Patents by Inventor Stephen Neil Vaughn

Stephen Neil Vaughn 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: 20030163010
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process for making an olefin product from an oxygenate feedstock which comprises:
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2002
    Publication date: August 28, 2003
    Inventors: Teng Xu, Paul N. Chisholm, Stephen Neil Vaughn, Shun Chong Fung, Keith Holroyd Kuechler, James R. Lattner, Kenneth Ray Clem, Patrick J. Maher, Dean C. Draemel
  • Publication number: 20020161270
    Abstract: A method for increasing light olefin yield during conversion of oxygenates to olefins comprising: contacting an oxygenate feed in a primary reactor with a non-zeolitic molecular sieve catalyst under conditions effective to produce a first product comprising light olefins; separating the first product into light olefins and a heavy hydrocarbon fraction; feeding the heavy hydrocarbon fraction either back into the primary reactor or to a separate auxiliary reactor; and, subjecting the heavy hydrocarbon fraction to conditions effective to convert at least a portion of the heavy hydrocarbons to light olefins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2002
    Publication date: October 31, 2002
    Inventor: Stephen Neil Vaughn
  • Patent number: 6455749
    Abstract: A method for increasing light olefin yield during conversion of oxygenates to olefins comprising: contacting an oxygenate feed in a primary reactor with a non-zeolitic molecular sieve catalyst under conditions effective to produce a first product comprising light olefins; separating the first product into light olefins and a heavy hydrocarbon fraction; feeding the heavy hydrocarbon fraction either back into the primary reactor or to a separate auxiliary reactor; and, subjecting the heavy hydrocarbon fraction to conditions effective to convert at least a portion of the heavy hydrocarbons to light olefins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen Neil Vaughn
  • Patent number: 6153552
    Abstract: Catalysts that are useful for hydrocarbon conversions and oxygenate conversions, and a method for making such catalysts. The method for making the catalysts comprises forming a mixture comprising molecular sieves comprising pores having a diameter smaller than about 10 Angstroms, an inorganic sol, and an external phosphorus source, and drying the mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2000
    Assignee: Exxon Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: William A. Wachter, Jeffrey T. Elks, Stephen Neil Vaughn
  • Patent number: 6051746
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for converting oxygenated organic material, to olefins using small pore molecular sieve catalysts. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for converting oxygenated organic material to olefins with improved the olefin yields and decreased yields of methane and other light saturate byproducts. The improved yield slate is achieved by treating the small pore molecular sieve catalyst with a modifier selected from the group consisting of polynuclear aromatic heterocyclic compounds with at least three interconnected ring structures having at least one nitrogen atom as a ring substituent, each ring structure having at least five ring members, decomposed derivatives of said polynuclear aromatic heterocyclic compound, and mixtures thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2000
    Assignee: Exxon Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Hsiang-ning Sun, Stephen Neil Vaughn, Robert Scott Smith
  • Patent number: 6040264
    Abstract: A method for converting starting material to olefins comprising contacting the starting material with a small pore non-zeolitic molecular sieve catalyst under effective conditions to produce olefins, wherein the non-zeolitic molecular sieve has been prepared in-situ or modified after synthesis by incorporation using an alkaline earth metal compound, wherein the alkaline earth metal ion is selected from the group consisting of strontium, calcium, barium, and mixtures thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2000
    Assignee: Exxon Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Hsiang-Ning Sun, Stephen Neil Vaughn
  • Patent number: 6023005
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for selectively converting oxygenates to light olefins, preferably ethylene and propylene, in which desirable carbonaceous deposits are maintained on a total reaction volume of catalyst by totally regenerating only a portion of the total reaction volume of catalyst and mixing the regenerated portion with the unregenerated total reaction volume of catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: Exxon Chemicals Patents Inc.
    Inventors: James Richardson Lattner, Hsiang-ning Sun, Stephen Neil Vaughn, Keith H. Kuechler, David C. Skouby
  • Patent number: 5962762
    Abstract: A method for converting starting material to olefins comprising contacting the starting material with a small pore molecular sieve catalyst under effective conditions to produce olefins, wherein the molecular sieve has been modified after synthesis by incorporation of a transition metal ion using a transition metal compound, wherein the transition metal ion is selected from the group comprising Groups VIB, VIIB, or VII or mixtures thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Inventors: Hsian-Ning Sun, Stephen Neil Vaughn
  • Patent number: 5952538
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for the converting oxygenates to olefins. More particularly, the invention relates to methods for converting oxygenates to olefins with improved olefin yields and decreased yields of undesirable methane and other light saturate byproducts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: Exxon Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Neil Vaughn, David R. Lumgair, Hsiang-ning N. Sun
  • Patent number: 5907076
    Abstract: A process is disclosed for the separation and removal of hydrogen, alone or together with carbon monoxide, from a mixture of these gases with olefinic hydrocarbons by contacting the mixture with oxygen over a catalyst at conditions sufficient to oxidize the hydrogen to form water while suppressing reaction of the reactive, unsaturated hydrocarbons. The catalyst contains at least one metal or metal oxide from Groups Ib, IIb, IIIa, IVa and Va of the Periodic Table, and the temperature of the reaction may range from about 40.degree. C. to 300.degree. C. and a pressure of about 14.7 psig to 1,000 psig, and the flow rate of the entering feed ranges from about 1 GHSV to about 50,000 GHSV. The process can be conducted using one, two or three reaction zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1999
    Assignee: Exxon Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Di-Yi Ou, Stephen Neil Vaughn, Lawrence Gilbert Daniel