Abstract: A process and apparatus is presented for the improved selectivity of oxygenate conversion to olefins. The process includes passing a process stream through a two stage reactor, wherein the process stream is separated from the catalyst in the first stage before passing the process stream to the second stage. The catalyst is continuously passed through the two stages, and cycles through a regeneration unit to control the carbon content on the catalyst.

Abstract: A selective hydrogenation process that is particularly effective in selectively hydrogenating alkynl compounds, such as acetylene or methyl acetylene, over alkenyl compounds, such as ethylene, is described. The process utilizes a slurry conversion unit for heat efficiency purposes during the conversion of acetylene into ethylene.

Abstract: A process to make isoprene may include providing a reaction zone containing an acidic aqueous solution. The process may include introducing, continuously or intermittently, in the reaction zone a mixture containing isobutanol and an aqueous solution of formaldehyde. The process may include operating the reaction zone at conditions effective to dehydrate isobutanol to iso-butene, and produce isoprene by reaction of formaldehyde and iso-butene, while distilling away a mixture containing produced isoprene and water.

Abstract: We provide an alkylation process, comprising: separating and recycling a hydrogen gas and a hydrogen chloride from an offgas of a hydrogenation reactor; wherein the hydrogen gas is recycled to the hydrogenation reactor; and wherein the hydrogen chloride is recycled to an alkylation reactor. We also provide an alkylation process unit for performing this process.

Abstract: The invention provides a start-up method for a reaction-regeneration unit for preparing light olefins from methanol, which comprises: (a) heating a regenerator with an auxiliary combustion chamber and a reactor with a start-up furnace; (b) charging a catalyst into the regenerator and reactor; (c) closing a spent catalyst slide valve and a regenerated catalyst slide valve after the reactor reaches about 350° C. or more; (d) feeding methanol to the reactor after the dense phase stage of the regenerator reaches about 350° C. or more; (e) opening the spent catalyst slide valve and introducing a carbon deposited catalyst from the reactor to the regenerator after the dense phase stage reaches about 400° C. or more and the average amount of carbon deposits on the catalyst in the reactor reaches about 2.5% or more; (f) raising the regenerator to above about 580° C.; and (g) stopping the start-up furnace and auxiliary combustion chamber.

Abstract: The present invention (in a first embodiment) relates to a process for the simultaneous dehydration and skeletal isomerization of isobutanol to make substantially corresponding olefins, having the same number of carbons and consisting essentially of a mixture of n-butenes and iso-butene, said process comprising: a) introducing in a reactor a stream (A) comprising isobutanol, optionally water, optionally an inert component, b) contacting said stream with a catalyst in said reactor at conditions effective to dehydrate and skeletal isomerize at least a portion of the isobutanol to make a mixture of n-butenes and iso-butene, c) recovering from said reactor a stream (B), removing water, the inert component if any and unconverted isobutanol if any to get a mixture of n-butenes and iso-butene, Wherein, the WHSV of the isobutanol is at least 1 h?1 or the temperature is from 200° C. to 600° C. and the catalyst is capable to make simultaneously the dehydration and skeletal isomerization of butene.

Abstract: Distillate feeds are hydroprocessed to produce a product having a low content of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The hydroprocessing includes dewaxing and aromatic saturation of the feed. The temperature of the aromatic saturation process can be controlled to make a distillate product having a desired aromatic content, such as less the 0.02 wt % of polyaromatic hydrocarbons having three or more aromatic rings.

Abstract: An apparatus for collecting atmospheric and soil vapor condensate and transferring said condensate to a storage vessel for use in farming or other applications.

Abstract: A process for the conversion of an alcohol mixture may include introducing into a reactor a stream including the alcohol mixture mixed with a stream including olefins having 4 carbon atoms or more. The process may include contacting the stream with a single catalyst at a temperature above 500° C. in the reactor at conditions effective to dehydrate isobutanol, forming C4+ olefins, and to catalytically crack the C4+ olefins. The single catalyst may be an acid catalyst adapted to cause both the dehydration and catalytic cracking. The process may include recovering an effluent including ethylene, propylene, and water, and fractionating the effluent.

Abstract: Process for the production of paraxylene from a C8 aromatic feedstock that comprises the following stages: A stage for separation by adsorption in a simulated moving bed SMB that produces an extract that contains at least 95% paraxylene and at least one raffinate R that contains ethylbenzene, A recycling of raffinate to the SMB separation stage after isomerization, in which R is separated in membrane separation means to obtain a first fraction F1 that is relatively high in ethylbenzene, which is purged, and an additional fraction F2 that is relatively low in ethylbenzene, which is recycled to the SMB after a single isomerization, preferably in the liquid phase.

Abstract: A transalkylation catalyst for the transalkylation of a heavy reformate is provided. The catalyst includes two solid acid zeolites having different physical and chemical properties, and at least three metals selected from the group 4 lanthanthides, and the elements found in groups 6 and 10 of the periodic table.

Abstract: A process for producing at least one light olefin, comprising converting three raw materials in the presence of at least one catalyst comprising at least one molecular sieve and regenerating said at least one catalyst into three separate product streams.

Abstract: A method of refining a natural oil includes: (a) providing a feedstock that includes a natural oil; (b) reacting the feedstock in the presence of a metathesis catalyst to form a metathesized product that includes olefins and esters; (c) passivating residual metathesis catalyst with an agent selected from the group consisting of (i) a salt and/or an ester of a phosphorous oxo acid, (ii) a derivative of the phosphorous oxo acid in which at least one P—H bond has been replaced by a P—C bond, (iii) a salt and/or an ester of the derivative, and (iv) combinations thereof; (d) separating the olefins in the metathesized product from the esters in the metathesized product; and (e) transesterifying the esters in the presence of an alcohol to form a transesterified product and/or hydrogenating the olefins to form a fully or partially saturated hydrogenated product.

Abstract: A process preparing an aromatic product comprising xylene, the process comprising: a) cracking a feedstock to obtain a cracker effluent comprising olefins and aromatics; b) converting an oxygenate feedstock in an oxygenate-to-olefins conversion system, comprising a reaction zone in which an oxygenate feedstock is contacted with a catalyst to obtain a conversion effluent comprising benzene, toluene, xylene and olefins; c) combining at least part of the cracker effluent and at least part of the conversion effluent to obtain a combined effluent, the combined effluent comprising aromatics; d) separating at least a portion of the benzene and/or toluene from the combined effluent to form a benzene and/or toluene stream; e) separating the olefins from the combined effluent; f) separating xylene from the combined effluent to form a xylene stream; and g) recycling at least a part of the benzene and/or toluene streams as recycled aromatics to step b).

Abstract: Reactors for carrying out a chemical reaction, as well as related components, systems and methods are provided. In accordance with one embodiment, a reactor is provided that includes a furnace and a crucible positioned for heating by the furnace. A downtube is disposed at least partially within the interior crucible along an axis. At least one structure is coupled with the downtube and extends substantially across the cross-sectional area of the interior volume taken in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis. A plurality of holes is formed in the structure enabling fluid flow therethrough. The structure coupled with the downtube may include a lower body portion and an upper body portion coupled with the lower body portion, wherein the plurality of holes is formed in the lower body portion adjacent to, and radially outward from, a periphery of the upper body portion.

Abstract: A process is described for making a product mixture including isobutene, propylene, 1-butene, 2-butene, 2-methyl-1-butene and 2-methyl-2-butene from a mixture of acetic acid and propionic and through reaction in the presence of a source of hydrogen and of a mixed oxide catalyst, for example, a ZnxZryOz mixed oxide catalyst. A variety of commercially valuable products may be made in turn from the various C3, C4 and C5 constituents of the product mixture.

Abstract: A process for producing at least one light olefin comprising: (a) contacting a first raw material comprising methanol with a least one catalyst in a first reaction zone to produce at least one light olefin and at least one inactivated catalyst; (b) transporting the at least one inactivated catalyst to a first regeneration zone to produce at least one first regenerated catalyst, and transporting a portion of the at least one first regenerated catalyst to the first reaction zone; (c) transporting another portion of the at least one first regenerated catalyst to a second regeneration zone to obtain at least one second regenerated catalyst; and (d) transporting the at least one second regenerated catalyst to a second reaction zone, and contacting the at least one second regenerated catalyst with a second raw material comprising C4 olefins to produce a product stream II comprising at least one light olefin.

Abstract: A catalyst composition useful for producing olefins and aromatic compounds from a feedstock is formed from a fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) catalyst and a ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst, wherein the amount of ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst makes up from 10 wt. % or more by total weight of the FCC catalyst and the ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst. The catalyst composition may be used in a method of producing olefins and aromatic compounds from a feedstock by introducing a hydrocarbon feedstock and the catalyst composition within a reactor, at least a portion of the reactor being at a reactor temperature of 550° C. or higher. The feedstock and catalyst composition are introduced into the reactor at a catalyst-to-feed (C/F) ratio of from 6 or greater.

Abstract: A liquid processing system is able to purify liquid such as water using an electromagnetic heater. The system, in one embodiment, includes a main boiler, a bottom boiler, a heating element, and a heating coil. The main boiler is structured to have a cylindrical shape and is configured to separate purified liquid from incoming liquid. The bottom boiler, configured to couple to the main boiler, holds at least a portion of incoming liquid for purification process. While the heating coil, which is situated adjacent to the heating element, is able to generate a magnetic field in accordance with an electrical current, the heating element produces heat needed for purification process in response to the magnetic field.

Abstract: Liquid fuel is produced by feeding a biomass feedstock into a one stage atmospheric pressure thermo-catalytic plasma gasifier, contacting the feedstock with oxygen or steam or both to obtain a syngas stream; splitting the syngas stream into first and second streams; conveying the first stream to a water gas shift reactor for producing a modified syngas stream containing CO and hydrogen; the second stream bypassing the water gas shift reactor and being added to the modified syngas steam; optionally reforming natural gas by steam methane reforming to produce a synthetic gas and optionally adding the synthetic gas to the water gas shift reactor; thereby obtaining a syngas having a H2:CO ratio of about 1:1 to about 2:1; subjecting the syngas to a Fischer Tropsch reaction thereby producing a wax product; and subjecting the product to a hydrogen cracking process to produce liquid fuel; and apparatus therefore.