Patents by Inventor Thomas E. Morris

Thomas E. Morris 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: 20040152929
    Abstract: In one aspect, a process for producing vinyl chloride from ethane/ethylene involving: (a) combining ethane, ethylene, or mixtures thereof with an oxygen source and a chlorine source in a reactor containing a suitable catalyst under conditions sufficient to convert substantially all of the C2 hydrocarbon fed and to produce a product stream comprising vinyl chloride and hydrogen chloride; and (b) recycling unreacted hydrogen chloride back for use in Step (a). No C2 hydrocarbon recycle is required in this process. In another aspect, a process for producing vinyl chloride involving: (a) combining ethane, optionally ethylene, an oxygen source, and a chlorine source in a reactor containing a suitable catalyst under conditions sufficient to produce vinyl chloride and hydrogen chloride; (b) catalytically reacting said hydrogen chloride in a second reactor to provide a second reactor effluent essentially devoid of hydrogen chloride; and (c) recycling said second reactor effluent to step (a).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2003
    Publication date: August 5, 2004
    Inventors: William D Clarke, Terry D Haymon, John P Henley, Daniel A Hickman, Mark E Jones, Matt C Miller, Thomas E Morris, Daniel J Reed, Lawrence J Samson, Steven A Smith
  • Patent number: 5202511
    Abstract: Alumina is used as a support for the CuCl2 catalyst and as a diluent in the oxychlorination of ethylene. When a low surface area alumina, e.g. high purity alpha-alumina, is used as diluent for the reaction, reduced oxidation and less chlorinated by-products are achieved. Alternatively, the alumina used as the catalyst support, e.g. a gamma-alumina which has a high surface area and higher amounts of impurities, can be used as diluent if it is impregnated with an alkali metal ion, e.g K+ ion, which is usually employed as a salt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1993
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventors: Leopoldo Salinas, III, Thomas E. Morris, Arnold D. Harley
  • Patent number: 4927621
    Abstract: A method to purify impure gaseous hydrogen chloride containing an unsaturated chlorinated hydrocarbon contaminant in an amount less than that necessary to inhibit purification, comprising exposing the impure hydrogen chloride to an ultraviolet light source in the presence of gaseous chloride for a sufficient time for the gaseous chloride to react with organic impurities in the hydrogen chloride to form heavier organic compounds and thereafter separating the heavier compounds from the hydrogen chloride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1990
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventors: Joseph F. Repman, Thomas E. Morris, Thomas F. Hill, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4827060
    Abstract: A catalyst, such as FeCl.sub.3, useful in the production of chlorinated hydrocarbons such as 1,1-dichloroethane is removed from the effluent of a process reactor and recycled. Hydrochloric acid is removed from the process stream resulting in the catalyst present in the process stream in solution precipitating out of solution. Then it can be removed from the process stream by conventional separation techniques. Alternatively, the catalyst present in the process stream as a solid, without the removal of HCl, is separated from the liquid present by means of a cyclone and recycled. In both cases, the catalyst retains its catalytic activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1989
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventors: Thomas E. Morris, Rae L. Spencer, Gerald A. Gimber
  • Patent number: 4647210
    Abstract: For measurement of chlorine concentration in a process stream, an improved device is set forth measuring light transmission in a selected frequency range. The preferred embodiment uses a light source, a light filter and an optical fiber extending to a pipe or other vessel with flowing chlorine. The light is transmitted from a lens system to another lens system and into a second optical fiber. The second fiber extends to a measuring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1987
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventors: Thomas E. Morris, Tarver G. Snedecor, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4614572
    Abstract: This invention relates to an improved liquid phase chlorination process for the chlorination of methyl chloride to preferentially produce methylene chloride. The chlorine is provided to the reaction mixture in a mole percent, based upon the total moles of chlorine and methyl chloride in the mix, which ranges from about 16 mole percent to about 2 mole percent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 30, 1986
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventors: Michael T. Holbrook, Thomas E. Morris
  • Patent number: 4606774
    Abstract: There is described a process in which a contaminated soil is freed of its contaminants and the solvent used to free and wash the contaminated soil is collected and reused and/or it is combusted and removed from the system in a form which will not contaminate the ambient atmosphere. All portions of this equipment are substantially gas tight and liquid tight and therefore eliminate or markedly reduce any further contamination of the ambient atmosphere with the contaminants found in the soil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1984
    Date of Patent: August 19, 1986
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventor: Thomas E. Morris
  • Patent number: 4605801
    Abstract: The process is an improvement over the chlorination of EDC in a boiling bed. The reactants, chlorine and dichloroethane (either 1,1- or 1,2-) are mixed in the vapor phase and passed over a molecular sieve which serves as a catalyst to produce 1,1,2-trichloroethane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1982
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1986
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventors: Roger L. Juhl, Mark S. Johnson, Thomas E. Morris
  • Patent number: 4541825
    Abstract: The present invention relates to high speed process and apparatus suitable for the preparation of cigarette filter rods having high tow utilization in terms of pressure drop per unit rod weight without producing substantial tow density variations. In accordance with this invention, it has been discovered that in a process for manufacturing filter elements from opened and deregistered crimped continuous filament tow, wherein said tow is conducted from a mechanical forwarding means through an aspirating jet positioned adjacent a compacting means and wherein means are provided for dissipating aspirating fluid, that filter rod pressure drop and weight variations are reduced by aspirating at low pressures and more specifically, at fluid pressures of not more than about 3 pounds per square inch gauge and by causing the aspirating fluid, at its point of contact with the continuous filament tow, to flow substantially in a direction axial to that of the tow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1982
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1985
    Assignee: Celanese Corporation
    Inventors: Rebecca A. Hyde, Harold T. Bloom, Thomas E. Morris
  • Patent number: 4469720
    Abstract: An apparatus for the recovery of solvents from coated parts during the drying step which consists of a means for heating the air used to dry the parts, an insulated drying chamber, a liquid spray scrubber, a refrigeration section to condense solvent and a cross-exchanger which allows air coming into the refrigeration section to be cooled by that exiting therefrom. The cooled solvent-lean air is then passed to the heating means before being recycled to the drying step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1982
    Date of Patent: September 4, 1984
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventor: Thomas E. Morris
  • Patent number: 4430784
    Abstract: A single or multi-orifice metal nozzle structure suitable for use in an ink jet printing system. The metallic nozzle member has at least one orifice extending therethrough, the orifice including a cylindrical portion, adjacent the outlet face of said nozzle, having a height ranging from 0.25 to 5 times its diameter and at least one frustoconical section divergent toward the face opposite the outlet face and communicating with the cylindrical portion. Where the metal nozzle is a multi-orifice metal nozzle, each frustoconical section communicates with a groove disposed in the face opposite the outlet face. The multi-orifice metal nozzle is prepared by grooving a metal plate with at least one groove, punching a plurality of frustoconical sections into the groove member and then forming a cylindrical portion into each frustoconical section and through the plate member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1981
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1984
    Assignee: Celanese Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth Brooks, Paul R. Smith, Thomas E. Morris
  • Patent number: 4282533
    Abstract: A single or multi-orifice metal nozzle structure suitable for use in an ink jet printing system. The metallic nozzle member has at least one orifice extending therethrough, the orifice including a cylindrical portion, adjacent the outlet face of said nozzle, having a height ranging from 0.25 to 5 times its diameter and at least one frustoconical section divergent toward the face opposite the outlet face and communicating with the cylindrical portion. Where the metal nozzle is a multi-orifice metal nozzle, each frustoconical section communicates with a groove disposed in the face opposite the outlet face. The multi-orifice metal nozzle is prepared by grooving a metal plate with at least one groove, punching a plurality of frustoconical sections into the groove member and then forming a cylindrical portion into each frustoconical section and through the plate member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1980
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1981
    Assignee: Celanese Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth Brooks, Paul R. Smith, Thomas E. Morris
  • Patent number: 4107221
    Abstract: Minor amounts of olefin oxide such as butylene oxide are removed from a chlorinated solvent by contacting the solvent with the hydrogen form of a strong acid cation exchange resin in the presence of water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1977
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1978
    Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company
    Inventors: William D. Tasto, Thomas E. Morris