Abstract: A process for the preparation of an olefin product comprising ethylene, which process comprises the steps of: a) converting an oxygenate feedstock in an oxygenate-to-olefins conversion system, comprising a reaction zone in which an oxygenate feedstock is contacted with an oxygenate conversion catalyst under oxygenate conversion conditions, to obtain a conversion effluent comprising ethylene and/or propylene; b) separating at least a portion of the propylene from the conversion effluent to form a propylene stream; c) separating the remainder of the olefins from the conversion effluent; and d) recycling at least a portion of the propylene stream to step a).

Abstract: The invention involves a process for hydrocarbon conversion. The process can include providing a feed to a primary upgrading zone and then treating the product from the primary upgrading zone with a feed-immiscible ionic liquid to remove nitrogen compounds.

Abstract: The invention involves a process for hydrocarbon conversion. The process can include providing a feed to a primary upgrading zone and then treating the product from the primary upgrading zone with a feed-immiscible ionic liquid to remove metal compounds.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing C4 olefins, from a feed of C4 monohydric alcohol, in which a reaction of dehydration of the monohydric alcohol to at least one olefin, and a reaction of skeletal isomerization of at least one of the olefins produced in one and the same reaction vessel, are carried out in the presence of an alumina-based catalyst with adapted porosity.

Abstract: The invention involves a process for hydrocarbon conversion. The process can include providing a feed to a primary upgrading zone and then treating the product from the primary upgrading zone with a feed-immiscible ionic liquid to remove carbon residue compounds.

Abstract: The invention involves a process for hydrocarbon conversion. The process can include providing a feed to a primary upgrading zone and then treating the product from the primary upgrading zone with a feed-immiscible ionic liquid to remove sulfur compounds.

Abstract: A method for suppressing isomerization of an olefin metathesis product produced in a metathesis reaction includes adding an isomerization suppression agent to a mixture that includes the olefin metathesis product and residual metathesis catalyst from the metathesis reaction under conditions that are sufficient to passivate at least a portion of the residual metathesis catalyst. The isomerization suppression agent includes (i) a salt and/or an ester of a phosphorous oxo acid, and/or (ii) a derivative of the phosphorous oxo acid in which at least one P—H bond has been replaced by a P—C bond, and/or (iii) a salt and/or an ester of the derivative. Methods of refining natural oils are described.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are processes for producing and separating ethane and ethylene. In some embodiments, an oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) product gas comprising ethane and ethylene is introduced to a separation unit comprising two separators. Within the separation unit, the OCM product gas is separated to provide a C2-rich effluent, a methane-rich effluent, and a nitrogen-rich effluent. Advantageously, in some embodiments the separation is achieved with little or no external refrigeration requirement.

Abstract: A method of upgrading heavy oil in which the heavy oil is preheated to above a boiling point of water to remove water as steam and lighter fractions as vapors. The heavy oil passes downwardly through a series of sequential horizontal heat gradients in a temperature gradient reactor. A temperature of each sequential heat gradient progressively increases so that lighter fractions of the heavy oil vaporize with minimal cracking and heavier heavy oil fractions continue to fall by force of gravity downwards. As they pass through further sequential heat gradients of progressively increasing temperature, they tend to crack into lighter fractions in the presence of nascent hydrogen. Coke, formed from heavier heavy oil fractions generated and deposited on a fluidized catalytic bed a bottom of the temperature gradient reactor, is fluidized with superheated steam. The superheated steam generates the nascent hydrogen required to promote hydrogen reactions by indirect heated steam reforming and water-gas shift reactions.

Abstract: A process is disclosed using a new catalyst for use in the alkylation of benzene with a substantially linear olefin. The catalyst allows for cation exchange with a rare earth element to increase the alkylation of benzene, while reducing the amount of isomerization of the alkyl group. This is important for increasing the quality of the alkylbenzene by increasing the linearity of the alkylbenzene.

Abstract: A processor for vacuum distillation of whole tires including: an insulated housing having a door on one end, a central radiant heat tube and a plurality of peripheral heat tubes spaced about the central radiant heat tube and arranged with an inlet leg of each peripheral heat tube adjacent an outlet leg of another peripheral heat tube to maximize utilization of the radiant heat energy from the peripheral heat tubes. The central radiant heat tube has an unsupported end adjacent the door such that the tires loaded through door will pass over the central radiant heat tube and such that the central radiant heat tube is in a central opening of each tire.

Abstract: A process and a reactor system for the preparation of an olefinic product by reacting an oxygenate feedstock in the presence of an oxygenate conversion catalyst within a reactor system under oxygenate-to-olefin conversion conditions, to obtain the olefinic product, wherein the reactor system has a contact surface coming in contact with oxygenates and wherein at least part of the contact surface is an material of the formula MX wherein: M is a metal and X is C, or M is a metal or Si and X is N.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for the preparation of an olefinic product, the process comprising reacting an oxygenate feedstock in the presence of formulated oxygenate conversion catalyst particles to produce the olefinic product, the formulated catalyst particles comprising a combination of at least a molecular sieve having one-dimensional 10-membered ring channels and a matrix wherein a Group II metal species has been added to the catalyst particles after the combination of said molecular sieve and the matrix.

Abstract: This invention provides, but is not limited to, methods of using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with open metal sites for acetylene storage. Also provided are compositions and materials comprising MOFs with open metal sites and acetylene, e.g., an acetylene storage material comprising HKUST-1 and acetylene.

Abstract: Process for the preparation of olefins comprising reacting an oxygenate and/or olefinic feed in a reactor in the presence of a molecular sieve catalyst to form a mixture which comprises olefins and at least partially coked catalyst; passing at least partially coked catalyst to a regenerator; introducing into the regenerator an oxygen-containing gas to regenerate the at least partially coked catalyst, thereby producing a gaseous mixture and at least partially regenerated catalyst; separating at least partially regenerated catalyst and at least part of the gaseous mixture; analysing the composition of the gaseous mixture to control the burning rate of the coke present on the at least partially coked catalyst in the regenerator by adjusting the mass flow rate of the oxygen-containing gas on the basis of the analysis of the gaseous mixture; and passing at least part of the at least partially regenerated catalyst back to the reactor.

Abstract: This invention discloses a process for making high viscosity index lubricating base oils having a viscosity index of at least 110 by co-feeding a ketone or a beta-keto-ester feedstock with a lubricant oil feedstock directly to a hydrocracking unit to produce a hydrocracked stream. Then at least a portion of the hydrocracked stream is treated under hydroisomerization conditions to produce a high viscosity index lubricating base oil. The process may involve bypassing a hydrotreating or hydrofinishing step, which may result in improved efficiency and economics in producing high viscosity index lubricating base oils.

Abstract: The present invention is a process to make isoprene comprising: a) providing a reaction zone comprising an acidic aqueous solution, b) introducing, continuously or intermittently, in said reaction zone a mixture comprising (i) isobutanol and optionally (ii) t-butanol or an iso-butene precursor which is not isobutanol and not t-butanol or iso-butene or any combination of two or three of these (ii) components, an aqueous solution of formaldehyde, c) operating said reaction zone at conditions effective to dehydrate isobutanol and optionally (ii) t-butanol and optionally the iso-butene precursor to iso-butene and produce isoprene by reaction of formaldehyde and iso-butene while distilling away a mixture comprising produced isoprene, water, unreacted starting materials and other low boiling point components from this reaction zone to the outside of the reaction zone. In another embodiment isobutanol provides 10% or more of the iso-butene for the isoprene synthesis.

Abstract: A method for reprocessing waste acid from methods for producing nitro-aromatics, in particular for producing dinitrotoluene (DNT) or trinitrotoluene (TNT), to recover concentrated and purified sulfuric acid and nitric acid, wherein in a first stage, the waste acid is separated in a stripping column countercurrently with water vapor from the bottom of the stripping column into at least one vapor phase, which contains nitric acid and possibly nitro-organics, and a pre-concentrated sulfuric acid, and the vapor phase and the pre-concentrated sulfuric acid are condensed and/or reprocessed in downstream method stages, wherein in the first stage of the method, in addition to the stripping, the nitric acid contained in the stripping vapor is concentrated in the presence of additional concentrated sulfuric acid so that nitric acid in a highly concentrated form suitable for feeding back into the nitration process is obtained directly in the first stage.

Abstract: Process for the preparation of olefins comprising reacting an oxygenate and/or olefinic feed in a reactor in the presence of a molecular sieve catalyst to form a mixture which comprises olefins and at least partially coked catalyst; separating olefins and at least partially coked catalyst as obtained; passing the at least partially coked catalyst to a regenerator; introducing into the regenerator an oxygen-containing gas to regenerate the at least partially coked catalyst, thereby producing a gaseous mixture and at least partially regenerated catalyst; analyzing the at least partially regenerated catalyst to control the burning rate of the coke present on the at least partially coked catalyst in the regenerator by adjusting one or more conditions of the regeneration of the at least partially coked catalyst on the basis of the analysis of the at least partially regenerated catalyst; and passing the at least partially regenerated catalyst to the reactor.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for distilling fresh water from sea, and brackish water are disclosed. In essence, an inverted, Y-shaped structure is configured such that each leg of the figure contains two, concentric pipe means. One pipe means institutes the exterior of the leg, and is translucent. The smaller pipe means is positioned inside the first, and a vacuum exists between the two. Water is permitted to enter the pipe means, via a further pipe means in communication with the source of the water. When the water rises in the legs of the apparatus, concentrated heat provided via, e.g., Fresnel lenses, acts to evaporate the water, resulting in separation of salt and impurities therefrom. Pure water condenses in the device and accumulates in a reservoir provided for this purpose.