Abstract: Catalytic dehydrogenation wherein feed is passed in one direction through the bed in a first cycle and heating gas is passed in an opposite direction in a second cycle to provide the endothermic heat of reaction and regenerate catalyst. The operation is controlled to balance properly heat absorbed during dehydrogenation and heat input during regeneration; e.g., by having catalyst of different activities over the length of the bed.

Abstract: A low pressure cryogenic process is disclosed for recovering C.sub.2 and heavier hydrocarbons and particularly olefins from a refinery offgas containing hydrogen, methane, nitrogen oxide in addition to the C.sub.2 and heavier hydrocarbons. The conventional high pressures are eliminated and the temperatures are maintained higher than the temperature at which nitrated gums can form while still maintaining high olefin recovery. The feed is deethanized or depropanized to remove the C.sub.4 and heavier hydrocarbons at a temperature above the nitrated gum formation temperature. The overhead is then demethanized in a column using an enriching zone above the rectifying zone with a feed of C.sub.2 or heavier paraffins between these two zones.

Abstract: A vertical heat exchanger including a vertical tube bundle connected between a lower inlet manifold and upper outlet manifold. The tube bundle comprises numerous pairs of concentric tubes with the inner tube being spaced from the outer tube to form an annular flow passage positioned around an inner flow passage. The inner tubes are welded between outer tube sheets that form a part of the upper and lower manifolds while the outer tubes are welded between inner tube sheets forming part of these manifolds. Each of the manifolds has a distributor ring which has radially directed openings throughout its periphery so as to provide for a radial flow in the manifold. Fluid enters the lower manifold through suitable inlet nozzles and exits the upper manifold through suitable outlet nozzles. A high temperature heating gas is directed up through the inner tubes of each pair of tubes by a conical inlet distributor and exits the upper end of the tube bundle through a similar conical distributor.

Abstract: Waste refinery sludge having a high water content along with hydrocarbon liquids and solids is disposed of in a delayed coking process. The sludge is pretreated and heated to a coking temperature and then introduced into the top of a delayed coking drum.

Abstract: A heat storage apparatus is disclosed providing a vertical tube bundle arrangement in a vessel containing a heat storage medium. The tube bundle is divided into modular sector-shaped units each having a radial distribution manifold at the bottom and top with each radial distribution manifold having a plurality of perpendicular secondary manifolds to which the heat exchange tubes are attached. The modular units are supported on radial beams which support the units by the secondary manifolds. Alternate means may be used to feed the fluid through the tubes.

Abstract: A secondary carbon atom in an alkane, including alkyl groups attached to aromatic rings, or cycloalkane is peroxidized by molecular oxygen to the corresponding hydroperoxide in the absence of a catalyst. The peroxidation is carried out in the presence of a tertiary hydroperoxide initiator which provides the free radicals needed to maintain the reaction. The amount of tertiary alcohol in the initiator is limited. The initial product of the peroxidation contains the secondary hydroperoxide as well as unreacted hydrocarbon, unreacted tertiary hydroperoxide and tertiary alcohol. The tertiary alcohol is removed as an azeotrope with part of the unreacted hydrocarbon which may be then separated from the alcohol and recycled. A second azeotropic distillation follows where the unreacted tertiary hydroperoxide is removed as an azeotrope with the rest of the unreacted hydrocarbon. This azeotrope is directly recycled to the peroxidation reaction.

Abstract: In the production of maleic anhydride, a crude maleic anhydride is produced which contains acrylic acid and other by-products. The crude maleic anhydride is dissolved in a solvent and the acrylic acid is distilled off. To avoid the polymerization of the acrylic acid, an inhibitor of phenothiazine is added to the distillation process.

Abstract: In a dehydrogenation process wherein catalyst is regenerated off-stream by use of heated air, at least two reactors are in the regeneration cycle, with regeneration air being heated to regeneration catalyst temperature for introduction into the first reactor, and thereafter being reheated to catalyst regeneration temperature and introduced into the second reactor. Such air may also be employed for preheating feed to the dehydrogenation reactor and/or for steam generation by heating such air to the temperature required for such procedure.

Abstract: A staged catalytic cracking process and apparatus is disclosed where each stage has a catalyst to oil ratio of at least 15 and there are individual hydrocarbon feeds to each stage and product removal from each stage. There is a residence time profile with the first stage having a short residence time and the successive stages having progressively longer residence times. Further, there is a feed profile with the lighter components of the total feed going to the first stage and the heavier components being fed to the later stages. The apparatus has a generally vertical orientation which permits it to be incorporated into existing cracking units for upgrading and also easily provides for both short and long residence times.

Abstract: A heat exchanger adapted to handle dusty hot waste gases including a vertically oriented shell through which the waste gases flow longitudinally downward. The shell contains a tube assembly of vertical tubes having external, longitudinal heat transfer fins with the tubes being connected for fluid flow and support of their upper and lower ends to a central vertical support/header assembly. This support/header assembly is a tube divided into an upper header, a lower header and a center support tube section.

Abstract: A process for upgrading gasolines and other hydrocarbon mixtures. The hydrocarbon mixture is contacted with a large pore zeolite catalyst in order to crack n-paraffins to form olefins and lower molecular weight n-paraffins, to cause the olefins to react with benzene in order to form alkylbenzenes, and to catalyze the isomerization of the n-paraffins to form i-paraffins. Preferably, all of the above reactions occur in a single reactant mixture in the presence of a zeolite catalyst having ten and/or twelve membered ring-type structures. The process of the invention reduces the benzene quantity of the hydrocarbon mixture and increases its octane number.

Abstract: A process for producing bleached pulp from a fibrous plant material (e.g., wood), wherein the material is contacted with an alcohol solvent in a pulping zone to extract lignin from the fibrous plant material. The resulting pulp is then treated with a hydroperoxide or peroxide bleaching agent in a bleaching zone to form bleached pulp. Alcohol formed from the hydroperoxide or peroxide during the bleaching process may be recycled to the pulping zone. A preferred alcohol is tert-butyl alcohol, while a preferred hydroperoxide is tert-butyl hydroperoxide.

Abstract: A process for reacting a fluid phase (gaseous and/or liquid phase) in contact with a solid phase in a reaction zone, wherein the improvement in said process comprises reacting the fluid phase in contact with the solid phase in a horizontally-oriented fluidized bed vessel. The vessel includes at least two compartments or stages, and includes means for vibrating the vessel. The process of the present invention enables one to effect fluidization of the solid phase independently of the flow rate or velocity of the fluid phase, thus enabling proper contact time of the fluid phase with the solid phase and minimizing the amount of fluid phase reactant to be recycled.

Abstract: A process for the production of gasoline from a light hydrocarbon feed. The feed is catalytically aromatized to produce an effluent containing aromatics and olefins with the aromatics and olefins being subjected to alkylation to produce a gasoline product with a higher octane rating.

Abstract: A secondary carbon atom in an alkane, including alkyl groups attached to aromatic rings, or cycloalkane is oxidized by molecular oxygen to the corresponding hydroperoxide in the absence of a catalyst. The oxidation is carried out in the presence of a tertiary hydroperoxide initiator which provides the free radicals needed to maintain the reaction. The amount of tertiary alcohol in the initiator is limited.

Abstract: Processes for the regeneration of catalysts, such as hydrogenation catalysts, and the defouling of objects, which are contaminated with carbonaceous deposits. The catalyst or object is contacted with water, oxygen-containing gas, and at least one alkaline material maintained at a pH of at least 7.0, and at a temperature and pressure sufficient to combust at least a portion of the carbonaceous deposits. The process of the present invention enables one to remove carbonaceous deposits from catalysts or contaminated the leaching of metals from the catalysts or objects by acidic by-products of the combustion process.

Abstract: A system for the catalytic distillation production of alkylated aromatic compounds is provided wherein the vapor pressure of the olefin may be increased while maintaining the same olefin feed rate and aromatic to olefin ratio. In one embodiment a side stream from the vapor from the second column below the catalyst and olefin feed is condensed and rerouted to the aromatic make up stream from the reflux drum. The vapor pressure of the olefin in the lower end of the first column in the catalyst bed is thus increased which increases the equilibrium concentration of the olefin in the liquid phase. In another embodiment of the invention the effective driving force for the reaction is increased by injecting the olefin at different heights within the catalyst bed. If additional olefin is injected more catalyst bed height would be required, but the additional catalyst is more that offset by the increased throughput at the same overall olefin conversion.

Abstract: In a supercritical oxidation process, the oxidized supercritical fluid effluent (46) discharged from the upper region of the reactor vessel (10) is contacted with a cold quench liquid (66) so as to produce a relatively solids free vapor stream (53) and a liquid stream (51) containing the bulk of the precipitates and other solids carried over in the oxidized supercritical fluid effluent (46). The temperature of the resultant liquid stream (51) is maintained at a temperature below the solids solubility inversion temperature, typically below 600.degree. F., so as to dissolve a substantial portion of the precipitates and other solids collected therein.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for obtaining a high purity bisphenol from a post-reaction mixture resulting from the step of synthesis of phenol and acetone in the presence of a strong acid cation exhanger catalyst, by the way of crystallation and separation by distillation followed by recovery of bisphenol-A from the step of thermal catalytic decomposition of by product of the principal process technology in a multistage process.

Abstract: An improved process for vaporizing a crude petroleum feedstock, preferably one boiling in the vacuum gas oil range or higher, prior to thermal cracking to olefins, wherein such feedstock is preheated, in one or more stages, in the convection section of a tubular steam cracking furnace, characterized by conducting the preheating in the presence of a small amount of hydrogen, preferably at a hydrogen/feed ratio of from about 0.01 to about 0.15 wt. %, so as to inhibit coke formation.