Patents by Inventor Thomas Warren Lyons

Thomas Warren Lyons 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).

  • Synthesis of para-xylene and toluene
    Patent number: 9174893
    Abstract: A method of making para-xylene or toluene is carried out by: (a) reacting a C5 or C6 linear monoene (itself, or formed from a C5 or C6 linear alkane) with a hydrogen acceptor in the presence of a hydrogen transfer catalyst to produce a C5 or C6 diene; (b) reacting the C5-C6 diene with ethylene to produce a cyclohexene having 1 or 2 methyl groups substituted thereon; and then (c) either (i) dehydrogenating the cyclohexene in the presence of a hydrogen acceptor with a hydrogen transfer catalyst to produce a compound selected from the group consisting of para-xylene and toluene, or (ii) dehydrogenating the cyclohexene in the absence of a hydrogen acceptor with a dehydrogenation catalyst, to produce para-xylene or toluene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    Inventors: Maurice Brookhart, Michael Findlater, Damien Guironnet, Thomas Warren Lyons
  • SYNTHESIS OF PARA-XYLENE AND TOLUENE
    Publication number: 20130237732
    Abstract: A method of making para-xylene or toluene is carried out by: (a) reacting a C5 or C6 linear monoene (itself, or formed from a C5 or C6 linear alkane) with a hydrogen acceptor in the presence of a hydrogen transfer catalyst to produce a C5 or C6 diene; (b) reacting the C5-C6 diene with ethylene to produce a cyclohexene having 1 or 2 methyl groups substituted thereon; and then (c) either (i) dehydrogenating the cyclohexene in the presence of a hydrogen acceptor with a hydrogen transfer catalyst to produce a compound selected from the group consisting of para-xylene and toluene, or (ii) dehydrogenating the cyclohexene in the absence of a hydrogen acceptor with a dehydrogenation catalyst, to produce para-xylene or toluene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2013
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicant: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    Inventors: Maurice Brookhart, Michael Findlater, Damien Guironnet, Thomas Warren Lyons