Patents by Inventor Fritz A. Smith

Fritz A. Smith 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: 6569312
    Abstract: A process for upgrading oil feedstock wherein the feedstock is hydrocracked, flashed and/or distilled. The bottoms are then vacuum distilled to adjust viscosity and volatility. The refined feed is then dewaxed under high pressure by a medium pore molecular sieve. The dewaxed material is then cascaded to a hydrofinishing step, where it is contacted with an aromatics saturation catalyst having a metal hydrogenation function in order to produce, after appropriate flashing and distillation, lubricant products having high Viscosity Index, low aromatics content, low volatility and excellent stability to light in the presence of oxygen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Michael B. Carroll, Fritz A. Smith, John C. Bixel
  • Patent number: 6517704
    Abstract: A process for upgrading oil feedstock wherein the feedstock is hydrocracked, and flasked and/or distilled. A distillate fraction boiling in the diesel range is isolated and dewaxed under high pressure by a medium pore molecular sieve. The dewaxed material is then cascaded to a hydrofinishing step, where it is contacted with an aromatics saturation catalyst having a metal hydrogenation function in order to produce diesel fuels having low aromatics content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Michael B. Carroll, Fritz A. Smith, John C. Bixel
  • Patent number: 4921593
    Abstract: A lubricant dewaxing process which is useful with difficult feeds, especially highly waxy feeds having paraffin contents in excess of 25 weight percent of feeds with high nitrogen levels, employs two-step dewaxing in which the first stage is carried out under relatively mild conditions to obtain extended catalyst cycle life between successive reactivations with a constant temperature for the duration of each dewaxing cycle. The second stage dewaxing is carried out under conditions which maintain the target pour point for the product with a progressively increasing temperature during each dewaxing cycle. More than one preliminary dewaxing stage may be provided in order to reduce severity in each stage with mild conditions and constant temperature being maintained in the preliminary steps. Using this process, extended catalyst cycle lives may be obtained with difficult feeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1990
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: Fritz A. Smith
  • Patent number: 4908120
    Abstract: A lubricant dewaxing process which is useful with difficult feeds, especially highly waxy feeds having paraffin contents in excess of 25 weight percent or feeds with high nitrogen levels, employs two-step dewaxing in which the first stage is carried out under relatively mild conditions using a binder-free zeolite dewaxing catalyst to obtain extended catalyst cycle life between successive reactivations with a constant temperature for the duration of each dewaxing cycle. The second stage dewaxing is also carried out with a binder-free catalyst under conditions which maintain the target pour point for the product with a progressively increasing temperature during each dewaxing cycle. More than one preliminary dewaxing stage may be provided in order to reduce severity in each stage with mild conditions and constant temperature being maintained in the preliminary steps. Using this process, extended catalyst cycle lives may be obtained with difficult feeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 13, 1990
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Emmerson Bowes, Fritz A. Smith
  • Patent number: 4855521
    Abstract: An improved fluidized bed process for upgrading olefinic hydrocarbon feedstock by contacting the feedstock with acidic siliceous zeolite conversion catalyst particles at elevated temperature under exothermic conditions to produce heavier hydrocarbons including gasoline range hydrocarbons. The improvement comprises maintaining a turbulent fluidized bed of catalyst particles by flowing hydrocarbon-containing vapor upwardly through said bed at less than transport velocity; and introducing liquid olefinic feedstock comprising at least one C.sub.4 -C.sub.6 diene component into the fluidized catalyst bed in a lower portion thereof by rapidly atomizing and vaporizing the liquid feedstock, thus converting feedstock to heavier hydrocarbon without substantial thermal diene degradation thereof prior to contacting conversion catalyst particles in the fluidized bed. A predominantly liquid product is recovered containing C.sub.4 -C.sub.9 hydrocarbons rich in olefins and aromatics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1989
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Amos A. Avidan, Fritz A. Smith, Samuel A. Tabak
  • Patent number: 4778661
    Abstract: An improved fluidized bed process for upgrading olefinic hydrocarbon feedstock by contacting the feedstock with acidic siliceous zeolite conversion catalyst particles at elevated temperature under exothermic conditions to produce heavier hydrocarbons including gasoline range hydrocarbons. The improvement comprises maintaining a turbulent fluidized bed of catalyst particles by flowing hydrocarbon-containing vapor upwardly through said bed at less than transport velocity; and introducing liquid olefinic feedstock comprising at least one C.sub.4 -C.sub.6 diene component into the fluidized catalyst bed in a lower portion thereof by rapidly atomizing and vaporizing the liquid feedstock, thus converting feedstock to heavier hydrocarbon without substantial thermal diene degradation thereof prior to contacting conversion catalyst particles in the fluidized bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1988
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Amos A. Avidan, Fritz A. Smith, Samuel A. Tabak
  • Patent number: 4751338
    Abstract: A technique for continuous conversion of diene-containing aliphatic hydrocarbon feedstock to heavier hydrocarbon products wherein the feedstock is contacted at elevated temperature under endothermic high severity reaction conditions with a fluidized bed of acidic zeolite fine catalyst particles, comprising methods and means for:maintaining the fluidized catalyst bed in a vertical reactor having a turbulent reaction zone by passing vapor upwardly through the reaction zone at a velocity greater than dense bed transition velocity to a turbulent regime and less than transport velocity for the average catalyst particle;feeding a continuous stream of feedstock into the reaction zone, said feedstream comprising sufficient C.sub.3.sup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 14, 1988
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Samuel A. Tabak, Amos A. Avidan, Fritz A. Smith
  • Patent number: 4743433
    Abstract: A fixed bed catalytic reactor having a porous bed of catalyst particles contained in a closed reactor shell, comprising inlet means for introducing a downwardly flowing mixed stream of gas and liquid reactants; phase separator means for receiving said mixed stream and directing liquid onto the porous catalyst bed, said separator means being disposed within the reactor shell between said inlet means and said porous catalytic bed; said separator means comprising an upper foraminous wall having a series of gas outlets permitting a substantially-gaseous phase to escape outwardly from the separator means into an upper reactor portion, and lower liquid distribution means for receiving a stream of substantially liquid phase and dividing said liquid phase into a plurality of spaced-apart liquid streams directed toward the porous catalyst bed; and means for recovering gaseous and liquid reaction products from the reactor shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 10, 1988
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: Fritz A. Smith
  • Patent number: 4579647
    Abstract: A fixed bed catalytic reactor having a porous bed of catalyst particles contained in a closed reactor shell, comprisinginlet means for introducing a downwardly flowing mixed stream of gas and liquid reactants;phase separator means for receiving said mixed stream and directing liquid onto the porous catalyst bed, said separator means being disposed within the reactor shell between said inlet means and said porous catalytic bed;said separator means comprising an upper foraminous wall having a series of gas outlets permitting a substantially-gaseous phase to escape outwardly from the separator means into an upper reactor portion, and lower liquid distribution means for receiving a stream of substantially liquid phase and dividing said liquid phase into a plurality of spaced-apart liquid streams directed toward the porous catalyst bed; andmeans for recovering gaseous and liquid reaction products from the reactor shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 1, 1986
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: Fritz A. Smith
  • Patent number: 4544792
    Abstract: A process for converting olefinic feedstock, such as synthol olefinic liquid product of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, to distillate hydrocarbons comprising the steps of contacting the feedstock at elevated temperature and pressure with acid zeolite conversion catalyst to oligomerize olefins and convert oxygenated hydrocarbons contained in said light oil at temperatures up to 325.degree. C. and in the presence of H.sub.2, thereby providing an effluent containing heavy distillate range hydrocarbon, light gas and byproduct water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1985
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Fritz A. Smith, Samuel A. Tabak
  • Patent number: 4482773
    Abstract: Isomerization of xylene in admixture with ethylbenzene by contact with a zeolite catalyst such as ZSM-5 is improved by use of a zeolite having a catalyst particle size of at least 1 micron and having incorporated thereon two metals such as platinum and magnesium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 13, 1984
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Yung F. Chu, Fritz A. Smith, Arthur W. Chester
  • Patent number: 4480144
    Abstract: Regeneration of an aromatics processing catalyst is effected in the absence of a gas cooler and a gas-liquid separator with a continuous loop flow of an oxidizing gas stream by removing a portion of said continuous closed loop flow and introducing therein a quantity of a low moisture content molecular oxygen containing gas effective to maintain a molecular oxygen content no greater than 1.0 mole percent and a water partial pressure no greater than about 1.0 psi.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1981
    Date of Patent: October 30, 1984
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: Fritz A. Smith
  • Patent number: 4446007
    Abstract: An improved method for hydrodewaxing a petroleum or shale oil fraction, e.g. petroleum distillate, in a reactor is provided which involves contacting said fraction with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst comprising a crystalline zeolite having a silica to alumina mole ratio of at least 12 under hydrodewaxing conditions wherein the average reactor temperature at start-up of from about 200.degree. C. to 310.degree. C. is increased uniformly to at least 360.degree. C. within about seven days from start-up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1984
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: Fritz A. Smith
  • Patent number: 4358363
    Abstract: A waxy fuel oil that contains a catalytically deleterious contaminant is treated with a crystalline zeolite under sorption conditions followed by catalytic dewaxing with a crystalline zeolite exemplified by ZSM-5 to produce dewaxed fuel oil and high octane gasoline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1982
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: Fritz A. Smith
  • Patent number: 4358362
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon feed for use in a catalytic conversion process that utilizes a zeolite catalyst, and that contains a catalytically deleterious impurity, is refined by contact with a zeolitic sorbent. The invention is applicable to dewaxing, with an example illustrating reduction by 100.degree. F. of the initial equilibrium (lineout) temperature by the method of this invention. Other reactions include conversions of aromatic hydrocarbons such as alkylation, isomerization and disproportionation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1982
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Fritz A. Smith, Samuel A. Tabak
  • Patent number: 4158676
    Abstract: An improved process is provided for catalytic isomerization of monocyclic methyl-substituted aromatic hydrocarbon compounds of from 8 to 10 carbon atoms contained in a feedstock also containing ethylbenzene in a reaction zone maintained under conditions such that said isomerization is accomplished in the vapor phase. The catalyst for the process contains zeolite characterized by a constraint index, hereinafter defined, within the approximate range of 1 to 12. The improvement in the process comprises contacting the catalyst, in situ, with one or more basic nitrogen compounds or precursors thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1978
    Date of Patent: June 19, 1979
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Fritz A. Smith, Lloyd L. Breckenridge, Albert B. Schwartz
  • Patent number: 4126539
    Abstract: A CHD reactor is modified to include a feed nozzle arrangement which hydrogen-saturates the charged liquid before distribution across the fixed catalyst bed by a pair of gas/liquid distributor trays. Product is recovered from the catalyst bed through an apparatus arrangement comprising Glitsch grid to maintain low pressure drop in the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1977
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1978
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Walter R. Derr, Jr., Lawrence E. Gallagher, James H. Haddad, Stephen J. McGovern, Klaus W. Schatz, Fritz A. Smith
  • Patent number: 4080397
    Abstract: Upgrading of 350.degree. F plus product of Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis is accomplished by hydrotreating the Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis product and selective cracking the hydrotreated material boiling above about 600.degree. F. A product slate is recovered comprising LPG, gasoline, jet fuel, light and heavy oil fractions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1976
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1978
    Assignee: Mobile Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Walter R. Derr, Joseph R. McClernon, Stephen J. McGovern, Fritz A. Smith
  • Patent number: 4059648
    Abstract: Upgrading a product of Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis boiling above 300.degree. F is accomplished in a combination operation comprising hydrotreating of the 300.degree. F plus product and selective cracking portions of the hydrotreated product to provide a product slate comprising gas, gasoline, jet fuel, light and heavy oil fractions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1976
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1977
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Walter R. Derr, Joseph R. McClernon, Stephen J. McGovern, Fritz A. Smith