Patents by Inventor Joseph Montalbano

Joseph Montalbano 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: 10865169
    Abstract: Processes and apparatuses for producing a C8 aromatic isomer product are provided. The process comprises introducing a reformate stream comprising aromatic hydrocarbons to a reformate splitter column to provide a plurality of streams. One or more streams comprising at least one stream from the plurality of streams is passed to a reformate upgrading unit to obtain an upgraded reformate stream. The upgraded reformate stream is passed to an aromatics stripper column to provide an aromatics stripper sidedraw stream comprising C8 aromatic hydrocarbons. The aromatics stripper sidedraw stream is passed to a xylene separation unit to provide the C8 aromatic isomer product and a raffinate product stream. At least a portion of the raffinate product stream is processed in a liquid phase isomerization unit to obtain an isomerized stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Joseph A. Montalbano, Patrick C. Whitchurch, Gregory R. Werba, Ian G. Horn
  • Publication number: 20200354293
    Abstract: Processes for recovering para-xylene from a para-xylene separation zone that receives two or more feed streams with different para-xylene amounts. One of the feed streams may have an equilibrium amount while the second may have a high amount. A fractionation column provides the effluent stream with para-xylene which may be a high purity stream that can be fed to the para-xylene separation zone in its entirety. If heavier compounds need to be removed from the second feed stream, a split shell or divided wall column may be used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Inventors: Robert E. Tsai, Joseph Montalbano, Ellen Arnold, Raymond Shih, Anton N. Mlinar
  • Patent number: 10766013
    Abstract: This present disclosure relates to apparatuses for methylation of aromatics in an aromatics complex for producing a xylene isomer product. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to apparatuses for producing para-xylene by the selective methylation of toluene and/or benzene in an aromatics complex using processed toluene instead of crude toluene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Richard A. Johnson, II, Joseph A. Montalbano, John J. Senetar
  • Patent number: 10646792
    Abstract: A process is presented for removing the fouling problems associated with the product recovery in a methanol to olefins conversion process. The process includes passing the quenched MTO process stream to a product separator, wherein an intermediate stream is generated and includes water and heavier hydrocarbons. The intermediate stream is processed to remove the buildup of heavier hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Inventors: Christopher Schindlbeck, John J. Senetar, Joseph A. Montalbano
  • Publication number: 20200139327
    Abstract: This present disclosure relates to apparatuses for methylation of aromatics in an aromatics complex for producing a xylene isomer product. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to apparatuses for producing para-xylene by the selective methylation of toluene and/or benzene in an aromatics complex using processed toluene instead of crude toluene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Inventors: Richard A. Johnson, II, Joseph A. Montalbano, John J. Senetar
  • Patent number: 10626067
    Abstract: Processes and apparatuses for para-xylene separation. A stream of para-xylene is separated from a toluene stream in a fractionation column. An overhead stream of the fractionation column is compressed and then passed to a heat recovery zone to transfer heat from the overhead stream to another process stream in, for example, a heat exchanger. The fractionation column may be separating an effluent from a toluene methylation reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Robert E. Tsai, Joseph Montalbano, Ellen Arnold
  • Publication number: 20200047079
    Abstract: A process is presented for removing the fouling problems associated with the product recovery in a methanol to olefins conversion process. The process includes passing the quenched MTO process stream to a product separator, wherein an intermediate stream is generated and includes water and heavier hydrocarbons. The intermediate stream is processed to remove the buildup of heavier hydrocarbons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventors: Christopher Schindlbeck, John J. Senetar, Joseph A. Montalbano
  • Patent number: 10556214
    Abstract: This present disclosure relates to apparatuses for methylation of aromatics in an aromatics complex for producing a xylene isomer product. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to apparatuses for producing para-xylene by the selective methylation of toluene and/or benzene in an aromatics complex using processed toluene instead of crude toluene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Richard A. Johnson, II, Joseph A. Montalbano, John J. Senetar
  • Publication number: 20200002245
    Abstract: This present disclosure relates to processes and apparatuses for toluene and benzene methylation in an aromatics complex for producing paraxylene. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to processes and apparatuses for toluene and benzene methylation within an aromatics complex for producing paraxylene wherein an embodiment uses a reactor having a refractory comprising a low iron content refractory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: Guanghui Zhu, Steven A. Bradley, Mitchell J. Kowalczyk, Gregory B. Kuzmanich, Joseph A. Montalbano
  • Patent number: 10450240
    Abstract: It is desirable to provide improved processes and apparatuses for methylation of aromatic compounds such as toluene and benzene in an aromatics complex. Described herein are processes and apparatuses for methylation of aromatics in an aromatics complex for producing a xylene isomer product. More specifically, processes and apparatuses for producing para-xylene by the selective methylation of toluene and/or benzene in an aromatics complex.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Joseph A. Montalbano, R. Jason L. Noe, Veronica G. Deak, Anton N. Mlinar, Robert E. Tsai
  • Publication number: 20190255507
    Abstract: This present disclosure relates to processes and apparatuses for toluene and benzene methylation in an aromatics complex for producing paraxylene. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to processes and apparatuses for toluene and benzene methylation within an aromatics complex for producing paraxylene wherein an embodiment uses a reactor having a refractory comprising a mixed oxide refractory prepared using liquid phosphate as a chemical binder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Inventors: Guanghui Zhu, Steven A. Bradley, Gregory B. Kuzmanich, Mitchell J. Kowalczyk, Joseph A. Montalbano
  • Publication number: 20190184362
    Abstract: This present disclosure relates to apparatuses for methylation of aromatics in an aromatics complex for producing a xylene isomer product. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to apparatuses for producing para-xylene by the selective methylation of toluene and/or benzene in an aromatics complex using processed toluene instead of crude toluene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Inventors: Richard A. Johnson, II, Joseph A. Montalbano, John J. Senetar
  • Publication number: 20190144358
    Abstract: It is desirable to provide improved processes and apparatuses for methylation of aromatic compounds such as toluene and benzene in an aromatics complex. Described herein are processes and apparatuses for methylation of aromatics in an aromatics complex for producing a xylene isomer product. More specifically, processes and apparatuses for producing para-xylene by the selective methylation of toluene and/or benzene in an aromatics complex.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventors: Joseph A. Montalbano, R. Jason L. Noe, Veronica G. Deak, Anton N. Mlinar, Robert E. Tsai
  • Patent number: 10227272
    Abstract: Embodiments of methods and apparatuses for recovery of ethylene from FCC absorber off-gas comprising a heavy cut comprising ethylene, ethane and heavier hydrocarbons and a light cut comprising hydrogen, nitrogen and methane. An exemplary method includes passing the FCC absorber off-gas to an adsorption zone containing an adsorbent selective for the adsorption of the light cut, the adsorption zone adsorbing at least a portion of the light cut and recovering an adsorption zone effluent stream comprising the heavy cut. The adsorption zone effluent is passed to a demethanizer column to provide an overhead stream comprising hydrogen, nitrogen, methane, ethylene and ethane and a net bottoms stream comprising ethylene, ethane and the heavier hydrocarbons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Xin X. Zhu, Joseph A. Montalbano
  • Publication number: 20190062240
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for dual feed para-xylene extraction heavy desorbent and light desorbent aromatics complex flow scheme. More specifically, the present invention relates to a process and apparatus for dual feed para-xylene extraction heavy desorbent and light desorbent aromatics complex flow scheme that takes advantage of the separation efficiency already achieved by toluene methylation or toluene disproportionation processes by sending the high concentration para-xylene to xylene feed to the corresponding concentration position in the para-xylene extraction unit. This enables further para-xylene separation and recovery that can be done with greater energy and capital efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Linda S. Cheng, Veronica G. Deak, Joseph A. Montalbano, Anton N. Mlinar
  • Publication number: 20190062239
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for dual feed para-xylene extraction heavy desorbent and light desorbent aromatics complex flow scheme. More specifically, the present invention relates to a process and apparatus for dual feed para-xylene extraction heavy desorbent and light desorbent aromatics complex flow scheme that takes advantage of the separation efficiency already achieved by toluene methylation or toluene disproportionation processes by sending the high concentration para-xylene to xylene feed to the corresponding concentration position in the para-xylene extraction unit. This enables further para-xylene separation and recovery that can be done with greater energy and capital efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Linda S. Cheng, Veronica G. Deak, Joseph A. Montalbano, Anton N. Mlinar
  • Publication number: 20190062644
    Abstract: Processes for reforming and transalkylating hydrocarbons are disclosed. A method for processing a hydrocarbon stream includes the steps of separating para-xylene from a first mixed-xylene and ethylbenzene-containing stream to produce a first non-equilibrium xylene and ethylbenzene stream and isomerizing the first non-equilibrium xylene and ethylbenzene stream to produce additional para-xylene. The method further includes transalkylating a toluene stream to produce a second mixed-xylene and ethylbenzene-containing stream, separating para-xylene from the second mixed-xylene and ethylbenzene-containing stream to produce a second non-equilibrium xylene and ethylbenzene stream, and isomerizing the second non-equilibrium xylene and ethylbenzene stream using a liquid phase isomerization process to produce additional para-xylene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Linda S. Cheng, Ashish S. Bambal, Joseph A. Montalbano
  • Patent number: 10052581
    Abstract: A process for recovering a steam cracking feed from FCC absorber off-gas comprising ethylene, ethane and heavier hydrocarbons and light gases involves removing hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur species, carbon monoxide/dioxide, methane and other impurities from the off-gas. An absorption zone is upstream of an acetylene selective hydrotreating reactor to remove sufficient hydrogen sulfide that can poison the selective hydrotreating catalyst but leave sufficient sulfur in the feed stream to prevent temperature runaway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: UOP LLC
    Inventors: Joseph A. Montalbano, W. Jay Lechnick, Xin X. Zhu
  • Publication number: 20180170842
    Abstract: This present disclosure relates to processes and apparatuses for toluene methylation in an aromatics complex for producing paraxylene. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to processes and apparatuses for toluene methylation within an aromatics complex for producing paraxylene wherein an embodiment uses a riser reactor, another embodiment uses a pre-reactor producing dimethyl ether, and another embodiment uses partial regeneration of the catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventors: Robert J. Schmidt, Feng Xu, Joseph A. Montalbano, Ling Zhou, Edwin P. Boldingh, Linda S. Cheng, John J. Senetar
  • Publication number: 20180170828
    Abstract: This present disclosure relates to processes and apparatuses for toluene methylation in an aromatics complex for producing paraxylene. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to processes and apparatuses for toluene methylation within an aromatics complex for producing paraxylene wherein an embodiment uses a riser reactor, another embodiment uses a pre-reactor producing dimethyl ether, and another embodiment uses partial regeneration of the catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventors: Robert J. Schmidt, Feng Xu, Joseph A. Montalbano, Ling Zhou, Edwin P. Boldingh, Linda S. Cheng, John J. Senetar