Patents by Inventor John D. Hearn

John D. Hearn 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: 10227283
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides for a method for measuring the concentration of one or more components in a feed stream or reactor mixture of a process for producing acetic acid by both infrared and Raman spectroscopic analyses. In some embodiments, at least one feed stream comprising water is adjusted in response to the measured concentration of one or more components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: LyondellBasell Acetyls, LLC
    Inventors: Noel C. Hallinan, John D. Hearn, Ryan J. Mathews, Brian A. Salisbury, Daniel F. White
  • Publication number: 20190002386
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides for a method for measuring the concentration of one or more components in a feed stream or reactor mixture of a process for producing acetic acid by both infrared and Raman spectroscopic analyses. In some embodiments, at least one feed stream comprising water is adjusted in response to the measured concentration of one or more components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Applicant: LyondellBasell Acetyls, LLC
    Inventors: Noel C. Hallinan, John D. Hearn, Ryan J. Mathews, Brian A. Salisbury, Daniel F. White
  • Patent number: 9873655
    Abstract: Processes for producing carboxylic acid are included herein. The processes include contacting methanol and carbon monoxide in the presence of a liquid reaction medium under carbonylation conditions sufficient to form a carbonylation product including acetic acid and one or more components selected from acetaldehyde, formic acid and combinations thereof, wherein the liquid reaction medium includes: a carbonylation catalyst selected from rhodium catalysts, iridium catalysts and palladium catalysts; and water in a water concentration in a range of 1 wt. % to 14 wt. % based on the total weight of the liquid reaction medium; and contacting at least a portion of the carbonylation product or a derivative thereof with an adsorbent at adsorption conditions sufficient to selectively reduce a concentration of one or more components present in the carbonylation product, wherein the adsorbent includes a silicoaluminophosphate (SAPO).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: LyondellBasell Acetyls, LLC
    Inventors: Noel C. Hallinan, David L. Ramage, Daniel F. White, Brian A. Salisbury, John D. Hearn
  • Publication number: 20170158596
    Abstract: Processes for producing carboxylic acid are included herein. The processes include contacting methanol and carbon monoxide in the presence of a liquid reaction medium under carbonylation conditions sufficient to form a carbonylation product including acetic acid and one or more components selected from acetaldehyde, formic acid and combinations thereof, wherein the liquid reaction medium includes: a carbonylation catalyst selected from rhodium catalysts, iridium catalysts and palladium catalysts; and water in a water concentration in a range of 1 wt. % to 14 wt. % based on the total weight of the liquid reaction medium; and contacting at least a portion of the carbonylation product or a derivative thereof with an adsorbent at adsorption conditions sufficient to selectively reduce a concentration of one or more components present in the carbonylation product, wherein the adsorbent includes a silicoaluminophosphate (SAPO).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Applicant: LyondellBasell Acetyls, LLC
    Inventors: Noel C. Hallinan, David L. Ramage, Daniel F. White, Brian A. Salisbury, John D. Hearn
  • Patent number: 9611207
    Abstract: The present technology relates to the production and recovery of acetic acid. The recovery processes may include providing a first process stream including acetic acid and greater than 250 ppm of propionic acid; separating at least a portion of the propionic acid from the acetic acid within the first process stream to provide an acetic acid stream including acetic acid and less than 250 ppm of propionic acid and a bottoms stream including propionic acid and acetic acid; reacting the bottoms stream to form a product stream including components of respectively lower boiling points than corresponding components in the bottoms stream; and separating components of the product stream to form an overhead stream including one or more acetates and a bottoms stream including one or more propionates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: LyondellBasell Acetyls, LLC
    Inventors: Brian A. Salisbury, Sanjeev Deshpande, Michael E. Fitzpatrick, Noel C. Hallinan, John D. Hearn
  • Patent number: 9428434
    Abstract: Processes for producing acetic acid are presented herein. One or more embodiments include processes for controlling downstream water concentration in acetic acid production process including contacting methanol and carbon monoxide in the presence of a reaction medium under carbonylation conditions sufficient to form a carbonylation product including acetic acid, wherein the reaction medium includes a carbonylation catalyst, water in an upstream water concentration of from 1 wt. % to 14 wt. % water, and a tertiary phosphine oxide; recovering acetic acid from the carbonylation product; and controlling a downstream water concentration by determining a target water concentration and introducing the tertiary phosphine oxide to the reaction medium at a rate, basicity, concentration or combination thereof sufficient to provide a downstream water concentration within 1 wt. % of the target water concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: LyondellBasell Acetyls, LLC
    Inventors: Noel C. Hallinan, John D. Hearn, David L. Ramage, Brian A. Salisbury, Daniel F. White
  • Publication number: 20160221911
    Abstract: The present technology relates to the production and recovery of acetic acid. The recovery processes may include providing a first process stream including acetic acid and greater than 250 ppm of propionic acid; separating at least a portion of the propionic acid from the acetic acid within the first process stream to provide an acetic acid stream including acetic acid and less than 250 ppm of propionic acid and a bottoms stream including propionic acid and acetic acid; reacting the bottoms stream to form a product stream including components of respectively lower boiling points than corresponding components in the bottoms stream; and separating components of the product stream to form an overhead stream including one or more acetates and a bottoms stream including one or more propionates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Applicant: LyondellBasell Acetyls, LLC
    Inventors: Brian A. Salisbury, Sanjeev Deshpande, Michael E. Fitzpatrick, Noel C. Hallinan, John D. Hearn
  • Publication number: 20160168066
    Abstract: Processes for producing acetic acid are presented herein. One or more embodiments include processes for controlling downstream water concentration in acetic acid production process including contacting methanol and carbon monoxide in the presence of a reaction medium under carbonylation conditions sufficient to form a carbonylation product including acetic acid, wherein the reaction medium includes a carbonylation catalyst, water in an upstream water concentration of from 1 wt. % to 14 wt. % water, and a tertiary phosphine oxide; recovering acetic acid from the carbonylation product; and controlling a downstream water concentration by determining a target water concentration and introducing the tertiary phosphine oxide to the reaction medium at a rate, basicity, concentration or combination thereof sufficient to provide a downstream water concentration within 1 wt. % of the target water concentration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Applicant: LyondellBasell Acetyls, LLC
    Inventors: Noel C. Hallinan, John D. Hearn, David L. Ramage, Brian A. Salisbury, Daniel F. White
  • Patent number: 9090554
    Abstract: The phase separation in the decanter of a process for producing acetic acid by carbonylating methanol in the presence of a catalyst under low water-high acid conditions is improved by forming a liquid mixture (D) which has a water content of at most 20% by weight, based on the weight of the liquid mixture, and a weight ratio of acetic acid to water of at least 1:1, and partitioning the liquid mixture by providing for an alkane(s) content of D of from 0.1 to 15% by weight, based on the weight of D, to obtain a light, aqueous phase and a heavy, organic phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: LyondellBasell Acetyls, LLC
    Inventors: Noel C. Hallinan, John D. Hearn, Michael E. Fitzpatrick, Miraj S. Patel
  • Patent number: 9051258
    Abstract: The phase separation in the decanter of a process for producing acetic acid by carbonylating methanol in the presence of a catalyst under low water-high acid conditions is facilitated and expedited by forming a liquid mixture (D) which has a water content of at most 10% by weight, based on the weight of the liquid mixture, an acetic acid content of at least 10% by weight, based on the weight of the liquid mixture, and a weight ratio of methyl iodide to methyl acetate of at least 1.5:1, and partitioning the liquid mixture at a temperature of from 0 to 35° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: LyondellBasell Acetyls, LLC
    Inventors: Noel C. Hallinan, John D. Hearn, Michael E. Fitzpatrick, Miraj S. Patel
  • Publication number: 20130296616
    Abstract: The phase separation in the decanter of a process for producing acetic acid by carbonylating methanol in the presence of a catalyst under low water-high acid conditions is improved by forming a liquid mixture (D) which has a water content of at most 20% by weight, based on the weight of the liquid mixture, and a weight ratio of acetic acid to water of at least 1:1, and partitioning the liquid mixture by providing for an alkane(s) content of D of from 0.1 to 15% by weight, based on the weight of D, to obtain a light, aqueous phase and a heavy, organic phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: Lyondell Chemical Technology, LP.
    Inventors: Noel C. Hallinan, John D. Hearn, Michael E. Fitzpatrick, Miraj S. Patel
  • Patent number: 8431740
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling the decanter phase separation of an acetic acid production by methanol carbonylation. The method comprises measuring the methyl acetate concentration of the reactor mixture, calculating the density of the decanter heavy, organic phase according to the measured methyl acetate concentration, and adjusting the conditions in the reactor or in the decanter to ensure phase separation of the decanter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Equistar Chemicals, LP
    Inventors: Noel Hallinan, Michael E. Fitzpatrick, John D. Hearn, Miraj S. Patel
  • Publication number: 20120022289
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling the decanter phase separation of an acetic acid production by methanol carbonylation. The method comprises measuring the methyl acetate concentration of the reactor mixture, calculating the density of the decanter heavy, organic phase according to the measured methyl acetate concentration, and adjusting the conditions in the reactor or in the decanter to ensure phase separation of the decanter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2010
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Inventors: Noel Hallinan, Michael E. Fitzpatrick, John D. Hearn, Miraj S. Patel