Abstract: The present techniques provide a pyrolysis process that is reduced in coke and/or tar formation relative to comparable processes. A flushing fluid is applied or injected directly into a pyrolysis reactor to reduce high levels of coke and tar that can accumulate within the pyrolysis reactor during pyrolysis of the feed.

Abstract: The invention concerns integration of hydroprocessing and steam cracking. A feed comprising crude or resid-containing fraction thereof is treated by hydroprocessing and visbreaking and then passed to a steam cracker to obtain a product comprising olefins.

Abstract: The invention concerns integration of hydroprocessing and steam cracking. A feed comprising crude or resid-containing fraction thereof is severely hydrotreated and passed to a steam cracker to obtain an olefins product.

Abstract: The invention concerns integration of hydroprocessing and steam cracking. A feed comprising crude or resid-containing fraction thereof is treated by hydroprocessing and visbreaking and then passed to a steam cracker to obtain a product comprising olefins.

Abstract: A reactor with minimal dead volume especially suited to reverse-flow applications comprises: a) a reactor body; b) a first head engaged with said reactor body; c) a first conduit extending from outside said head to at least partially through said head; and d) a first valve in flow communication with said first conduit controlling fluid flow along a flow path extending from the first valve and through the reactor body. The reactor is especially suited for use in a process for rapid stream-switching of at least two streams in a reverse-flow reactor.

Abstract: The invention relates to processes for converting hydrocarbons to phthalic acids such as terephthalic acid. The invention also relates to polymerizing phthalic acid derivatives to produce, e.g., synthetic fibers.

Abstract: The invention relates to processes for converting a mixture of hydrocarbon and oxygenate into products containing acetylene and carbon monoxide. The invention also relates to utilizing at least a portion of the acetylene and carbon monoxide for producing xylenes such as p-xylene, utilizing at least a portion of xylenes for producing polymeric fibers, and to equipment useful for these processes.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to insulation components and their use, e.g., in regenerative reactors. Specifically, a process and apparatus for managing temperatures from oxidation and pyrolysis reactions in a reactor, e.g., a thermally regeneratating reactor, such as a regenerative, reverse-flow reactor is described in relation to the various reactor components.

Abstract: A reactor with minimal dead volume especially suited to reverse-flow applications comprises: a) a reactor body; b) a first head engaged with said reactor body; c) a first conduit extending from outside said head to at least partially through said head; and d) a first valve in flow communication with said first conduit controlling fluid flow along a flow path extending from the first valve and through the reactor body. The reactor is especially suited for use in a process for rapid stream-switching of at least two streams in a reverse-flow reactor.

Abstract: Disclosed is a pyrolysis reaction process. The process can be advantageously accomplished using a pyrolysis reactor that has a primary reaction zone comprised of bed packing having multiple passages through the bed packing and a secondary reaction zone having an open flow arrangement. The process includes a step of injecting a pyrolysis feed comprising a first hydrocarbon into the primary reaction zone to produce a primary pyrolysis product containing unsaturated hydrocarbon. A reactive feed comprising a second hydrocarbon is injected into the secondary reaction zone to mix with the primary pyrolysis product and produce a secondary pyrolysis product.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for converting hydrocarbons into unsaturated products such as acetylene and/or ethylene. The invention also relates to converting acetylene to olefins such as ethylene and/or propylene, to polymerizing the olefins, and to equipment useful for these processes.

Abstract: A selective hydrogenation process that is particularly effective in selectively hydrogenating alkynl compounds, such as acetylene or methyl acetylene, over alkenyl compounds, such as ethylene, is described. The process utilizes a slurry conversion unit for heat efficiency purposes during the conversion of acetylene into ethylene.

Abstract: A selective hydrogenation method is particularly effective in selectively hydrogenating alkynyl compounds, such as acetylene or methyl acetylene, over alkenyl compounds, such as ethylene. The method produces a relatively high quantity of heat during the selective hydrogenation reaction. This production of heat is, however, quite beneficial in that enough heat is produced such that a substantial portion of the produced heat can be recovered for heat efficiency purposes.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process and system for cracking hydrocarbon feedstock containing vacuum resid comprising: (a) subjecting a vacuum resid to a first thermal conversion in a thermal conversion reactor (such as delayed coker, fluid coker, Flexicoker™, visbreaker and catalytic hydrovisbreaker) where at least 30 wt % of the vacuum resid is converted to material boiling below 1050° F. (566° C.); (b) introducing said thermally converted resid to a vapor/liquid separator, said separator being integrated into a steam cracking furnace, to form a vapor phase and liquid phase; (c) passing said vapor phase to the radiant furnace in said steam cracking furnace; and (d) recovering at least 30 wt % olefins from the material exiting the radiant furnace (based upon the weight of the total hydrocarbon material exiting the radiant furnace).

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to reactor components and their use, e.g., in regenerative reactors. A process and apparatus for utilizing different wetted areas along the flow path of a fluid in a pyrolysis reactor, e.g., a thermally regenerating reactor, such as a regenerative, reverse-flow reactor, is described.

Abstract: In one aspect, the invention includes a reactor apparatus for pyrolyzing a hydrocarbon feedstock, the apparatus including: a reactor component comprising a refractory material in oxide form, the refractory material having a melting point of at least 2060° C. and which remains in oxide form when exposed to a gas having carbon partial pressure of 10?22 bar, an oxygen partial pressure of 10?10 bar, at a temperature of 1200° C. In some embodiments, the reactor comprises a regenerative pyrolysis reactor apparatus and in other embodiments it includes a reverse flow regenerative reactor apparatus. In other aspects, this invention includes a method for pyrolyzing a hydrocarbon feedstock using a pyrolysis reactor system comprising the step of providing in a heated region of a pyrolysis reactor system for pyrolyzing a hydrocarbon feedstock, apparatus comprising a refractory material in oxide form, the refractory material having a melting point of at least 2060° C.

Abstract: A process and apparatus process for preparing a resid-containing hydrocarbon feedstock for use in a regenerative pyrolysis reactor, comprising (a) feeding a resid-containing hydrocarbon feedstock to a thermal cracking unit; (b) thermally cracking at least about 60 wt. % of said resid having a boiling point of at least 565° C. in said hydrocarbon feedstock to form a vapor phase containing cracked hydrocarbons; (c) separating said vapor phase from remaining non-volatiles; and (d) converting the separated vapor phase in a regenerative pyrolysis reactor system.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process and system for cracking hydrocarbon feedstock containing vacuum resid comprising: (a) subjecting a vacuum resid to a first thermal conversion in a thermal conversion reactor (such as delayed coker, fluid coker, Flexicoker™, visbreaker and catalytic hydrovisbreaker) where at least 30 wt % of the vacuum resid is converted to material boiling below 1050° F. (566° C.); (b) introducing said thermally converted resid to a vapor/liquid separator, said separator being integrated into a steam cracking furnace, to form a vapor phase and liquid phase; (c) passing said vapor phase to the radiant furnace in said steam cracking furnace; and (d) recovering at least 30 wt % olefins from the material exiting the radiant furnace (based upon the weight of the total hydrocarbon material exiting the radiant furnace).

Abstract: In one aspect, the inventive process comprises a process for pyrolyzing a hydrocarbon feedstock containing nonvolatiles in a regenerative pyrolysis reactor system. The inventive process comprises: (a) heating the nonvolatile-containing hydrocarbon feedstock upstream of a regenerative pyrolysis reactor system to a temperature sufficient to form a vapor phase that is essentially free of nonvolatiles and a liquid phase containing the nonvolatiles; (b) separating said vapor phase from said liquid phase; (c) feeding the separated vapor phase to the pyrolysis reactor system; and (d) converting the separated vapor phase in said pyrolysis reactor system to form a pyrolysis product.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a process comprising feeding high TAN feedstreams to a steam cracker, whereby naphthenic acids in the feedstreams are substantially converted to CO, CO2, and low amounts of smaller acids (e.g., formic, acetic, propionic, and butyric acids). The feedstream is preferably a high TAN feedstream comprising crude or high TAN feedstream which has previously been subjected to a refinery process to remove resid.