Abstract: A process for the dimerization of isoolefins, including: contacting an isoolefin with a solid catalyst composition passivated with at least one of an ether, an alcohol, and water; wherein the solid catalyst composition comprises at least one of a solid phosphoric acid catalyst and a resin of a macroporous matrix of polyvinyl aromatic compound crosslinked with a divinyl compound and having thereon from about 3 to 5 milli equivalents of sulfonic acid groups per gram of dry resin; and wherein at least 50% to less than 100% of acid groups in the solid catalyst composition are neutralized with a metal of Al, Fe, Zn, Cu, Ni, or mixtures thereof. The catalyst may be metalized prior to placement in a reactor or may be metalized in situ.

Abstract: A process for the regeneration of spent sulfuric acid comprises decomposing the spent sulfuric acid to SO2, a reducing agent, such as hydrocarbon and water, preferably in a thin film on a solid surface in the presence of a hydrocarbon reducing agent. The SO2 generated in the decomposition step is converted to SO3 in the presence of water and concentrated sulfuric acid is condensed out.

Abstract: A process for paraffin alkylation of isoalkane with isoolefins in which an olefin component comprising oligomerized propylene, oligomerized isoolefin or mixtures thereof is fed to a paraffin alkylation unit wherein the dissociated olefin components forming the oligomers react with isoalkane to produce a reaction mixture containing an alkylate and unreacted isoalkane The reaction mixture is fractionally distilled to recover unreacted isoalkane as overheads and alkylate as bottoms. The stoichiometry of isoolefins to isoalkane in the alkylation unit is maintained by adjustment of the feed to the oligomerization, for example, by adding fresh isoalkane to the recovered, unreacted isoalkane from the alkylation unit being recycled to the oligomerization. Alternatively, a portion of the recovered unreacted isoalkane is dehydrogenation to an isoolefin which is added to the oligomerization.

Abstract: A liquid acid process is disclosed in which a hydrocarbon component containing an olefin, an olefin precursor or mixture and an isoalkane and a liquid acid catalyst is fed to a downflow reaction zone containing a disperser, under conditions to induce pulse flow at or near the outlet to react the isoalkane and olefin to produce a reaction product and feeding the reaction product to a vaporization zone containing a disperser under conditions to induce pulse flow at or near the outlet of the vaporization zone. A pressure drop across the disperser in the vaporization zone causes partial vaporization of the hydrocarbon which quench es the heat reaction and cooling the unvaporized portion of said reaction product, which is recovered and allowed to separate into an acid phase and hydrocarbon phase containing the alkylate. The acid catalyst and hydrocarbons may be fractally fed to the reaction zone.

Abstract: A process for the alkylation of alkane with olefin or olefin precursor such as an oligomer of tertiary olefin comprising contacting a liquid system comprising acid catalyst, isoparaffin and olefin in concurrent downflow into contact in a reaction zone with a disperser mesh under conditions of temperature and pressure to react said isoparaffin and said olefin to produce an alkylate product is disclosed. Preferably, the liquid system is maintained at about its boiling point in the reaction zone. Unexpectedly, the olefin oligomers have been found to function as olefin precursors and not as olefins in the reaction. Thus, for example, a cold acid alkylation using an oligomer of isobutene (principally dimer and trimer) with isobutane produces isooctane with the isobutane reacting with the constituent isobutene units of the oligomers on a molar basis. The product isooctane is essentially the same as that produced in the conventional cold acid process.

Abstract: A method of operating a multi-phase downflow reactor so as to induce a pulsing flow regime is disclosed. The pulse may be induced by increasing the gas rate while maintaining the liquid rate until a pressure drop sufficient to induce the pulse flow is achieved. The method is particularly useful in the sulfuric acid catalyzed alkylation of olefins in a reactor packed with a stainless steel/polypropylene mesh.

Abstract: A process for concurrently fractionating and treating a full range naphtha stream. The full boiling range naphtha stream is first subjected to simultaneous thioetherification and splitting into a light boiling range naphtha, an intermediate boiling range naphtha and a heavy boiling range naphtha. The intermediate boiling range naphtha containing thiophene and thiophene boiling range mercaptans is passed on to a polishing hydrodesulfurization reactor where a low sulfur, low olefin gas oil is concurrently fed to the polishing reactor to insure that a liquid phase is present.

Abstract: A process for the alkylation of alkane with olefin or olefin precursor such as an oligomer of tertiary olefin comprising contacting a liquid system comprising acid catalyst, isoparaffin and olefin in concurrent downflow into contact in a reaction zone with a disperser mesh under conditions of temperature and pressure to react said isoparaffin and said olefin to produce an alkylate product is disclosed. Preferably, the liquid system is maintained at about its boiling point in the reaction zone. Unexpectedly, the olefin oligomers have been found to function as olefin precursors and not as olefins in the reaction. Thus, for example, a cold acid alkylation using an oligomer of isobutene (principally dimer and trimer) with isobutane produces isooctane with the isobutane reacting with the constituent isobutene units of the oligomers on a molar basis. The product isooctane is essentially the same as that produced in the conventional cold acid process.

Abstract: A method of operating a multi-phase downflow reactor so as to induce a pulsing flow regime is disclosed. The pulse may be induced by increasing the gas rate while maintaining the liquid rate until a pressure drop sufficient to induce the pulse flow is achieved. The method is particularly useful in the sulfuric acid catalyzed alkylation of olefins in a reactor packed with a stainless steel/polypropylene mesh.

Abstract: An improvement in the alkylation of olefins with isoalkanes in the presence of sulfuric acid wherein the sulfuric acid is removed from the product by a mechanical coalescer means prior to fractionation. No water wash or caustic treatment is required. Any sulfonates or sulfonic esters are removed by hydrodesulfurization or decomposition catalyst in a separate reactor or in either the deisobutanizer (DIB) or debutanizer (DB) column.

Abstract: An internal static mixing system such as a disperser of mesh wire or expanded metal co-knit with a multi filament material selected from inert polymers, catalytic polymers, catalytic metals or mixtures in combination with a vertical reactor having a reaction zone and the disperser disposed in said reaction zone, particularly for carrying out paraffin alkylation using acid catalyst is disclosed. The wire mesh provides the structural integrity of the system as well as the open space required in reactors for the movement of vapors and liquids though the system. The disperser may be in sheets, bundles or bales or positioned within a frame.

Abstract: A process for the production of diisobutene is disclosed wherein tertiary butyl alcohol is dehydrated to isobutene in a distillation column reactor containing an acid cation exchange resin catalyst in the form of catalytic distillation structure. The isobutene reacts with itself in the presence of the catalyst to form primarily diisobutene which is removed as bottoms from the distillation column reactor with the bulk of the water. Unreacted isobutene along with an azeotrope of water is removed as overheads with the water being separated and removed from the unreacted isobutene. A portion or all of the unreacted isobutene may be returned to the distillation column reactor as reflux.

Abstract: Improved HETP is obtained in the operation of a distillation column containing trays with a packing of a porous container containing a particulate material intimately associated with a resilient component having at least 50 volume % open space, preferably at least 70 volume % positioned on the trays compared to the trays without the packing. The packing may contain a catalytic particulate material and the distillation may involve reaction and distillation of the reaction products. The particulate material may also be inert and the distillation of the conventional type to separate components in the distillation mixture without reaction.

Abstract: Bubble columns fractionate with vapor-liquid mass transfer efficiencies approaching that of distillation towers when vapor velocities in excess of 50% of jet flood are used. If the vapor velocities are pushed above about 70% of jet flood then the distillation performance of a given column packing becomes similar for both liquid continuous operation (bubble column mode) and vapor continuous operation (ordinary distillation tower mode).

Abstract: A process for the treatment of light naphtha hydrocarbon streams is disclosed wherein the mercaptans contained therein are reacted with diolefins simultaneous with fractionation into a light stream and a heavy stream. The heavy stream is then simultaneously treated at high temperatures and low pressures and fractionated. The naphtha is then stripped of the hydrogen sulfide in a final stripper.

Abstract: Acetylenes and dienes in a stream containing hydrogen, methane, C2-C6 olefins and paraffins, C2-C6 acetylenes and dienes, benzene, toluene, xylenes, and other C6+ components are hydrogenated in a downflow boiling point reactor wherein the heat of reaction is absorbed by the liquid in the reactor which produces a vapor. Besides the feed to the reactor there is a recirculating stream which is fed at a rate sufficient to ensure that the catalyst particles within the reactor are wetted. A third stream, which is taken from a downstream distillation column, is fed to provide the make up mass corresponding to the mass evaporated in the reactor. The composition of the this third stream controls the steady state composition of the liquid flowing through the reactor.

Abstract: A process for the alkylation of alkane with olefin or olefin precursor such as an oligomer of tertiary olefin comprising contacting a liquid system comprising acid catalyst, isoparaffin and olefin in concurrent downflow into contact in a reaction zone with a disperser mesh under conditions of temperature and pressure to react said isoparaffin and said olefin to produce an alkylate product is disclosed. Preferably, the liquid system is maintained at about its boiling point in the reaction zone. Unexpectedly, the olefin oligomers have been found to function as olefin precursors and not as olefins in the reaction. Thus, for example, a cold acid alkylation using an oligomer of isobutene (principally dimer and trimer) with isobutane produces isooctane with the isobutane reacting with the constituent isobutene units of the oligomers on a molar basis. The product isooctane is essentially the same as that produced in the conventional cold acid process.

Abstract: An integrated process for upgrading a mixed C4 or mixed C5 alkane/isoalkane stream first separates the iso from the normal alkane by distillation. Then a portion of the normal alkane is dehydrogenated to the corresponding alkene. The isoalkane and normal alkene are then fed to an alkylation unit where they are reacted together to form a branched chain alkane having a desirable octane number. If desired a portion of the separated normal alkane may be skeletally isomerized to additional isoalkane.

Abstract: Organic aromatic compounds are alkylated in a Reactive Distillation.TM. reactor, wherein the solid particulate catalyst is slurried in the aromatic feed stream and fed to a reaction zone containing inert distillation packing. Olefin is vaporized and fed to the bottom of the reaction zone and agitates the catalyst while reacting the olefin with the aromatic to form an alkylation product. The alkylation product is removed from the lower end of the reaction zone and recovered. Any unreacted aromatic is distilled overhead and recycled or recovered. Recycling the aromatic controls the molar ratio of aromatic to olefin to the extent that substantially all of the olefin is reacted.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for tinting hydrophilic contact lenses wherein a base having at least one post whose remote end is shaped for receiving and positioning a hydrophilic contact lens, and at least one cap which when placed in communication with the post and the lens masks one or more predetermined areas of the lens, is assembled with a lens positioned on the end of a post which is then capped. The assembly is immersed in a dye bath and then removed therefrom when the lens has attained the desired color, after which the assembly is placed in a fixing solution such that the lens is tinted permanently and fluid transport and oxygen permeability are unaffected.