Patents by Inventor Garland B. Brignac

Garland B. Brignac 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: 8669407
    Abstract: Described is an apparatus for, and a method of, recovering linear butenes from a mixed feed comprising providing a first mixed feed comprising linear butenes and isobutene; contacting the first mixed feed with an oligomerization catalyst such as an MWW family zeolite in a first oligomerization reactor to produce a second mixed feed comprising the linear butenes, C8 olefins and higher oligomers, and a reduced amount of isobutene relative to the first mixed feed; and separating the second mixed feed to produce a first effluent of first purified linear butenes, and a second effluent of C8 olefins and higher oligomers. The oligomerization reactor may be a converted isobutene-to-methyl-t-butylether reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Katherine Sullivan Phillion, Garland B. Brignac, Michael C. Clark, Glenn J. Moloney, Donald J. Norris, Benjamin S. Umansky
  • Patent number: 7988848
    Abstract: This invention relates to a process for activating a hydroprocessing catalyst and the use of activated catalyst for hydroprocessing. More particularly, hydroprocessing catalysts are activated in the presence of carbon monoxide. The catalysts that have been activated by CO treatment have improved activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Garland B. Brignac, Andrew C. Moreland, Thomas R. Halbert
  • Patent number: 7959795
    Abstract: The distillate catalytic hydrodesulfurization of hydrocarbon fuels wherein the optimum hydrogen treat gas rate to maximize desulfurization is determined and introduced into the reaction zone to maintain a controlled amount of hydrogen at the surface of the catalyst during hydrodesulfurization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Teh C. Ho, Garland B. Brignac, Zhiguo Hou, Michael C. Kerby, Tahmid I. Mizan, William E. Lewis
  • Publication number: 20100056834
    Abstract: Described is an apparatus for, and a method of, recovering linear butenes from a mixed feed comprising providing a first mixed feed comprising linear butenes and isobutene; contacting the first mixed feed with an oligomerization catalyst such as an MWW family zeolite in a first oligomerization reactor to produce a second mixed feed comprising the linear butenes, C8 olefins and higher oligomers, and a reduced amount of isobutene relative to the first mixed feed; and separating the second mixed feed to produce a first effluent of first purified linear butenes, and a second effluent of C8 olefins and higher oligomers. The oligomerization reactor may be a converted isobutene-to-methyl-t-butylether reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Inventors: Katherine Sullivan Phillion, Garland B. Brignac, Michael C. Clark, Glenn J. Moloney, Donald J. Norris, Benjamin S. Umansky
  • Publication number: 20100018905
    Abstract: The distillate catalytic hydrodesulfurization of hydrocarbon fuels wherein the optimum hydrogen treat gas rate to maximize desulfurization is determined and introduced into the reaction zone to maintain a controlled amount of hydrogen at the surface of the catalyst during hydrodesulfurization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2008
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Inventors: Teh C. Ho, Garland B. Brignac, Zhiguo Hou, Michael C. Kerby, Tahmid I. Mizan, William E. Lewis
  • Patent number: 7612012
    Abstract: The hydrogenation activity of a heteroatom removal catalyst, having activity for both heteroatom removal and hydrogenation, is selectively suppressed by a treatment which comprises contacting the catalyst with (i) hydrogen, (ii) a selectively deactivating agent that suppresses the catalyst's hydrogenation activity, and (iii) a protective agent, such as CO, that preserves and protects the heteroatom removal activity during the treatment. This may be achieved in a reactor while it is on-line and removing heteroatoms from a hydrocarbon feed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Garland B. Brignac, Michele S. Touvelle, William C. Baird, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7576023
    Abstract: Naphtha is selectively hydrodesulfurized in the presence of a sulfided, treated catalyst comprising at least a Group VIB metal catalytic component, to produce sulfur-reduced naphtha with reduced olefin loss due to saturation. The catalyst is treated with hydrogen, a selectively deactivating agent which deactivates its hydrogenation activity, and a protective agent which preserves its hydrodesulfurization activity during the treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Garland B. Brignac, Michele S. Touvelle, Randolph J. Smiley
  • Patent number: 7422679
    Abstract: Naphtha hydrodesulfurization selectivity is increased by reducing the amount of COX (CO plus ½ CO2) in the hydrodesulfurization reaction zone to less than 100 vppm. While this is useful for non-selective hydrodesulfurization, it is particularly useful for selectively desulfurizing an olefin-containing naphtha without octane loss due to olefin saturation by hydrogenation. The COX reduction is achieved by removing COX from the treat gas before it is passed into the reaction zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Edward S. Ellis, Thomas R. Halbert, Garland B. Brignac, John P. Greeley, Richard A. Demmin, Theresa A. Lalain
  • Patent number: 7357856
    Abstract: A two stage process for selectively hydrodesulfurizing olefinic and sulfur and nitrogen-containing naphtha feedstreams wherein the first stage is a nitrogen removal stage to produce a naphtha feedstream having reduced levels of nitrogen compounds and a second stage wherein the naphtha feedstream having reduced levels of nitrogen compounds is hydrodesulfuried with a catalyst and under conditions selective to remove sulfur with minimum olefin saturation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Peter W. Jacobs, Garland B. Brignac, Thomas R. Halbert, Madhav Acharya, Theresa A. Lelain
  • Patent number: 7297251
    Abstract: A process for the selective hydrodesulfurization of naphtha streams containing a substantial amount of olefins and organically bound sulfur. The naphtha stream is selectively hydrodesulfurized by passing it through a first reaction zone containing a bed of a first hydrodesulfurization catalyst, then passing the resulting product stream through a second reaction zone containing a bed of a second hydrodesulfurization catalyst, which second hydrodesulfurization catalyst contains a lower level of catalytic metals than the first hydrodesulfurization catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Edward S. Ellis, Richard A. Demmin, John P. Greeley, Gary B. McVicker, Bruce R. Cook, Garland B. Brignac, Thomas R. Halbert
  • Publication number: 20070185359
    Abstract: A process unit for the zeolite-catalyzed conversion of light refinery olefins from an FCC unit such as ethylene, propylene, and butylene to gasoline boiling range motor fuels comprises at least two sequential, serially connected reactors connected in parallel to a fractionation section with at one or two fractionators for separating the reactor effluents into product fraction with an optional recycle stream or streams. The configurations according to this scheme allow the adjustment of reactor temperature and/or pressure and/or space velocity to be based on the reactivities of the olefin compounds present in the LPG streams so that the gasoline produced in each reactor will be separated immediately, to reduce over-polymerization of the gasoline in the low severity reactor and to ensure that gasoline formed in the low severity reactor will not be sent to the higher severity reactor e.g.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2007
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Applicant: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Benjamin S. Umansky, Arthur P. Werner, Amanda K. Miller, Tomas R. Melli, Christopher M. Dean, Niveen S. Ismail, Garland B. Brignac
  • Patent number: 7244352
    Abstract: A process for producing a naphtha having a decreased amount of sulfur by selective hydroprocessing a petroleum feedstream comprising cracked naphtha to reduce its sulfur content with minimum loss of octane. The reduced sulfur naphtha stream contains mercaptan sulfur reversion products that are removed preferably by use of an aqueous base solution containing a catalytically effective amount of a phase transfer catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Thomas R. Halbert, Craig A. McKnight, John P. Greeley, Bruce R. Cook, Garland B. Brignac, Mark A. Greaney, Robert C. Welch
  • Patent number: 7220352
    Abstract: A process for the selective hydrodesulfurization of naphtha streams containing sulfur and olefins. A substantially olefins-free naphtha stream is blended with an olefins/sulfur-containing naphtha stream and hydrodesulfurized resulting in the substantial removal of sulfur without excessive olefin saturation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Thomas R. Halbert, John P. Greeley, Brij N. Gupta, Garland B. Brignac, Chu Siang Loo
  • Patent number: 7074735
    Abstract: The hydrogenation activity of a heteroatom removal catalyst, having activity for both heteroatom removal and hydrogenation, is selectively suppressed by a treatment which comprises contacting the catalyst with (i) hydrogen, (ii) a selectively deactivating agent that suppresses the catalyst's hydrogenation activity, and (iii) a protective agent, such as CO, that preserves and protects the heteroatom removal activity during the treatment. This may be achieved in a reactor while it is on-line and removing heteroatoms from a hydrocarbon feed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Garland B. Brignac, Michele S. Touvelle, William C. Baird, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6913688
    Abstract: A process for the selective hydrodesulfurization of olefinic naphtha streams containing a substantial amount of organically bound sulfur and olefins. The olefinic naphtha stream is selectively hydrodesulfurized in a first sulfur removal stage and resulting product stream, which contains hydrogen sulfide and organosulfur is fractionated at a temperature to produce a light fraction containing less than about 100 wppm organically bound sulfur and a heavy fraction containing greater than about 100 wppm organically bound sulfur. The light fraction is stripped of at least a portion ofits hydrogen sulfide and can be collected or passed to gasoline blending. The heavy fraction is passed to a second sulfur removal stage wherein at least a portion of any remaining organically bound sulfur is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: John C. Coker, Garland B. Brignac, Thomas R. Halbert, John G. Matragrano, Brij Gupta, Robert C. Welch, William E. Winter, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6893554
    Abstract: Naphtha is selectively hydrodesulfurized in the presence of a sulfided, treated catalyst comprising at least a Group VIB metal catalytic component, to produce sulfur-reduced naphtha with reduced olefin loss due to saturation. The catalyst is treated with hydrogen, a selectively deactivating agent which deactivates its hydrogenation activity, and a protective agent which preserves its hydrodesulfurization activity during the treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Garland B. Brignac, Michele S. Touvelle, Randolph J. Smiley
  • Publication number: 20040026298
    Abstract: A process for the selective hydrodesulfurization of naphtha streams containing a substantial amount of olefins and organically bound sulfur. The naphtha stream is selectively hydrodesulfurized by passing it through a first reaction zone containing a bed of a first hydrodesulfurization catalyst, then passing the resulting product stream through a second reaction zone containing a bed of a second hydrodesulfurization catalyst, which second hydrodesulfurization catalyst contains a lower level of catalytic metals than the first hydrodesulfurization catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2003
    Publication date: February 12, 2004
    Inventors: Edward S. Ellis, Richard A. Demmin, John P. Greeley, Gary B. McVicker, Bruce R. Cook, Garland B. Brignac, Thomas R. Halbert
  • Publication number: 20030221994
    Abstract: Naphtha hydrodesulfurization selectivity is increased by reducing the amount of COX (CO plus ½ CO2) in the hydrodesulfurization reaction zone to less than 100 vppm. While this is useful for non-selective hydrodesulfurization, it is particularly useful for selectively desulfurizing an olefin-containing naphtha without octane loss due to olefin saturation by hydrogenation. The COX reduction is achieved by removing COX from the treat gas before it is passed into the reaction zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2003
    Publication date: December 4, 2003
    Inventors: Edward S. Ellis, Thomas R. Halbert, Garland B. Brignac, John P. Greeley, Richard A. Demmin, Theresa A. Lalain
  • Publication number: 20030220186
    Abstract: The hydrogenation activity of a heteroatom removal catalyst, having activity for both heteroatom removal and hydrogenation, is selectively suppressed by a treatment which comprises contacting the catalyst with (i) hydrogen, (ii) a selectively deactivating agent that suppresses the catalyst's hydrogenation activity, and (iii) a protective agent, such as CO, that preserves and protects the heteroatom removal activity during the treatment. This may be achieved in a reactor while it is on-line and removing heteroatoms from a hydrocarbon feed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2003
    Publication date: November 27, 2003
    Inventors: Garland B. Brignac, Michele S. Touvelle, William C. Baird
  • Publication number: 20030217952
    Abstract: Naphtha is selectively hydrodesulfurized in the presence of a sulfided, treated catalyst comprising at least a Group VIB metal catalytic component, to produce sulfur-reduced naphtha with reduced olefin loss due to saturation. The catalyst is treated with hydrogen, a selectively deactivating agent which deactivates its hydrogenation activity, and a protective agent which preserves its hydrodesulfurization activity during the treatment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2003
    Publication date: November 27, 2003
    Inventors: Garland B. Brignac, Michele S. Touvelle, Randolph J. Smiley