Abstract: The invention provides a continuous process for the preparation of ethylene glycol and 1, 2-propylene glycol from starting material comprising one or more saccharides, said process being carried out in a reactor system comprising a reactor vessel equipped with an external recycle loop and said process comprising the steps of: i) providing the starting material in a solvent, via an inlet, to the external recycle loop and contacting it therein with a retro-aldol catalyst composition to provide an intermediate stream; ii) then contacting said intermediate stream with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst composition in the reactor vessel; iii) withdrawing a product stream comprising glycols from the reactor vessel; iv) providing a portion of said product stream, via an outlet, for separation and purification of the glycols contained therein; and v) recycling the remainder of said product stream via the external recycle loop.

Abstract: The invention provides a continuous process for the preparation of ethylene glycol and 1, 2-propylene glycol from starting material comprising one or more saccharides, said process being carried out in a reactor system comprising a reactor vessel equipped with an external recycle loop and said process comprising the steps of: i) providing the starting material in a solvent, via an inlet, to the external recycle loop and contacting it therein with a retro-aldol catalyst composition to provide an intermediate stream; ii) then contacting said intermediate stream with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst composition in the reactor vessel; iii) withdrawing a product stream comprising glycols from the reactor vessel; iv) providing a portion of said product stream, via an outlet, for separation and purification of the glycols contained therein; and v) recycling the remainder of said product stream via the external recycle loop.

Abstract: The invention provides a continuous process for the preparation of ethylene glycol and 1,2-propylene glycol from starting material comprising one or more saccharides, said process comprising providing a feedstock comprising said one or more saccharides in a solvent to a reactor, said reactor having supported therein a heterogeneous hydrogenation catalytic composition and contacting the feedstock therein directly with said heterogeneous hydrogenation catalytic composition and concurrently with a retro-aldol catalyst composition in the presence of hydrogen, wherein said reactor operates in an essentially plug flow manner.

Abstract: A process for converting oxygenates to olefins comprising: a) feeding an oxygenate stream to a reactor; b) contacting the oxygenate stream with a molecular sieve catalyst to form products and coke on the catalyst; c) passing the products and entrained catalyst into a first gas/solid separation device to separate the products from the catalyst; d) removing the products from the first gas/solid separation device; e) passing a portion of the catalyst from the reactor to a regenerator; f) regenerating the catalyst in the regenerator by contacting it with a regeneration medium to combust the coke on the catalyst and form combustion products; and g) passing the combustion products and entrained catalyst into a second gas/solid separation device to separate the combustion products from the catalyst wherein the separation efficiency of the first gas/solid separation device is greater than the separation efficiency of the second gas/solid separation device.

Abstract: A process for converting oxygenates to olefins comprising: a) providing an oxygenate containing stream to an oxygenate to olefins conversion reactor; b) passing the oxygenate containing stream through a feed introduction system comprising one or more nozzles and one or more corresponding caps; c) contacting the oxygenate containing stream with a molecular sieve catalyst in the oxygenate to olefins conversion reactor to form an olefin containing product stream; and d) removing the product stream from the reactor.

Abstract: A process for converting oxygenates to olefms comprising: a) contacting an oxygenate containing stream with a molecular sieve catalyst under oxygenate to olefms conversion conditions in a reactor to form an effluent comprising olefms; b) separating C3-hydrocarbons from C4+ hydrocarbons in the effluent; c) separating C1 hydrocarbons and other light gases from C2+ hydrocarbons; d) separating C2 hydrocarbons from the C3 hydrocarbons; e) sending the C3 hydrocarbons to a C3 splitter to separate pro pylene from propane; f) removing propylene from the C3 splitter; and g) removing propane from the C3 splitter.

Abstract: A process for converting oxygenates to olefins comprising: a) contacting an oxygenate containing stream with a molecular sieve catalyst under oxygenate to olefins conversion conditions in a reactor to form an effluent comprising olefins and entrained solids; b) removing the effluent from the reactor; and c) passing the effluent to a cyclone for separation of the olefins from any entrained solids wherein at least one of the inner surfaces of the cyclone is coated with a protective layer.

Abstract: A catalyst return apparatus is disclosed as well as a riser reactor system comprising the conduit apparatus and a riser reactor, the conduit apparatus comprising a catalyst return conduit and at least two flow control devices in series, each flow control device arranged to control the flow of fluid through the conduit, wherein the length of the catalyst return conduit is more than 20 m. A process for reacting a feedstock in a riser reactor system comprising a riser reactor, the catalyst return apparatus and, and a stage vessel, the process comprising: holding a fluid comprising the catalyst in the at least one stage vessel for a residence time of at least 10 seconds.

Abstract: A process preparing an aromatic product comprising xylene, the process comprising: a) cracking a feedstock to obtain a cracker effluent comprising olefins and aromatics; b) converting an oxygenate feedstock in an oxygenate-to-olefins conversion system, comprising a reaction zone in which an oxygenate feedstock is contacted with a catalyst to obtain a conversion effluent comprising benzene, toluene, xylene and olefins; c) combining at least part of the cracker effluent and at least part of the conversion effluent to obtain a combined effluent, the combined effluent comprising aromatics; d) separating at least a portion of the benzene and/or toluene from the combined effluent to form a benzene and/or toluene stream; e) separating the olefins from the combined effluent; f) separating xylene from the combined effluent to form a xylene stream; and g) recycling at least a part of the benzene and/or toluene streams as recycled aromatics to step b).

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing ethylene and/or propylene, wherein an oxygenate feedstock is contacted with a molecular sieve-comprising catalyst at a temperature in the range of from 350 to 500° C. to obtain a reactor effluent comprising ethylene and/or propylene and the oxygenate feedstock is contacted with the catalyst in a riser reactor having a reactor wall defining a flow trajectory towards a downstream outlet for reactor effluent, wherein at least oxygenate feedstock and catalyst are provided at one or more upstream inlets of the riser reactor and wherein a water quench medium is admitted to the riser reactor at one or more of locations along the length of the flow trajectory through a plurality of inlets distributed along the periphery of the reactor wall. The invention further provides a reaction system suitable for preparing ethylene and propylene.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for the preparation of an olefinic product, the process comprising reacting an oxygenate feedstock in the presence of formulated oxygenate conversion catalyst particles to produce the olefinic product, the formulated catalyst particles comprising a combination of at least a molecular sieve having one-dimensional 10-membered ring channels and a matrix wherein a Group II metal species has been added to the catalyst particles after the combination of said molecular sieve and the matrix.

Abstract: A process and a reactor system for the preparation of an olefinic product by reacting an oxygenate feedstock in the presence of an oxygenate conversion catalyst within a reactor system under oxygenate-to-olefin conversion conditions, to obtain the olefinic product, wherein the reactor system has a contact surface coming in contact with oxygenates and wherein at least part of the contact surface is an material of the formula MX wherein: M is a metal and X is C, or M is a metal or Si and X is N.

Abstract: Process for the preparation of olefins comprising reacting an oxygenate and/or olefinic feed in a reactor in the presence of a molecular sieve catalyst to form a mixture which comprises olefins and at least partially coked catalyst; passing at least partially coked catalyst to a regenerator; introducing into the regenerator an oxygen-containing gas to regenerate the at least partially coked catalyst, thereby producing a gaseous mixture and at least partially regenerated catalyst; separating at least partially regenerated catalyst and at least part of the gaseous mixture; analysing the composition of the gaseous mixture to control the burning rate of the coke present on the at least partially coked catalyst in the regenerator by adjusting the mass flow rate of the oxygen-containing gas on the basis of the analysis of the gaseous mixture; and passing at least part of the at least partially regenerated catalyst back to the reactor.

Abstract: A process for preparing ethylene and/or propylene, wherein oxygenates and olefins are converted to ethylene and/or propylene over a zeolite-comprising catalyst, in two reaction steps. The catalyst is circulated in the reaction system.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for converting an alkyl tert-alkyl ether into an alkanol and an iso-alkane wherein the alkyl tert-alkyl ether is contacted with a hydrocracking catalyst in the presence of hydrogen under hydrocracking process conditions.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of an olefin product, which process comprises the steps of: a) converting an oxygenate feedstock in an oxygenate-to-olefins conversion system, comprising a reaction zone in which an oxygenate feedstock is contacted with an oxygenate conversion catalyst under oxygenate conversion conditions, to obtain a conversion effluent comprising olefins and paraffins; b) separating at least a portion of the paraffins from the conversion effluent to form a paraffin stream; and c) recycling at least a portion of the paraffin stream to step a).

Abstract: A process for converting oxygenates to olefins comprising: a) contacting an oxygenate containing stream with a molecular sieve catalyst in an oxygenate to olefins conversion reactor under oxygenate to olefins conversion conditions to form an effluent comprising olefins; b) quenching the effluent by contacting with water; and c) contacting the quenched olefin stream with a molecular sieve to remove at least a portion of the water from the quenched olefin stream wherein the molecular sieve has a dimethyl ether adsorption capacity of less than 0.1 wt %.

Abstract: A method for converting oxygenates to olefins comprising: a) feeding an oxygenate containing stream to a reactor; b) contacting the oxygenate containing stream with a molecular sieve catalyst under oxygenate-to-olefin conversion conditions to form products wherein the catalyst becomes deactivated due to the formation of coke on the catalyst; c) removing the products from the reactor; d) removing at least a portion of the catalyst from the reactor and sending the catalyst to a catalyst regenerator; e) contacting the catalyst with a regeneration medium and a fuel to combust at least a portion of the coke and to heat the catalyst; and f) returning at least a portion of the heated catalyst to the reactor wherein the fuel is a light hydrocarbon gas that has been at least partially diluted with nitrogen and/or air.

Abstract: A process for preventing contaminants from forming in a compressor in a methanol to olefin separation system comprising: compressing an effluent in the compressor, the compressor having an inlet in fluid communication with a suction line, an outlet, and an inner compressor surface; and injecting a contaminant prevention medium into the suction line of the compressor wherein any contaminants are removed from the compressor with the effluent and optionally separated or otherwise removed from the effluent stream in downstream equipment.

Abstract: Process for the regeneration of an at least partially coked molecular sieve catalyst comprising introducing the at least partially coked catalyst into a regenerator; introducing into the regenerator an oxygen-containing gas to regenerate at least part of the at least partially coked catalyst, thereby producing a gaseous mixture and at least partially regenerated catalyst; recovering part of the at least partially regenerated catalyst; analysing the at least partially regenerated catalyst to control the burning rate of the coke present on the at least partially coked catalyst in the regenerator by adjusting one or more conditions of the regeneration of the at least partially coked catalyst on the basis of the analysis of the at least partially regenerated catalyst; and separating at least partially regenerated catalyst and at least part of the gaseous mixture as obtained in step (b).