Patents by Inventor Brian W. Hokkanen

Brian W. Hokkanen has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9663437
    Abstract: A process for producing acetic acid comprising the steps of reacting carbon monoxide and at least one of methanol and a methanol derivative in a first reactor under conditions effective to produce a crude acetic acid product; separating the crude acetic acid product into at least one derivative stream, at least one of the at least one derivative stream comprising residual carbon monoxide; and reacting at least a portion of the residual carbon monoxide with at least one of methanol and a methanol derivative over a metal catalyst in a second reactor to produce additional acetic acid. Preferably the second reactor is a homogeneous reactor and a reactor carbon monoxide partial pressure is less than 1.05 MPa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: CELANESE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: G. Paull Torrence, Brian W. Hokkanen, Ronald David Shaver
  • Patent number: 9567282
    Abstract: A process for producing acetic acid comprising the steps of reacting carbon monoxide and at least one of methanol and a methanol derivative in a first reactor under conditions effective to produce a crude acetic acid product; separating the crude acetic acid product into at least one derivative stream, at least one of the at least one derivative stream comprising residual carbon monoxide; and reacting at least a portion of the residual carbon monoxide with at least one of methanol and a methanol derivative over a metal catalyst in a second reactor to produce additional acetic acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: CELANESE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: G. Paull Torrence, Brian W. Hokkanen, Michael O. Nutt, Tianshu Pan, Ronald D. Shaver
  • Patent number: 9409163
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention is to an ion exchange resin composition comprising a metal-functionalized exchange resin comprising from 3% to 94% metal-functionalized active sites; and a non-metal-functionalized exchange resin comprising non-metal-functionalized active sites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: CELANESE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ronald D. Shaver, Greg Blanchard, Brian W. Hokkanen, G. Paull Torrence
  • Patent number: 8877963
    Abstract: The present invention is to a process for producing acetic acid comprising the step of reacting a carbon monoxide feed and methanol and/or a methanol derivative in a first reactor to produce a crude acetic acid product. The carbon monoxide may comprise less than 99.5 mol % carbon monoxide. The process further comprises the step of purging a carbon monoxide purge stream comprising a first amount of residual carbon monoxide and one or more impurities. Preferably, the first amount is greater than 20 mol %. The process further comprises the step of separating the crude acetic acid product into at least one derivative stream comprising a second amount of residual carbon monoxide. The process further comprises the step of reacting at least a portion of the second amount of residual carbon monoxide and methanol and/or a methanol derivative in a second reactor to produce additional acetic acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Celanese International Corporation
    Inventors: Brian W. Hokkanen, Michael Nutt, Tianshu Pan, Ronald David Shaver, G. Paull Torrence
  • Publication number: 20140128487
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention is to an ion exchange resin composition comprising a metal-functionalized exchange resin comprising from 3% to 94% metal-functionalized active sites; and a non-metal-functionalized exchange resin comprising non-metal-functionalized active sites.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2014
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: Celanese International Corporation
    Inventors: Ronald D. Shaver, Greg Blanchard, Brian W. Hokkanen, G. Paull Torrence
  • Patent number: 8664283
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention is to an ion exchange resin composition comprising a metal-functionalized exchange resin comprising from 3% to 94% metal-functionalized active sites; and a non-metal-functionalized exchange resin comprising non-metal-functionalized active sites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Celanese International Corporation
    Inventors: Greg Blanchard, Ronald D. Shaver, Brian W. Hokkanen, G. Paull Torrence
  • Publication number: 20130066107
    Abstract: A process for producing acetic acid comprising the steps of reacting carbon monoxide and at least one of methanol and a methanol derivative in a first reactor under conditions effective to produce a crude acetic acid product; separating the crude acetic acid product into at least one derivative stream, at least one of the at least one derivative stream comprising residual carbon monoxide; and reacting at least a portion of the residual carbon monoxide with at least one of methanol and a methanol derivative over a metal catalyst in a second reactor to produce additional acetic acid. Preferably the second reactor is a homogeneous reactor and a reactor carbon monoxide partial pressure is less than 1.05 MPa.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Applicant: CELANESE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: G. Paull Torrence, Brian W. Hokkanen, Ronald David Shaver
  • Patent number: 8394988
    Abstract: A process for producing acetic acid comprising the steps of reacting carbon monoxide and at least one of methanol and a methanol derivative in a first reactor under conditions effective to produce a crude acetic acid product; separating the crude acetic acid product into at least one derivative stream, at least one of the at least one derivative stream comprising residual carbon monoxide; and reacting at least a portion of the residual carbon monoxide with at least one of methanol and a methanol derivative over a metal catalyst in a second reactor to produce additional acetic acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Celanese International Corporation
    Inventors: G. Paull Torrence, Brian W. Hokkanen, Michael O. Nutt, Tianshu Pan, Ronald David Shaver
  • Publication number: 20120202900
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention is to an ion exchange resin composition comprising a metal-functionalized exchange resin comprising from 3% to 94% metal-functionalized active sites; and a non-metal-functionalized exchange resin comprising non-metal-functionalized active sites.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: Celanese International Corporation
    Inventors: Greg Blanchard, Ronald D. Shaver, Brian W. Hokkanen, G. Paull Torrence
  • Publication number: 20120083623
    Abstract: The present invention is to a process for producing acetic acid comprising the step of reacting a carbon monoxide feed and methanol and/or a methanol derivative in a first reactor to produce a crude acetic acid product. The carbon monoxide may comprise less than 99.5 mol % carbon monoxide. The process further comprises the step of purging a carbon monoxide purge stream comprising a first amount of residual carbon monoxide and one or more impurities. Preferably, the first amount is greater than 20 mol %. The process further comprises the step of separating the crude acetic acid product into at least one derivative stream comprising a second amount of residual carbon monoxide. The process further comprises the step of reacting at least a portion of the second amount of residual carbon monoxide and methanol and/or a methanol derivative in a second reactor to produce additional acetic acid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Applicant: CELANESE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Brian W. Hokkanen, Michael Nutt, Tianshu Pan, Ronald David Shaver, G. Paull Torrence
  • Publication number: 20120078012
    Abstract: A process for producing acetic acid comprising the steps of reacting carbon monoxide and at least one of methanol and a methanol derivative in a first reactor under conditions effective to produce a crude acetic acid product; separating the crude acetic acid product into at least one derivative stream, at least one of the at least one derivative stream comprising residual carbon monoxide; and reacting at least a portion of the residual carbon monoxide with at least one of methanol and a methanol derivative over a metal catalyst in a second reactor to produce additional acetic acid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: Celanese International Corporation
    Inventors: G. Paull Torrence, Brian W. Hokkanen, Michael O. Nutt, Tianshu Pan, Ronald David Shaver