Abstract: A process for producing high yields of higher quality (API Group II, Group III?) lubricating oil basestock fractions which allows the production of two or more types of high quality lubes in continuous mode (no blocked operation mode) without transition times and feed or intermediate product tankage segregation. Two consecutive hydroprocessing steps are used: the first step processes a wide cut feed at a severity needed to match heavy oil lube properties. The second step hydroprocesses a light oil after fractionation of the liquid product from the first step at a severity higher than for the heavy oil fraction. The two hydroprocessing steps will normally be carried out in separate reactors but they may be combined in a single reactor which allows for the two fractions to be processed with different degrees of severity.

Abstract: A process for producing high yields of higher quality (API Group II, Group III?) lubricating oil basestock fractions which allows the production of two or more types of high quality lubes in continuous mode (no blocked operation mode) without transition times and feed or intermediate product tankage segregation. Two consecutive hydroprocessing steps are used: the first step processes a wide cut feed at a severity needed to match heavy oil lube properties. The second step hydroprocesses a light oil after fractionation of the liquid product from the first step at a severity higher than for the heavy oil fraction. The two hydroprocessing steps will normally be carried out in separate reactors but they may be combined in a single reactor which allows for the two fractions to be processed with different degrees of severity.

Abstract: A strainer device for a fluid flow circuit removes debris and solid particles from the fluid flow to prevent plugging and reduce fouling of the system. The assembly includes a chamber that can be hydrocyclonic, a collection area, a screen assembly and a distributor that allows selective connection to a flushing fluid. The fluid flows through the chamber past the strainer device, with large particles collecting in the collection area under the influence of gravity and smaller solid particles being collected in the screen assembly. Particles can be flushed from the system by selectively activating the distributor to back flush the screen assembly and sweep the collection area free of solid particles without disassembling the system.

Abstract: A cross-linked polyvinyl sulfate, copolymer of polyvinyl sulfate and polyvinyl alcohol, or Nafion® membrane is used for recovering sulfuric acid from a feed mixture comprising predominantly acid and water under reverse osmosis conditions wherein sulfuric acid is enriched in the retentate stream and water is removed in the permeate stream.

Abstract: A process for the removal of sulfur compounds and benzene of a catalytically cracked petroleum naphtha comprising benzene, organic sulfur compounds and olefins, by fractionating the cracked naphtha into a relatively low boiling range, olefinic, light catalytic naphtha (LCN) and an olefinic heavy catalytic naphtha (HCN) which boils above the range of the LCN the boiling ranges of the LCN and the HCN being defined by a cut point selected to maintain most of the benzene in the cracked naphtha in the LCN together with olefins in the boiling range of the LCN. The LCN is subjected to an optional non-hydrogenative desulfurization step followed by a fixed bed alkylation step in which the benzene in the LCN is alkylated with the olefins contained in this fraction. The HCN is treated by a similar an alkylation step using the olefins contained in this fraction to alkylate the sulfur compounds, forming alkylated products which boil above the gasoline boiling range.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for recycling acid used to remove nitrogen contaminants from hydrocarbons using polymeric membranes to separate spent acid from the acid extraction of hydrocarbons into acid for recycle and acid for regeneration.

Abstract: A tube bundle for a shell and tube type heat exchanger has a support system that allows simple fabrication and provides a secure support of the tubes to mitigate vibration and problems associated with vibration. The tube bundle is composed of tubes that are supported by spaced cages having support rods sized to allow ample clearance with the adjacent tubes and configured in alternating positions and alternating orientations so that sets of four widely spaced cages form a complete support network. To ensure secure support to avoid vibration, sets of support stakes are inserted adjacent to (or in between) the cages to bias the tubes against the support rods of the cages. By this, fabrication is simplified, but a secure support system is maintained.

Abstract: A strainer device for a fluid flow circuit removes debris and solid particles from the fluid flow to prevent plugging and reduce fouling of the system. The assembly includes a chamber that can be hydrocyclonic, a collection area, a screen assembly and a distributor that allows selective connection to a flushing fluid. The fluid flows through the chamber past the strainer device, with large particles collecting in the collection area under the influence of gravity and smaller solid particles being collected in the screen assembly. Particles can be flushed from the system by selectively activating the distributor to back flush the screen assembly and sweep the collection area free of solid particles without disassembling the system.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for recycling acid used to remove nitrogen contaminants from hydrocarbons using polymeric membranes to separate spent acid from the acid extraction of hydrocarbons into acid for recycle and acid for regeneration.

Abstract: A process for the removal of sulfur compounds and benzene of a catalytically cracked petroleum naphtha comprising benzene, organic sulfur compounds and olefins, by fractionating the cracked naphtha into a relatively low boiling range, olefinic, light catalytic naphtha (LCN) and an olefinic heavy catalytic naphtha (HCN) which boils above the range of the LCN the boiling ranges of the LCN and the HCN being defined by a cut point selected to maintain most of the benzene in the cracked naphtha in the LCN together with olefins in the boiling range of the LCN. The LCN is subjected to an optional non-hydrogenative desulfurization step followed by a fixed bed alkylation step in which the benzene in the LCN is alkylated with the olefins contained in this fraction. The HCN is treated by a similar an alkylation step using the olefins contained in this fraction to alkylate the sulfur compounds, forming alkylated products which boil above the gasoline boiling range.

Abstract: A method of rejuvenating a deactivated molecular sieve catalyst, deactivated by use in an olefin oligomerization or aromatics alkylation process, which method comprises contacting the deactivated catalyst with a stream of rejuvenation gas comprising a hydrocarbon product fraction from the process at an elevated temperature and pressure for a time sufficient to effect an increase in catalytic activity of the deactivated catalyst.

Abstract: A process unit for the zeolite-catalyzed conversion of light refinery olefins from an FCC unit such as ethylene, propylene, and butylene to gasoline boiling range motor fuels comprises at least two sequential, serially connected reactors connected in parallel to a fractionation section with at one or two fractionators for separating the reactor effluents into product fraction with an optional recycle stream or streams. The configurations according to this scheme allow the adjustment of reactor temperature and/or pressure and/or space velocity to be based on the reactivities of the olefin compounds present in the LPG streams so that the gasoline produced in each reactor will be separated immediately, to reduce over-polymerization of the gasoline in the low severity reactor and to ensure that gasoline formed in the low severity reactor will not be sent to the higher severity reactor e.g.

Abstract: A method for recovering acid from a feed mixture comprising acid, hydrocarbons and water, the method comprising:

Abstract: A method for converting a fixed-bed catalytic reformer unit to a moving-bed unit. The fixed bed reactor is converted to a moving bed reactor that has continuous or intermittent catalyst feeding facilities to allow continuous or intermittent addition of fresh or regenerated catalyst to the catalyst inlet of the moving-bed reactor and continuous or intermittent removal of spent catalyst from the catalyst outlet of the moving-bed reactor. The spent catalyst removed from the reactor is regenerated in a non-integrated regenerator which may be an offsite regenerator, a centrally located on-site regenerator which serves several reforming units or a regenerator shared with a second moving bed unit. The moving-bed reactor, the catalyst feeding facilities and the catalyst recovery facilities are operatively connected between themselves and to existing facilities from the fixed bed unit, such as piping, compression and reformer charge handling and heating.

Abstract: A method for separating conjunct polymers which are formed as byproducts of acid catalyzed isoparaffin-olefin alkylation and sulfolane from a mixture containing conjunct polymers, sulfolane, and hydrofluoric acid comprising stripping HF from the spent catalyst, treating the stripped, spent catalyst with hydrogen to provide a stripped hydrotreated catalyst stream, and gravitationally separating the stripped hydrotreated catalyst stream to remove conjunct polymeric byproducts.

Abstract: The present invention provides an acid catalyzed isoparaffin-olefin alkylation process which improves process stability and safety by storing the acid in an excess of an additive which reduces the fuming tendency of the mixture, for example, a sulfone. Acid is stripped from the additive and concentrated prior to charging the acid to the alkylation reaction zone. Specifically, because the stored solution of acid in the additive is more dilute than can be effectively used for isoparaffin-olefin alkylation, the acid is concentrated prior to charging the catalyst mixture to the reaction zone. The invention solves the problem of conjunct polymer accumulation by diluting the conjunct polymer with a relatively large volume of the additive and continuously regenerating a slipstream of the dilute acid/additive mixture.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for separating conjunct polymers which are formed as byproducts of acid catalyzed isoparaffin-olefin alkylation and sulfolane from a mixture containing conjunct polymers, sulfolane, and hydrofluoric acid, which method provides a sulfolane recycle stream which requires no further drying before charging the stream to the alkylation reaction zone.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for separating conjunct polymers which are formed as byproducts of acid catalyzed isoparaffin-olefin alkylation and sulfolane from a mixture containing conjunct polymers, sulfolane, and hydrofluoric acid, and for minimizing accumulation of conjunct polymeric byproducts in the recycled acid catalyst.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for regenerating a spent liquid acid catalyst comprising the steps of:(a) providing a spent liquid acid catalyst comprising HF, sulfolane, and conjunct polymeric byproducts formed during the HF-catalyzed reaction of isoparaffin and olefin to form isoparafinnic alkylate;(b) providing a finely divided solid sorbent, wherein said solid sorbent preferentially and reversibly sorbs said conjunct polymeric byproducts from a mixture containing HF, sulfolane;(c) mixing said spent liquid acid catalyst of step (a) with said solid sorbent of step (b) by charging said spent liquid acid catalyst to the driving fluid inlet of an eductor and drawing a stream containing said solid sorbent into said eductor;(d) holding said mixture of step (c) in contact for time sufficient for said solid sorbent to preferentially sorb at least a portion of said conjunct polymeric byproducts from said spent liquid acid catalyst to produce a conjunct polymer-enriched sorbent and to regenerate said liquid acid catalyst; an

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for separating conjunct polymers and sulfolane from a mixture containing conjunct polymers, sulfolane, and hydrofluoric acid comprising the sequential steps of:(a) separating hydrofluoric acid from said mixture to provide an intermediate stream containing less than about 30 percent hydrofluoric acid by weight;(b) gravitationally separating said intermediate stream into a sulfolane-enriched stream and a conjunct polymer-enriched stream;(c) contacting said sulfolane-enriched stream with a polar extraction solvent to provide an extract stream enriched in sulfolane and a raffinate stream enriched in conjunct polymers;(d) stripping the polar extraction solvent from said sulfolane-enriched extract stream; and(e) recovering sulfolane from said enriched stream of step (d).