Abstract: The process of this invention represents an improved, low-energy method for recovering a purified ethylene product from the effluent of an autothermal cracking reactor. The process consists of a cracked gas chilling train, a front-end ethylene distributor, a demethanizer, and a C2 splitter. Hydrocarbons heavier than ethylene, including ethane, propylene, and propane are recycled in a single stream to the ATC reactor. Acetylene removal from the ethylene product can be accomplished either through a front-end hydrogenation unit or an acetylene extraction unit. This invention is particularly useful when the fresh hydrocarbon feed to the autothermal cracking reactor is ethane or a mixture of ethane and propane.

Abstract: A process is described for the recovery of CO and optionally hydrogen from a stream containing CO, H2, methane, and hydrocarbons heavier than methane. The process is characterized by a two-stage removal (3, 6) of C2+ hydrocarbons from the feed. In a first step the feed gas (1) is separated (3) into a first C2+ depleted stream (5) and a first C2+ enriched stream (4). The first C2-enriched stream (4) is rectified (6) to produce a second C2+ depleted stream. The first and second C2+ depleted streams (5, 9) are fed to a cryogenic system (10) fro recovery of CO (12) and optionally hydrogen (11).

Abstract: Processes using multiple expansion turbines for efficient recovery of power from a plurality of very high pressure streams of superheated vapor are disclosed. Beneficially, processes of the invention use at least two classes of expansion turbines. Processes according to this invention are particularly useful for recovery of power from very high pressure streams of superheated steam in an olefins manufacturing process. Such streams are typically produced by thermal cracking of suitable petroleum derived feed stocks, and the olefins being produced and purified are typically ethylene and/or propylene.

Abstract: A novel process is disclosed which produces a CO-rich stream from a stream containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, and components heavier than methane. The process utilizes a combined CO purification and demethanizer column (5) which reduces the overall capital cost of the process, and efficient heat integration which reduces the energy required by the process. This process is useful in recovering a CO-rich stream (10) from the effluent (1) of an autothermal cracking reactor. It is particularly useful when one or more of the heavy components (6) has a higher value as pure product than when admixed with methane (11), and when product of a purified hydrogen stream (8) is also desirable.

Abstract: The process of this invention represents an improved method for recovering a purified ethylene product and optionally a purified hydrogen product from the effluent of an autothermal cracking reactor. The process consists of cracked gas chilling, rough separation of a hydrogen-rich stream, demethanization, separation of ethylene from the demethanizer bottoms product, and final purification of the ethylene product. Hydrocarbons heavier than ethylene, including ethane, propylene, and propane are recycled to the ATC reactor. Optionally a purified hydrogen product can be obtained from the hydrogen-rich stream. The invention is particularly useful when the fresh hydrocarbons feed to the autothermal cracking reactor is ethane or a mixture of ethane and propane.

Abstract: A process for the recovery and purification of ethylene and optionally propylene from a stream containing lighter and heavier components that employs an ethylene distributor column and a partially thermally coupled distributed distillation system.

Abstract: Processes for chemical conversion of volatile organic compounds to value added products using membrane reactors and recovery of one or more purified conversion product are described. Useful membranes are preselected to control the relative amount of noncondensable co-product in gaseous reactor effluent such that the energy required for the subsequent compression and partial condensation of the reactor effluent is reduced.

Abstract: A refrigeration process is disclosed that employs a mixed refrigerant to chill a process gas stream in which a second stream is cooled against rewarming vaporized mixed refrigerant at low pressure and subsequently is at least partially vaporized against at least partially condensed mixed refrigerant at a higher pressure.

Abstract: An apparatus for recovering ethylene from a hydrocarbon feed stream, where the apparatus is a single distillation column pressure shell encasing an upper region and a lower region. The upper region houses an ethylene distributor rectifying section and the lower region houses a C2 distributor section and an ethylene distributor stripping section. Vapor passes from the lower region into the upper region, and liquid passes from the upper region to the lower region. The process for recovering the ethylene is also disclosed. The hydrocarbon feed stream is introduced into the C2 distributor section, and after a series of stripping and refluxing steps, distinct hydrocarbon products are recovered from the C2 distributor section, the ethylene distributor stripping section, and the ethylene distributor rectifying section, respectively.

Abstract: The recovery of ethylene from light gases at low temperature by the use of a mixed refrigeration system comprising methane, ehtylene and/or ethane, and propylene and/or propane.

Abstract: An apparatus for recovering ethylene from a hydrocarbon feed stream, where the apparatus is a single distillation column pressure shell encasing an upper region and a lower region. The upper region houses an ethylene distributor rectifying section and the lower region houses a C2 distributor section and an ethylene distributor stripping section. Vapor passes from the lower region into the upper region, and liquid passes from the upper region to the lower region. The process for recovering the ethylene is also disclosed. The hydrocarbon feed stream is introduced into the C2 distributor section, and after a series of stripping and refluxing steps, distinct hydrocarbon products are recovered from the C2 distributor section, the ethylene distributor stripping section, and the ethylene distributor rectifying section, respectively.

Abstract: Processes using heterogeneous adsorbents are disclosed for purification of olefins such as are typically produced by thermal cracking of suitable hydrocarbon feedstocks, by providing a impure mixture comprising at least one olefin of from 2 to about 8 carbon atoms, acetylenic impurities having the same or similar carbon content in an amount of up to about 1 percent by volume base upon the total amount of olefin present and optionally saturated hydrocarbon gases; admixing a source of dihydrogen with the impure mixture to form a feedstream comprising a sub-stoichiometric amount of dihydrogen based upon conversion of the total amount of acetylenic impurities present to their olefinic analogs; and passing the feedstream through a particulate bed of adsorbent comprising predominantly a support material on which is dispersed at least one metallic element in the zero valent state, to effect, under conditions suitable for adsorption within the bed, selective adsorption and/or complexing of the contained acetylenic co

Abstract: Processes using heterogeneous adsorbents are disclosed for purification of olefins to obtain feedstocks suitable for formation of olefin polymers using a metallocene catalyst system. An olefinic process stream, containing small amounts of acetylenic impurities, carbon oxides and/or other organic components which are, typically, impurities in cracked gas, passes through at least two zones containing heterogeneous adsorbents. Adsorption is carried out in an essentially dihydrogen-free atmosphere within the initial zone containing a bed of regenerated adsorbent which has retained a substantial amount of carbon monoxide, to effect selective adsorption of the contained acetylenic contaminants with the adsorbent.

Abstract: Processes using heterogeneous adsorbents are disclosed for purification of olefins such as are typically produced by thermal cracking of suitable hydrocarbon feedstocks, by providing a impure mixture comprising at least one olefin of from 2 to about 8 carbon atoms, acetylenic impurities having the same or similar carbon content in an amount of up to about 1 percent by volume base upon the total amount of olefin present and optionally saturated hydrocarbon gases; admixing a source of dihydrogen with the impure mixture to form a feedstream comprising a sub-stoichiometric amount of dihydrogen based upon conversion of the total amount of acetylenic impurities present to their olefinic analogs; and passing the feedstream through a particulate bed of adsorbent comprising predominantly a support material on which is dispersed at least one metallic element in the zero valent state, to effect, under conditions suitable for adsorption within the bed, selective adsorption and/or complexing of the contained acetylenic co

Abstract: Processes using heterogeneous adsorbents are disclosed for purification of olefin streams, such as are produced by thermal cracking of hydrocarbons, to obtain a feedstock suitable for formation of olefin polymers. These purification processes comprises: providing an impure gaseous mixture; passing the impure mixture through a bed of regenerated adsorbent which is free of a substantial amount of carbon monoxide; effecting, in the presence of an essentially dihydrogen-free atmosphere within the bed, selective adsorption of the contained acetylenic impurities with the adsorbent until levels of the acetylenic impurities in the effluent mixture increase to a limiting level in a range downward from about 1 parts per million by volume; and thereafter regenerating the resulting bed of adsorbent in the presence of a reducing gas comprising dihydrogen which reducing gas is free of a substantial amount of carbon monoxide.

Abstract: Processes using heterogeneous adsorbents are disclosed for purification of aromatic monomers such as are typically produced by dehydrogenation of suitable benzenoid hydrocarbons, by passing a steam of ethylenically unsaturated aromatic monomer and impurities comprising at least one substituted aromatic compound having the same or similar carbon content in which a substituent moiety is acetylenically unsaturated, through a particulate bed of predominantly a support material having high surface area on which is dispersed at least one metallic element. Selective adsorption and/or complexing of the contained impurities with the adsorbent is continued until levels of a selected impurity in the effluent stream increase to a predetermined level. Thereafter the resulting bed of adsorbent is regenerated in the presence of a reducing gas containing dihydrogen to effect release of the contained impurities from the adsorbent.

Abstract: Processes using heterogeneous adsorbents are disclosed for purification of olefins such as are typically produced by thermal cracking of suitable hydrocarbon feedstocks. The processes for recovery of diene-free feedstocks includes passing an olefinic process stream containing undesirable levels of propadiene, and optionally hydrocarbon compounds having more than one double bond, small amounts of acetylenic impurities, and/or other organic components, through a particulate bed of heterogeneous adsorbent comprising a metal supported on a high surface area carrier, under conditions suitable for adsorption of dienes. Beneficially, the resulting gaseous mixtures also have reduced levels of other hydrocarbons having more than one double bond, and have reduced levels of acetylenic impurities, such as acetylene and methylacetylene.

Abstract: A collapsed composition is described which is substantially composed of microcrystallites collectively of the formula:M.sub.2m.sup.2+ Al.sub.2-p M.sub.p.sup.3+ T.sub.r O.sub.7+r.multidot.swhere M.sup.2+ is a divalent metal, M.sup.3+ is a trivalent metal, and T is vanadium, tungsten, or molybdenum.

Abstract: A collapsed composition is described which is substantially composed of microcrystallites collectively of the formula:M.sub.2m.sup.2+ Al.sub.2-p M.sub.p.sup.3+ T.sub.r O.sub.7+r.multidot.swhere M.sup.2+ is a divalent metal, M.sup.3+ is a trivalent metal, and T is vanadium, tungsten, or molybdenum.The microcrystallites are so small as to be undetectable through conventional x-ray diffraction techniques, yet high resolution electron microscopy reveals that a substantial portion of the microcrystallites are composed of a solid solution having aluminum oxide molecularly dispersed in a divalent metal monoxide crystal structure. Another portion of the microcrystallites are constituted by a spinel phase. The collapsed composition is suitable as a sulfur oxide absorbent, having comparatively high capacity and comparatively fast absorption and desorption rates, and is also suitable as a nitrogen oxide reduction catalyst.

Abstract: A collapsed composition is described which is substantially composed of microcrystallites collectively of the formula:m.sub.2m.sup.2+ Al.sub.2-p M.sub.p.sup.3+ T.sub.r O.sub.7+r.multidot.swhere M.sup.2+ is a divalent metal, M.sup.3+ is a trivalent metal, and T is vanadium, tungsten, or molybdenum. The microcrystallites are so small as to be undetectable through conventional x-ray diffraction techniques, yet high resolution electron microscopy reveals that a substantial portion of the microcrystallites are composed of a solid solution having aluminum oxide molecularly dispersed in a divalent metal monoxide crystal structure. Another portion of the microcrystallites are constituted by a spinel phase. The collapsed composition is suitable as a sulfur oxide absorbent, having comparatively high capacity and comparatively fast absorption and desorption rates, and is also suitable as a nitrogen oxide reduction catalyst.