Patents by Inventor Michael S. Driver

Michael S. Driver 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: 20030125599
    Abstract: Methods for separating di-olefins from mono-olefins, and olefins from non-olefins such as paraffins, oxygenates and aromatics; are provided. The methods use metal salts which complex both mono-olefins and di-olefins, but which selectively complex di-olefins in the presence of mono-olefins. The metal salts are dissolved or suspended in ionic liquids, which tend to have virtually no vapor pressure. Preferred salts are Group IB salts, more preferably silver and copper salts. A preferred silver salt is silver tetrafluoroborate. A preferred copper salt is silver CuOTf. Preferred ionic liquids are those which form stable solutions, suspensions or dispersions of the metal salts, which do not dissolve unwanted non-olefins, and which do not isomerize the mono- or di-olefins. The equivalents of the metal salt can be adjusted so that di-olefins are selectively adsorbed from mixtures of mono- and di-olefins. Alternatively, both mono- and di-olefins can be adsorbed, and the mono-olefins selectively desorbed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2001
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Inventors: Laura C. Boudreau, Michael S. Driver, Curt L. Munson, William L. Schinski
  • Publication number: 20020128532
    Abstract: A process for preparing very high viscosity polyalphaolefins using an acidic ionic liquid oligomerization catalyst in the absence of an organic diluent and the products formed thereby.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2002
    Publication date: September 12, 2002
    Applicant: Chevron Chemical Company LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth D. Hope, Michael S. Driver, Thomas V. Harris
  • Publication number: 20020063240
    Abstract: Methods for separating olefins from non-olefins, such as paraffins, including cycloparaffins, oxygenates and aromatics, are provided. The methods use metal salts to complex olefins, allowing the non-olefins to be separated by a variety of methods, including decantation and distillation. The metal salts are dissolved in ionic liquids, which tend to have virtually no vapor pressure, and which poorly solubilize the non-olefins. Accordingly, the non-olefins phase separate well, and can be distilled without carrying over any of the ionic liquid into the distillate. Preferred salts are Group IB salts, more preferably silver salts. A preferred silver salt is silver tetrafluoroborate. Preferred ionic liquids are those which form stable solutions or dispersions of the metal salts, and which do not dissolve the non-olefins. Further, if the olefins are subject to isomerization, the ionic liquid is preferably relatively non-acidic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2001
    Publication date: May 30, 2002
    Inventors: Curtis L. Munson, Laura C. Boudreau, Michael S. Driver, William L. Schinski
  • Patent number: 6395948
    Abstract: A process for preparing very high viscosity polyalphaolefins using an acidic ionic liquid oligomerization catalyst in the absence of an organic diluent and the products formed thereby.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: Chevron Chemical Company LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth D. Hope, Michael S. Driver, Thomas V. Harris
  • Patent number: 6380420
    Abstract: A process for preparing fatty amines by the cross-metathesis of normal alpha olefins and acrylonitrile to form an intermediate fatty acid nitrile which is hydrogenated to the corresponding fatty amine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: William L. Schinski, Michael S. Driver
  • Patent number: 6339182
    Abstract: Methods for separating olefins from non-olefins, such as parafins, including cycloparaffins, oxygenates and aromatics, are provided. The methods use metal salts to complex olefins, allowing the non-olefins to be separated by a variety of methods, including decantation and distillation. The metal salts are dissolved in ionic liquids, which tend to have virtually no vapor pressure, and which poorly solubilize the non-olefins. Accordingly, the non-olefins phase separate well, and can be distilled without carrying over any of the ionic liquid into the distillate. Preferred salts are Group IB salts, more preferably silver salts. A preferred silver salt is silver tetrafluoroborate. Preferred ionic liquids are those which form stable solutions or dispersions of the metal salts, and which do not dissolve the non-olefins. Further, if the olefins are subject to isomerization, the ionic liquid is preferably relatively non-acidic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2002
    Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Curtis L. Munson, Laura C. Boudreau, Michael S. Driver, William L. Schinski
  • Patent number: 5817877
    Abstract: A process of preparing an organic amine having at least one unsaturated group, such as an arylamine, involving contacting an unsaturated organic sulfonate, such as an aryl sulfonate, with a reactant amine, such as an alkyl or aryl amine, in the presence of a base and a transition metal catalyst under reaction conditions. The transition metal catalyst contains a Group 8 metal and a chelating ligand, for example a Group 15-substituted arylene or Group 15-substituted metallocene, such as 1,1'-bis(diphenylphosphino)-2,2'-binaphthyl or 1,1'-bis(diphenylphosphino)-ferrocene, respectively. The aryl sulfonate can be prepared from a phenol and sulfonating agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Assignee: Yale University
    Inventors: John F. Hartwig, Michael S. Driver, Janis Louie, Blake Hamann