Patents Examined by James Arnold, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6797126
    Abstract: A method of desulphurizing and cracking of hydrocarbons to produce fuel oil. The fuel oil is first admixed with a sensitizer and solid source of hydrogen and, preferably, with a catalyst and a desulphurizing agent. The admixture is then subjected to microwave energy. The method acts to reduce the sulphur content of the fuel oil and cracks the fuel oil into a useful source of clean, burnable energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Reactive Energy LLC
    Inventors: Viktor Sharivker, Travis Honeycutt
  • Patent number: 6793805
    Abstract: A process for capturing mercury and possibly arsenic comprising at least: a) vaporising (or flashing, step a1) then condensing a hydrocarbon-containing feed (step a2) without separating said feed; b) treating the effluent from step a2 comprising at least one step for bringing said effluent into contact with hydrogen and a catalyst, and optionally capturing arsenic; c) a step consisting in passing the effluent from step b) over a mercury capture mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Pétrole
    Inventors: Blaise Didillon, Carine Petit-Clair, Laurent Savary
  • Patent number: 6790803
    Abstract: A hydroconversion catalyst for hydrodesulfurizing feedstock while preserving octane number of the feedstock includes a support having a mixture of zeolite and alumina, the zeolite having an Si/Al ratio of between about 1 and about 20, and an active phase on the support and including a first metal selected from group 6 of the periodic table of elements, a second metal selected from the group consisting of group 8, group 9 and group 10 of the period table of elements and a third element selected from group 15 of the periodic table of elements. A hydroconversion process is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Intevep, S.A.
    Inventors: Jorge Tejada, Nelson P. Martínez, José Antonio Pérez, Leonardo Escalante, José M. Larrauri, José A. Salazar
  • Patent number: 6790342
    Abstract: Processes are provided to produce a dilute ethylene stream and a dilute propylene stream from a cracked gas stream. One process comprises separating the cracked gas stream to produce a C3− stream and a C3+ stream; hydrogenating the C2− stream in a hydrogenation zone to remove a portion of the acetylene to produce the dilute ethylene stream and routing the C3+ stream to storage or other process unit. Another process comprises separating a cracked gas stream in a depropanizer zone to form a C3− stream and a C4+ stream; separating the C3− stream in a deethanizer zone to form a C2− and a C3 stream; hydrogenating a portion of the acetylene in the C2− stream in a hydrogenation zone to produce a dilute ethylene stream; and routing the C3 stream to storage or other process unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP
    Inventors: Rodney L. Porter, Anne M. Balinsky, Eric P. Weber
  • Patent number: 6787024
    Abstract: In an embodiment, the invention relates to a method for mitigating filter fouling from a coker gas oil by decomposing oligomers present in the gas oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Michael Siskin, Simon R. Kelemen
  • Patent number: 6786335
    Abstract: A pyrolysis plant for refuse and a method for screening solid residues provide a sure and trouble-free sieving of a solid material using a sieving device having a configuration which is as simple as possible. A spiral formed by a rod which is wound in a helicoidal manner, or a plurality of such rods, are provided as the sieving device. The rod or rods can rotate around a longitudinal axis. The solid material is introduced into an interior formed by the rod for sieving, preferably with the assistance of an aligning device for longitudinally extended solid material parts. The spirals include, in particular, a bend so that the lodged solid materials can automatically detach themselves. The sieving device is especially suited for sieving pyrolysis residual material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Georg Gropper, Reinhold Riggenmann, Winfried Von Rhein, Helmut Werdinig
  • Patent number: 6787026
    Abstract: This invention is directed to a process for hydroprocessing vacuum gas oils and other feeds in order to produce unconverted oil suitable for use as base oil feed for white oils, Group III oils, and BMCI (Bureau of Mines Correlation Index) ethylene plant feed. Ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and light products are removed from the first stage at high pressure in order to produce a higher quality of unconverted oil that is suitable for Group III base oils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventor: Darush Farshid
  • Patent number: 6787025
    Abstract: In the refining of crude oil, vacuum gas oil hydrotreaters and hydrocrackers are used to remove impurities such as sulfur, nitrogen, and metals from the crude oil. Typically, the middle distillate boiling material (boiling in the range from 250° F.-735° F.) from VGO hydrotreating or moderate severity hydrocrackers does not meet the smoke point, the cetane number or the aromatic specification. In most cases, this middle distillate is separately upgraded by a middle distillate hydrotreater or, alternatively, the middle distillate is blended into the general fuel oil pool or used as home heating oil. With this invention, the middle distillate is hydrotreated in the same high pressure loop as the vacuum gas oil hydrotreating reactor or the moderate severity hydrocracking reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Ujjal Kumar Mukherjee, Wai Seung W. Louie, Arthur J. Dahlberg
  • Patent number: 6783663
    Abstract: A hydroprocessing process, comprising: contacting a feedstock, at hydrotreating conditions, with a bulk multimetallic catalyst comprised of at least one Group VIII non-noble metal and at least two Group VIB metals and wherein the ratio of Group VIB metal to Group VIII non-noble metal is from about 10:1 to about 1:10 to form a hydrotreated product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Kenneth Lloyd Riley, Darryl Patrick Klein, Zhiguo Hou, Stuart Leon Soled, Michael Charles Kerby, Gary Brice McVicker, Edward Stanley Ellis, Michele Sue Touvelle, Sabato Miseo
  • Patent number: 6783660
    Abstract: The instant invention comprises a hydroprocessing method having at least two stages. The first stage employs a hydroprocessing catalyst which may contain hydrotreating catalyst, hydrocracking catalyst, or a combination of both. The second stage is limited to hydrocracking. Conversion in the second stage may be improved by the addition of multiple reaction zones for hydrocracking, with flash separation zones between the stages. Middle distillate yield is thereby increased and the volume of the recycle stream is reduced. This invention reduces the need for equipment which would normally be required for a large recycle stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur J. Dahlberg, Jerome F. Mayer
  • Patent number: 6783659
    Abstract: A process is provided to produce a dilute ethylene stream and a dilute propylene stream to be used as feedstocks for producing olefin-based derivatives. Specifically, the dilute ethylene stream is used as a feedstock to produce ethylbenzene, and the dilute propylene stream is used as a feedstock to produce cumene, acrylic acid, propylene oxide and other propylene based derivatives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Rodney L. Porter, Anne M. Balinsky, Eric P. Weber
  • Patent number: 6780308
    Abstract: A baffle-style stripper for an FCC process comprising sloped baffles in which a greater volumetric flow rate of stripping medium permeates openings in a bottom section of the baffle than through a top section of the baffle for low catalyst flux stripping operations. When low catalyst flux is used, the catalyst runs from baffle to baffle closer to the bottom edge of the baffle. Hence, more fluidization from stripping medium is concentrated near the lower edge of the baffle. The greater fluidization at the bottom section of the baffle is accomplished by providing greater opening area per baffle area in the lower section of the baffle than in the top section of the baffle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Brian W. Hedrick, Thuy Khanh T. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 6774272
    Abstract: A process for converting a blend of plastic waste and a Fischer-Tropsch waxy fraction into high VI lube oils. A Fischer-Tropsch wax is separated into a 1000° F.+ fraction and a 1000° F.− fraction. The higher boiling fraction is combined with virgin or waste polyolefin and fed to a pyrolysis zone after being heated in a heating unit. The pyrolysis effluent is separated into at least a heavy fraction. Any light fraction recovered can be further processed into a feed for gasoline products. Any middle fraction recovered can be hydrotreated and isodewaxed to form diesel, diesel blending and jet fuel, or can be oligomerized, hydrotreated and isodewaxed to form high VI lubricating base oil. The heavy fraction is hydrotreated and isodewaxed to yield high VI lubricating base oil. The process can be conducted on a continuous basis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen J. Miller
  • Patent number: 6767452
    Abstract: The invention is a process for decreasing the acidity of an organic acid containing petroleum oil, comprising contacting said petroleum oil containing organic acids with an effective amount of an alcohol and an effective trace amount of a base selected from Group IA and IIA metal carbonates, hydroxides, phosphates, biphosphates and mixtures of a hydroxide and phosphate and/or biphosphates at a temperature and under conditions sufficient to form the corresponding ester of said alcohol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Michael Siskin, Pacifico Viernes Manalastas, Guido Sartori
  • Patent number: 6758963
    Abstract: A process for preparing a lubricating oil basestock containing at least about 90% saturates. The process employs a bulk catalyst comprising at least one non-noble Group VIII metal and two Group VIB metals and wherein said metal catalyst further comprises a non-noble Group VIII molybdate in which at least a portion but less than all of molybdenum is replaced by tungsten.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Slyvain S. Hantzer, Kenneth Lloyd Riley
  • Patent number: 6755962
    Abstract: A slurry phase reactor is designed to treat extra heavy petroleum crude in a combination of thermal-zone and catalytic-zone in a counterflow system where liquid feed is added to the top and hydrogen at the bottom. Feed enters the gas-phase thermal zone, where it passes to a liquid-phase thermal zone. In the liquid-phase thermal zone, the hydrocarbon is thermally cracked and the unreacted liquid is further passed to a catalytic-zone below in communication with the thermal-zone. Catalyst can be added or removed as required in a continuous mode without shutting down the system. The heat generated inside the catalytic cracking zone is distributed to the entire reactor as the gaseous product flows upward. Feed is brought to the reaction conditions by the heat recovered from the gas-phase zone. Reaction temperature could be controlled by feed temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: ConocoPhillips Company
    Inventor: Dwijen K. Banerjee
  • Patent number: 6755964
    Abstract: A process for fixed bed sweetening of petroleum distillates using halogenating metal phthalocyanine as a catalyst comprising impregnating the catalyst on activated charcoal bed by circulating alcoholic alkaline solution of the catalyst through charcoal bed till colorless bed solution is obtained in the effluent, passing the petroleum distillate through the said catalyst loaded charcoal bed along with air or oxygen at a temperature and pressure with liquid hourly space velocity with continuous or intermittent injection of alkali solution such as sodium hydroxide of concentration to obtain the desired low mercaptan level petroleum distillates. The alkaline solution used is selected from methanolic and ethanolic solution of sodium hydroxide. The halogenated metal phthalocyanine catalyst used is selected from dichloro cobalt phthalocyanine and dibromo cobalt phthalocyanine. The petroleum fraction used is selected from diesel, kerosene and FCC gasoline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Council of Scientific & Industrial Research
    Inventors: Brij Bahadur Agrawal, Som Nath Puri, Gautam Das, Bir Sain, Bhagwati Prasad Balodi, Sunil Kumar, Anil Kumar, Pushpa Gupta, Jai Prakash, Onkar Singh Tyagi, Turuga Sundara Rama Prasada Rao, Gur Pratap Rai
  • Patent number: 6749742
    Abstract: A chemical treatment is disclosed for reducing the sulfur content of catalytically processed gasoline and intermediate crude-oil products, by absorbing the sulfur contained in such catalytically processed products on silica gel packed in a filter or assembly of filters, operating at the normal exit pressure from production of catalytically processed gasoline and distillation of intermediate crude-oil products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Fians Capital, S.A., de C.V.
    Inventors: Israel Quiroz Franco, Mariano Fernández Garcia
  • Patent number: 6746599
    Abstract: Diluent-diluted bitumen froth containing bitumen and naphtha diluent, hydrocarbons, water, sand and fines (collectively “dilfroth”) is fed into a vapor-tight gravity settler (‘splitter’) and temporarily retained to produce a bottom layer of tails comprising sand and middlings, a rag layer of discrete three-dimensional structures, each comprising hydrocarbons contained in a skin of fines, and a top layer of hydrocarbons containing small droplets of water and fines (‘raw dilbit’). The flux in the splitter is less than 6 m3/h of dilfroth fed per m2 of horizontal cross-sectional rag area. The in-coming dilfroth is fed directly into the splitter middlings. Demulsifier is added to the overflow stream of raw dilbit and the mixture is subjected to prolonged settling in a vapor-tight polisher tank, to produce polished dilbit containing less than 1.0 wt. % water and 0.3 wt. % solids. The splitter underflow tails, containing less than 15 wt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignees: AEC Oil Sands Limited Partnership, Athabasca Oil Sands Investments Inc., Nexen Inc., Canadian Oil Sands Investments Inc., Gulf Canada Resources Limited, Imperial Oil Resources, Mocal Energy Limited, Murphy Oil Company Ltd., Petro-Canada
    Inventors: George Cymerman, Pat Dougan, Tom Tran, Jim Lorenz, Corey Mayr
  • Patent number: 6746598
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of a catalytic system comprising a metal of group VIII, a metal of group VI, a metal oxide as carrier and suitable quantities of a component selected from a zeolite of the FER type, phosphorous, and a mixture thereof, in upgrading of hydrocarbons boiling in the naphtha range containing sulfur impurities, namely in hydrodesulfurization with contemporaneous skeleton isomerization of olefins contained in said hydrocarbons and/or with reduction of olefins hydrogenation, carried out in a single step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignees: Enitecnologie S.p.A., Repsol Petroleo S.A., Elf Antar France S.A., AGIP Petroli S.p.A.
    Inventors: Laura Zanibelli, Virginio Arrigoni, Fernando Albertos, Evangelina Atanes, Thierry Cholley, Febronio Panarello