Patents by Inventor Kenneth Clem

Kenneth Clem 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).

  • Publication number: 20050137080
    Abstract: The invention relates to a molecular sieve catalyst composition, to a method of making or forming the molecular sieve catalyst composition, and to a conversion process using the catalyst composition. In particular, the invention is directed to a making a molecular sieve catalyst composition by forming a slurry by combining a molecular sieve, a binder and a matrix material, wherein the slurry has a pH, above or below the isoelectric point of the molecular sieve. The catalyst composition has improved attrition resistance, particularly useful in a conversion process for producing olefin(s), preferably ethylene and/or propylene, from a feedstock, preferably an oxygenate containing feedstock.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2005
    Publication date: June 23, 2005
    Inventors: Yun-feng Chang, Stephen Vaughn, Luc Martens, Joseph Baumgartner, Stuart Soled, Kenneth Clem
  • Publication number: 20050101816
    Abstract: This invention relates to processes for converting oxygenates to olefins that include a step of pretreating molecular sieve used in the conversion reaction with a C4-C7 olefin composition, which contains one or more C4-C7 olefins. Fresh or regenerated molecular sieve, which is low in carbon content, is contacted or pretreated with the olefin composition to form a hydrocarbon co-catalyst within the pore structure of the molecular sieve, and the pretreated molecular sieve containing the co-catalyst is used to convert oxygenate to a lighter olefin product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2003
    Publication date: May 12, 2005
    Inventors: Teng Xu, Nicolas Coute, Kenneth Clem, Keith Kuechler
  • Publication number: 20050101815
    Abstract: This invention relates to processes for converting oxygenates to olefins and olefins to polyolefins. The processes include a step of pretreating molecular sieve used in the conversion of oxygenate to olefin with a dimethyl ether composition. Fresh or regenerated molecular sieve, which is low in carbon content, is contacted or pretreated with the dimethyl ether composition to form a hydrocarbon co-catalyst within the pore structure of the molecular sieve, and the pretreated molecular sieve containing the co-catalyst is used to convert oxygenate to a lighter olefin product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2003
    Publication date: May 12, 2005
    Inventors: Teng Xu, Kenneth Clem, Keith Kuechler
  • Publication number: 20050101817
    Abstract: This invention concerns processes for converting oxygenates to olefins that include a step of pretreating catalyst used in the conversion reaction. A fresh or regenerated metalloaluminophosphate molecular sieve, which is low in carbon content, is pretreated with an aldehyde. The aldehyde forms a hydrocarbon cocatalyst within the pore structure of the molecular sieve, and the pretreated molecular sieve containing the co-catalyst is used to convert oxygenate to an olefin product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2003
    Publication date: May 12, 2005
    Inventors: Teng Xu, Nicolas Coute, Kenneth Clem, Cornelis Van Egmond
  • Publication number: 20050075525
    Abstract: This invention provides methods of making molecular sieve catalyst particles, molecular sieve slurries that can be used in such methods, molecular sieve catalyst compositions and their use in catalytic hydrocarbon conversion processes. In one of its aspects, the invention provides a method of making molecular sieve catalyst particles, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing a solution or suspension of an aluminum-containing inorganic oxide precursor in a liquid medium; b) combining the solution or suspension of aluminum-containing inorganic oxide precursor with a molecular sieve, and optionally other formulating agents, to form a catalyst formulation slurry; c) aging the catalyst formulation slurry to generate in said slurry a percentage, or increase in said slurry the existing percentage, of aluminum atoms of the aluminum-containing precursor in the form of oligomers having a sharp 27Al NMR peak at 62-63 ppm; and d) forming molecular sieve catalyst particles from the catalyst formulation slurry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2003
    Publication date: April 7, 2005
    Inventors: Yun-Feng Chang, Stephen Vaughn, Kenneth Clem, Luc Martens, Weiguo Hu
  • Publication number: 20050067326
    Abstract: The present invention provides various processes for selectively removing undesirably sized catalyst particles from a reaction system. In one embodiment, a plurality of catalyst particles, having a first median particle diameter, is withdrawn from the reaction system and is directed to a separation unit such as a counter flow cyclone separator. In the separation unit, the particles are separated into a small catalyst stream and a large catalyst stream, the small catalyst stream having a second median particle diameter less than the first median particle diameter, and the large catalyst stream having a third median particle diameter greater than the first median particle diameter. At least a portion of the small or large catalyst stream is then directed back to the reaction system in order to maintain a desirable particle size distribution therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2003
    Publication date: March 31, 2005
    Inventors: Stephen Vaughn, Kenneth Clem, Keith Kuechler, James Lattner
  • Publication number: 20050054517
    Abstract: The invention provides low metal content molecular sieve catalyst compositions, processes for making such catalysts, and processes for using such catalysts in the conversion of an oxygenate into one or more light olefins. Preferably, the catalyst composition comprises a matrix material having a low metal content. By utilizing matrix materials having low metal contents, the amount of metal-catalyzed side reaction byproducts formed in a reaction system, particularly in an oxygenate-to-olefin reaction system, can be advantageously reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2003
    Publication date: March 10, 2005
    Inventors: Teng Xu, Stephen Vaughn, Richard Hall, Kenneth Clem, Jack Johnson
  • Publication number: 20050038306
    Abstract: The invention is directed to methods of starting up reaction systems. The reaction systems are those that use catalysts that comprise molecular sieves, particularly metalloaluminophosphate molecular sieves, especially metalloaluminophosphate molecular sieves which are susceptible to loss of catalytic activity due to contact with water molecules. The methods provide appropriate mechanisms of heating and loading the activated molecular sieves to protect against loss of catalytic activity that can occur due to contact with water molecules.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2003
    Publication date: February 17, 2005
    Inventors: James Beech, Richard Walter, Shun Fung, Peter Loezos, Marcel Janssen, Luc Martens, Kenneth Clem, Stephen Vaughn