Abstract: A thermal cracking process is provided which comprises contacting a thermal cracking furnace with a fluid stream which comprises steam, a hydrogen-containing fluid, and a hydrogen sulfide precursor such as dimethyl sulfide under a condition sufficient to effect the generation of hydrogen sulfide and thereafter introducing a steam fluid containing a saturated hydrocarbon under a condition sufficient to convert the saturated hydrocarbon to an olefinic compound.

Abstract: Process and apparatus are provided for the recovery of low, medium and high boiling components from feed streams containing same wherein reboiler fouling, gumming and the like are minimized, via the control of fractionator reboiler temperatures.

Abstract: In an ethylene manufacturing process in which the effluent from the cracking furnaces is provided to an acetylene reactor to therein selectively hydrogenate acetylene to ethylene, method and apparatus is provided whereby methanol is injected into the cracking furnace to produce carbon monoxide in sufficient quantities to substantially optimize the selectivity of the conversion of acetylene to ethylene in the acetylene reactors. The concentration of the carbon monoxide in the effluent flowing from the cracking furnace is utilized to manipulate the flow of methanol to the cracking furnace so as to maintain a desired concentration of carbon monoxide in the effluent flowing from the cracking furnace.

Abstract: In a selective hydrogenation process wherein at least one catalyst bed is utilized, the temperature of the feed stream to the catalyst bed is controlled so as to maintain a desired reaction temperature in the catalyst bed. Primary control is based on an analysis of the feed stream. An override control based on the differential temperature across the at least one catalyst bed is provided to prevent fast changes in the composition of the feed stream from causing the temperature of the catalyst bed to change rapidly.