Patents by Inventor Rainer Schweppe

Rainer Schweppe 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: 9714200
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the continuous production of one or more olefins from an aqueous solution of corresponding alcohol(s) including: Providing a solid-free aqueous solution of the alcohol(s); putting the solution through a reactor, which is filled with a fixed-bed catalyst such that the solution comes into contact with the catalyst when flowing through the reactor at a temperature of at least 300° C. and a pressure of at least 220 bar in such a temperature/pressure combination that the alcohol(s) are reacted under supercritical conditions; and transferring a resulting two-stage mixture to a separator, in which the mixture is separated in a raw olefin gas phase and an aqueous liquid phase; wherein the catalyst is selected from among metal oxides having the properties of a Bronstedt acid, insoluble metallic or semi-metallic phosphates as well as porous materials selected from among pumice and carbon, the surface area of which is coated with inorganic acid groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Gerd Unkelbach, Rainer Schweppe, Thomas Hirth
  • Patent number: 9045449
    Abstract: Method for the manufacture of furan compounds by using a heterogeneous catalyst in aqueous solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.
    Inventors: Jochen Forstner, Rainer Schweppe, Gerd Unkelbach, Klemens Flick
  • Publication number: 20140364670
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the continuous production of one or more olefins from an aqueous solution of corresponding alcohol(s) comprising the following steps: Providing a solid-free aqueous solution of the alcohol(s), Putting said solution through a reactor, which is filled with a fixed-bed catalyst such that said solution comes into contact with the catalyst when flowing through said reactor at a temperature of at least 300° C. and a pressure of at least 220 bar in such a temperature/pressure combination that said alcohol(s) are reacted under supercritical conditions, and Transferring a resulting two-stage mixture to a separator, in which said mixture is separated in a raw olefin gas phase and an aqueous liquid phase, Wherein said catalyst is selected from among metal oxides having the properties of a Brønstedt acid, insoluble metallic or semi-metallic phosphates as well as porous materials selected from among pumice and carbon, the surface area of which is coated with inorganic acid groups.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Inventors: Gerd Unkelbach, Rainer Schweppe, Thomas Hirth
  • Patent number: 7968704
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for producing polyalcohols in the form of sugar alcohols from the group comprising sorbitol and mannitol and other optional C2 to C6 polyols. According to said method, a monosaccharide, disaccharide, oligosaccharide, or polysaccharide containing at least one glucose unit and/or at least one fructose unit is continuously reacted with hydrogen at an elevated temperature and at a great pressure in an aqueous phase in the presence of a hydrogenating catalyst based on ruthenium or ruthenium oxide so as to obtain the inventive polyalcohols. The minimum temperature is set at 100° C. while the minimum pressure is set at 150 bar and the maximum dwell time of the reactants during catalytic hydrogenation is set at 600 s.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Hirth, Rainer Schweppe, Jürgen Graf, Rainer Busch, Matthias Pursch
  • Publication number: 20080051573
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for producing polyalcohols in the form of sugar alcohols from the group comprising sorbitol and mannitol and other optional C2 to C6 polyols. According to said method, a monosccharide, disaccharide, oligosaccharide, or polysaccharide containing at least one glucose unit and/or at least one fructose unit is continously reacted with hydrogen at an elevated temperature and at a great pressure in an aqueous phase in the presence of a hydrogenating catlyst based on ruthenium or ruthenium oxide so as to obtain the inventive polyalcohols. The minimum temperature is set at 100° C. while the minimum pressure is set at 150 bar and the maximum dwell time of the reactants during catalytic hydrogenation is set at 600 s.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2005
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Inventors: Thomas Hirth, Rainer Schweppe, Jurgen Graf, Rainer Busch, Matthias Pursch
  • Patent number: 6387272
    Abstract: A process for utilizing the material of ammonium-containing effluent which contains further soluble constituents and, possible additional solids, comprising: a) optionally separating off the solids, b) concentrating the substantially solids-free ammonium-containing effluent to give an aqueous concentrate having an increased content of ammonium and additional soluble constituents, with simultaneous recovery of substantially ammonium-free pure water, c) precipitating ammonium as magnesium ammonium phosphate from the ammonium-containing aqueous concentrate, and d) separating off precipitated magnesium ammonium phosphate with recovery of substantially ammonium-free residual concentrate which at least partially contains the additional soluble constituents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Hirth, Rainer Schweppe, Kai Höhn
  • Publication number: 20010043900
    Abstract: A process for utilizing the material of ammonium-containing effluent which contains further soluble constituents and, possible additional solids, comprising:
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 1999
    Publication date: November 22, 2001
    Inventors: THOMAS HIRTH, RAINER SCHWEPPE, KAI HOEHN