Abstract: In a process for manufacture of a chemical product in which a plurality of individual reactant containing feedstreams are combined to form a mixed feedstream for a reactor, and wherein at least one of the plurality of feedstreams is subject to variations in reactant concentration, and another one of the plurality of feedstreams is essentially stable in reactant concentration, a desired ratio of relative reactant concentrations in the mixed feedstream is maintained by a control system which infers a reactant concentration ratio in the mixed feedstream based on process measurements and feed parameters related to the plurality of feedstock containing streams prior to their being combined. In use, flow rate of the feedstream which is essentially stable in reactant concentration is manipulated to maintain the inferred reactant concentrations in the mixed stream.

Abstract: In a process for manufacture of a chemical product, a reactive hydrocarbon feedstream, which varies in composition of the reactive component, is combined with a compatible but unreactive hydrocarbon feedstream to form a blended hydrocarbon stream which is then combined with a reactive alcohol stream of stable concentration of its reactive component, to form a complete feedstream to the reactor. A desired ratio of relative reactant concentrations in the complete feedstream to the reactor is maintained by a control system which maintains a stable concentration in the blended hydrocarbon stream by manipulating flow rate of the unreactive hydrocarbon feedstream responsive to a concentration measurement in the blended hydrocarbon stream. Flow ratio control is then applied to maintain a desired ratio of reactants in the complete feedstream for the reactor by calculating a flow ratio of the blended hydrocarbon stream to the reactive alcohol feedstream.

Abstract: In an endothermic steam active catalytic process employing a fixed catalyst bed in a fuel fired reactor for the dehydrogenation of alkanes to alkenes, wherein a reaction temperature above about 500.degree. C. (932.degree. F.) is maintained for commercially feasible conversions, and wherein catalyst activity declines during a production period, apparatus for control of a process temperature so as to compensate for catalyst activity decline includes a temperature sensor mounted in the reaction effluent stream in combination with a temperature controller which automatically adjusts the quantity of fuel supplied to the fired reactor.

Abstract: In a steam active catalytic process employing a fixed catalyst bed for the dehydrogenation of alkanes to alkenes wherein reaction temperatures above about 500.degree. C. (932.degree. F.) must be maintained for commercially feasible conversions, the decline in catalyst activity druing a production period is slowed by maintaining a substantially constant temperature for the reaction effluent while allowing the average temperature of the fixed catalyst bed to rise during a production period.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for reforming a hydrocarbon feedstock in the presence of steam using a steam-active reforming catalyst The present invention can generally be used in conjunction with any steam-active reforming processes wherein the hydrocarbon reforming and catalyst regeneration operations are conducted simultaneously and the catalyst is regenerated using a steam-diluted oxygen (or air) regeneration medium. In the present invention, catalyst regeneration effluent gas is advantageously reused in the reforming operation to provide at least a portion of the steam environment required for reforming the hydrocarbon feedstock. Free oxygen is preferably removed from the regeneration effluent gas before the regeneration effluent gas is brought into contact with the hydrocarbon feedstock.

Abstract: A process for dehydrogenating C.sub.2 -C.sub.8 alkanes in the presence of steam and a catalyst composition containing zinc aluminate, a tin oxide and platinum, wherein the zinc aluminate support material has been prepared by calcining zinc oxide and a hydrated alumina (so as to alleviate coking during the dehydrogenation process).

Abstract: Steam active reforming catalyst is described which in addition to converting isoparaffins to isoolefins also isomerizes 1-olefins at least in part to internal olefins. In a combined steam active reforming and ether forming operation a 1-olefin containing stream can be recycled to the steam active reforming zone whereby this 1-olefin is converted to materials which in a separation step downstream from the ether forming reaction can be readily separated from the isoparaffin, the isolefin and the 1-olefin which are recycled to the steam active reforming zone. The steam active reforming catalyst thus has both the function of a reforming (dehydrogenation) catalyst and that of an isomerization catalyst for disposing of the 1-olefin byproduct and preventing its buildup in the operation.

Abstract: A process for catalytic reforming of hydrocarbons which comprises contacting aliphatic hydrocarbons with steam and a dehydrocyclization catalyst under dehydrocyclization conditions to form a vapor stream containing aromatics and nonaromatics, separating at least a portion of the vapor stream which is compressed, heated, and recycled to the dehydrocyclization reaction to minimize steam diluent requirements for the process.

Abstract: A continuous process for dehydrogenating hydrocarbons comprising repetitively carrying out dehydrogenation using a steam active dehydrogenation catalyst and regenerating of said catalyst with steam and oxygen-containing gas wherein the flow rate of steam is maintained constant during both the dehydrogenation and the regeneration and wherein the catalyst is purged with steam prior to each dehydrogenation and each regeneration.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for producing high octane hydrocarbons from a feed comprising paraffins having 5 to 9 carbon atoms which involves contacting the feed with steam and hydrogen in the presence of a steam active dehydrogenation catalyst wherein the amounts of steam and hydrogen employed relative to the feed are such that one obtains unexpectedly high conversion and unexpectedly high selectivity to high octane product.