Patents by Inventor Lawrence M. Candela

Lawrence M. Candela 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: 9586881
    Abstract: Processes for producing propylene glycol monoalkyl ether are described herein and include contacting propylene oxide and an alcohol in the presence of an alkali or alkaline earth metal alkoxide catalyst to produce an alkoxylation mixture including propylene glycol monoalkyl ether; distilling the alkoxylation mixture to produce a first overhead stream including propylene oxide and the alcohol and a first bottoms stream including propylene glycol monoalkyl ether; distilling the first bottoms stream to produce a second overhead stream including purified propylene glycol monoalkyl ether and a second bottoms stream including heavier byproducts; further distilling the second bottoms stream to form a resulting bottoms stream including caustic and heavier byproducts; introducing an alkali metal borohydride into at least a portion of the resulting bottoms stream to form an alkali metal borohydride containing stream; and introducing the alkali metal borohydride containing stream into one or more distillations upstream
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Lyondell Chemical Technology, L.P.
    Inventors: Xiangmin Li, Lawrence M. Candela, Mark A. Liepa, David W. Leyshon
  • Publication number: 20160031779
    Abstract: Processes for producing propylene glycol monoalkyl ether are described herein and include contacting propylene oxide and an alcohol in the presence of an alkali or alkaline earth metal alkoxide catalyst to produce an alkoxylation mixture including propylene glycol monoalkyl ether; distilling the alkoxylation mixture to produce a first overhead stream including propylene oxide and the alcohol and a first bottoms stream including propylene glycol monoalkyl ether; distilling the first bottoms stream to produce a second overhead stream including purified propylene glycol monoalkyl ether and a second bottoms stream including heavier byproducts; further distilling the second bottoms stream to form a resulting bottoms stream including caustic and heavier byproducts; introducing an alkali metal borohydride into at least a portion of the resulting bottoms stream to form an alkali metal borohydride containing stream; and introducing the alkali metal borohydride containing stream into one or more distillations upstream
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Inventors: XIANGMIN LI, Lawrence M. Candela, Mark A. Liepa, David W. Leyshon
  • Patent number: 9187392
    Abstract: The invention is a process for producing a propylene glycol monoalkyl ether which comprises first reacting propylene oxide and an alcohol in the presence of an alkali or alkaline earth metal alkoxide catalyst to produce an alkoxylation mixture comprising propylene glycol monoalkyl ether; distilling the alkoxylation mixture to produce a first overhead stream comprising propylene oxide and alcohol and a first bottoms stream comprising propylene glycol monoalkyl ether; and then distilling the first bottoms stream to produce purified propylene glycol monoalkyl ether as a second overhead stream. The reaction and/or one or more of the distillation steps occur in the presence of an alkali metal borohydride. The process produces propylene glycol monoalkyl ether with low UV absorbance and reduced carbonyl impurities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: Lyondell Chemical Technology, L.P.
    Inventors: Xiangmin Li, Lawrence M. Candela, Mark A. Liepa
  • Publication number: 20130172647
    Abstract: Processes and systems for forming propylene are described herein. The processes generally include reacting a metathesis feed stream including at least 95 wt. % 2-butene with ethylene in the presence of a metathesis catalyst to form a metathesis product stream including propylene, and recovering propylene from the process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicants: Equistar Chemicals, LP, Lyondell Chemical Technology, L.P.
    Inventors: Steven T. Coleman, Gary A. Sawyer, Robert S. Bridges, Shaotian Wang, Lawrence M. Candela
  • Patent number: 8193396
    Abstract: A process for producing allyl alcohol is disclosed. The process comprises reacting propylene, acetic acid, and oxygen to produce a reaction mixture. The reaction mixture is distilled to produce a vapor stream comprising propylene and a liquid stream comprising allyl acetate, acetic acid, acrolein, and allyl diacetate. The liquid stream is distilled to produce a lights stream comprising acrolein; a side draw comprising allyl acetate, acetic acid, and water; and a bottoms stream comprising acetic acid and allyl diacetate. The bottoms stream is distilled to remove a heavies stream comprising allyl diacetate. The side draw is hydrolyzed to produce allyl alcohol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Lyondell Chemical Technology, L.P.
    Inventors: Shaw-Chan Lin, Lawrence M. Candela, Andrew P. Kahn, Elizabeth I. Ross-Medgaarden, Gary A. Sawyer
  • Patent number: 8080678
    Abstract: The invention is a method of purifying propylene oxide containing 25-100 ppm aldehyde impurities. The method comprises contacting the propylene oxide in the liquid phase with an amine-functionalized ion exchange resin, and recovering a purified propylene oxide product containing 10 ppm, or less, aldehydes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Lyondell Chemical Technology, L.P.
    Inventors: Xiangmin Li, Lawrence M. Candela, Brian A Salisbury
  • Publication number: 20110245519
    Abstract: The invention is a method of purifying propylene oxide containing 25-100 ppm aldehyde impurities. The method comprises contacting the propylene oxide in the liquid phase with an amine-functionalized ion exchange resin, and recovering a purified propylene oxide product containing 10 ppm, or less, aldehydes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Inventors: Xiangmin Li, Lawrence M. Candela, Brian A. Salisbury
  • Publication number: 20110207973
    Abstract: A process for producing allyl alcohol is disclosed. The process comprises reacting propylene, acetic acid, and oxygen to produce a reaction mixture. The reaction mixture is distilled to produce a vapor stream comprising propylene and a liquid stream comprising allyl acetate, acetic acid, acrolein, and allyl diacetate. The liquid stream is distilled to produce a lights stream comprising acrolein; a side draw comprising allyl acetate, acetic acid, and water; and a bottoms stream comprising acetic acid and allyl diacetate. The bottoms stream is distilled to remove a heavies stream comprising allyl diacetate. The side draw is hydrolyzed to produce allyl alcohol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2010
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Inventors: Shaw-Chan Lin, Lawrence M. Candela, Andrew P. Kahn, Elizabeth I. Ross-Medgaarden, Gary A. Sawyer
  • Publication number: 20100155302
    Abstract: The invention is a method of purifying an ultralow sulfur diesel fuel which contains polycyclic aromatic color bodies. The method comprises contacting the ULSD fuel in the liquid phase with a coal-based activated carbon adsorbent having a surface area ranging from 800 to 1500 m2/g and containing pores having pore size greater than 20 ?, and recovering a purified diesel product having a decreased color bodies content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Inventors: Mark P. Kaminsky, David W. Leyshon, Gopalakrishan Juttu, Allen B. Quakenbush, Lawrence M. Candela
  • Publication number: 20090187049
    Abstract: The invention is a process for producing a propylene glycol monoalkyl ether which comprises first reacting propylene oxide and an alcohol in the presence of an alkali or alkaline earth metal alkoxide catalyst to produce an alkoxylation mixture comprising propylene glycol monoalkyl ether; distilling the alkoxylation mixture to produce a first overhead stream comprising propylene oxide and alcohol and a first bottoms stream comprising propylene glycol monoalkyl ether; and then distilling the first bottoms stream to produce purified propylene glycol monoalkyl ether as a second overhead stream. The reaction and/or one or more of the distillation steps occur in the presence of an alkali metal borohydride. The process produces propylene glycol monoalkyl ether with low UV absorbance and reduced carbonyl impurities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2008
    Publication date: July 23, 2009
    Inventors: Xiangmin Li, Lawrence M. Candela, Mark A. Liepa
  • Patent number: 7439405
    Abstract: The invention is a method of purifying a propylene glycol monoalkyl ether containing carbonyl impurities which comprises contacting the propylene glycol monoalkyl ether stream in the liquid phase with a carbon adsorbent, and recovering a purified propylene glycol monoalkyl ether product. The purification method improves product quality and reduces the amount of carbonyl impurities in the propylene glycol monoalkyl ether.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Lyondell Chemical Technology, L.P.
    Inventors: Xiangmin Li, Lawrence M. Candela
  • Patent number: 7022885
    Abstract: The present invention relates to purification of an MTBE process stream by contact in the liquid phase with a large pore zeolite such as 13X or Zeolite Y.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Arco Chemical Technology, L.P.
    Inventors: Lawrence J. Karas, Lawrence M. Candela, Andrew P. Kahn
  • Patent number: 6770790
    Abstract: The invention is a method to purify tertiary butyl alcohol by contact with at least two solid adsorbents comprising aluminum oxide and a large pore zeolite such as zeolite X. The purification method successfully improves product quality and reduces the amount of impurities in the tertiary butyl alcohol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: ARCO Chemical Technology, L.P.
    Inventors: Xiangmin Li, Lawrence M. Candela, Yuan-Zhang Han, Andrew P. Kahn
  • Patent number: 6755979
    Abstract: A propylene oxide/styrene monomer aqueous purge stream is contacted with a catalyst at conditions effective to decompose peroxides contained therein, and oxygen formed by the decomposition swept from the decomposition with a nitrogen vapor stream from ethylbenzene oxidation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: ARCO Chemical Technology, L.P.
    Inventors: Carl L. Williams, Shaw-Chan Lin, David W. Leyshon, Lawrence M. Candela
  • Publication number: 20040102656
    Abstract: The present invention relates to purification of an MTBE process stream by contact in the liquid phase with a large pore zeolite such as 13X or Zeolite Y.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2002
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Inventors: Lawrence J. Karas, Lawrence M. Candela, Andrew P. Kahn
  • Publication number: 20040031763
    Abstract: A propylene oxide/styrene monomer aqueous purge stream is contacted with a catalyst at conditions effective to decompose peroxides contained therein, and oxygen formed by the decomposition swept from the decomposition with a nitrogen vapor stream from ethylbenzene oxidation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2002
    Publication date: February 19, 2004
    Inventors: Carl L. Williams, Shaw-Chan Lin, David W. Leyshon, Lawrence M. Candela
  • Patent number: 5639928
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the improved liquid phase dehydration of 1-phenyl ethanol to styrene monomer, the improvement comprising the use of a residue formation inhibiting agent during the liquid phase dehydration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 17, 1997
    Assignee: ARCO Chemical Technology, L.P.
    Inventors: Walter S. Dubner, Lawrence M. Candela
  • Patent number: 5439657
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the separation of molybdenum from epoxidation process streams by extraction with water insoluble tertiary amine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1995
    Assignee: Arco Chemical Technology, L.P.
    Inventors: Tim T. Wong, Lawrence M. Candela
  • Patent number: 5194067
    Abstract: A process is provided whereby the hydrogen peroxide-containing oxidate from methyl benzyl alcohol oxidation is extracted with water and with ethyl benzene extractive solvent and an aqueous hydrogen peroxide phase is separated from an ethyl benzene solvent phase which also contains methyl benzyl alcohol and acetophenone, the improvement being that ethyl benzene is introduced into the extraction zone below the point of introduction of the oxidate, thus avoiding the possibility of formation of an aqueous hydrogen peroxide phase concentrated to a hazardous degree in hydrogen peroxide in the extraction zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1993
    Assignee: Arco Chemical Technology, L.P.
    Inventors: Rajendra S. Albal, Robert N. Cochran, David W. Leyshon, Lawrence M. Candela
  • Patent number: 5039508
    Abstract: Hydrogen peroxide is produced by liquid phase molecular oxygen oxidation of methyl benzyl alcohol, the reaction being carried out such that the oxygen absorption rate is 90% or more of the maximum at the reaction conditions and the exit gas oxygen partial pressure is not greater than 3.0, the minimum necessary to establish the maximum oxygen absorption rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1991
    Assignee: ARCO Chemical Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert N. Cochran, Lawrence M. Candela