the method. According to one embodiment of the invention, the second phase having the material in suspended or dispersed form is separated from the first phase by centrifugal force. At least one separator comprises a multiport cyclone into which the material flow is passed via an infeed nozzle having an annular cross section.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a process for the etherification of olefins. According to the process, an olefin or a mixture of olefins is reacted with an alcohol or a mixture of alcohols in the presence of a catalyst. According to the invention, a catalyst is used which comprises a grafted polymer fiber, there being functional groups attached to the grafted polymer fiber. By means of the invention it is possible to speed up the etherification process of, in particular, heavier ethers.

Abstract: The invention concerns a refrigerant composition which comprises a chlorine-free hydrofluorocarbon based refrigerant and, mixed with the refrigerant, a lubricant comprising a polyol ester. According to the invention the polyol ester comprises an ester of 2-butyl-2-ethyl-1,3-propane diol, the carboxylic acid residue of which is derived from a linear or branched C4 . . . C8-carboxylic acid or an anhydride thereof, or it is derived from a mixture of linear or branched C4 . . . C18-carboxylic acids or anhydrides thereof. The present invention also concerns novel complex esters of 2-butyl-2-ethyl-1,3-propanediol, which contain residues of mono- or bivalent carboxylic acids. The novel esters exhibit good solubility in fluorinated hydrocarbons and excellent lubricating properties.

Abstract: Process for isomerisation of a hydrocarbonaceous feedstock substantially boiling in the gasoline range which feedstock comprises linear paraffins having at least five carbon atoms wherein the feedstock is contacted in the presence of hydrogen at elevated temperature and pressure with a catalyst comprising in combination platinum (Pt) and palladium (Pd) each in metallic form supported on an acidic amorphous alumina or molecular sieve, and isomerised hydrocarbons preprared by the process.

Abstract: The invention concerns a process for manufacturing polyol complex esters. According to the method, a polyol, such as BEPD or NPG, is reacted with mono- and polyvalent acids in the presence of a catalyst to produce a reaction blend containing complex esters. According to the invention the acid components of the reaction blend are neutralized with a tertiary amine, and the complex esters are recovered from the thus treated reaction blend. The basic amines that are used form salt-like compounds with the carboxylic acids. The compounds enter the aqueous phase, from which they are easily separated, whereby the complex esters are recovered with high yield.

Abstract: A catalyst with a high sulphur tolerance for the hydrogenation of middle distillate aromatics which comprises as a support (a) an alumina, the surface of which has been modified by contacting it with a silicon-containing compound, or (b) a silica, the surface of which has been modified by contacting it with an aluminum-containing compound. The support has been treated with air, oxygen or water vapor at an elevated temperature in order to convert the said silicon-containing compound or the said aluminum-containing compound to oxide form. The hydrogenating component of the catalyst is one or more metals of the platinum group.

Abstract: A two-step process is described for the polymerization of lactide to polylactide, in which process in the first step polymerization is carried out to a conversion of at least 50% by weight, and in the latter step the polylactide is polymerized further to a high conversion in conditions in which the mixing of the melt and the evaporation of the lactide are avoided.

Abstract: A first reactor includes a circulating fluidized-bed rector with a reaction space of an axially annular cross section, and the second reactor includes a circulating fluidized-bed reactor surrounding the first reactor in a symmetrically concentric fashion, whereby also the second reactor has a reaction space of an axially annular cross section. The construction according to the invention makes it possible to implement also large equipment with a small height-to-diameter ratio, whereby the footprint/space requirements of the equipment are minimized and problems associated with thermal expansion are reduced essentially.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the removal of lactide from polylactide and recovery of lactide from a lactide-containing gas by cooling the hot lactide-containing gas, wherein a polymer melt traveling through a nozzle forms thin threads the surface area of which is so large that in a normal-pressure or vacuum evaporator the lactide evaporates from the polymer rapidly into a hot carrier-gas flow and the polymer settles under gravity onto a collecting device. A hot lactide-containing gas is cooled rapidly to a temperature below 100° C., whereupon the lactide crystallizes from gas, forming lactide crystals, which are separated from the gas.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the polymerization or copolymerization of cyclic lactones of hydroxy acids by using as catalysts organometallic iron compounds containing iron salts or iron esters of carboxylic acids having at maximum 18 carbon atoms or some iron complexes. The invention relates preferably to the polymerization of lactide by using an iron acetate catalyst or initiator.