Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for contacting a hydrocarbon and an oxygen-containing gas with a catalyst bed in a reactor at a space velocity of at least 10,000 h?1, said process being characterised in that a) the reactor has a polygonal internal cross-section at least in the section where the catalyst bed is held, b) the catalyst bed is made up of 2 or more layers of catalyst in the form of tiles of polygonal shape, said tiles have at least 4 sides, c) each layer of catalyst comprises at least 4 tiles which tessellate together to form said layer, and d) the edges where 2 tiles meet in one layer do not align with the edges where 2 tiles meet in an adjacent layer.

Abstract: Process for treating a product stream typically from an autothermal cracking process, the product stream comprising one or more olefins, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and one or more oxygenates, by contacting the product stream with at least one compound selected from (1) H2N—OR1, and (2) H2N—NR2R3, where R1, R2 and R3 may each be independently selected from H and carbon-containing substituents.

Abstract: The present invention provides a reactor design that enables an auto-thermal cracking process to be conducted at any suitable pressure wherein the gaseous reactants are preheated separately before mixing and then presented to the reaction zone in a uniformly distributed manner.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the treatment of a product stream, more specifically of a product stream from an autothermal cracking process, said product stream comprising one or more olefins, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and one or more oxygenates, said process comprising contacting the product stream with at least one compound selected from those represented by formulas: (1) H2N—OR1, and (2) H2N—NR2R3, where: R1, R2 and R3 may each be independently selected from H and carbon containing substituents.

Abstract: A catalyst system capable of supporting combustion beyond the fuel rich limit of flammability comprising a catalytic component, a first support and a second support and wherein the catalytic component is present on both the first and the second support, and a process for the production of an olefin, said process comprising passing a mixture of a hydrocarbon and an oxygen-containing gas over said catalyst system to produce said olefin. The first support and the second support must differ in at least one of the following aspects: support material, support type and/or structural dimension.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for contacting a hydrocarbon and an oxygen-containing gas with a catalyst bed in a reactor at a space velocity of at least 10,000 h?1, said process being characterised in that a) the reactor has a polygonal internal cross-section at least in the section where the catalyst bed is held, b) the catalyst bed is made up of 2 or more layers of catalyst in the form of tiles of polygonal shape, said tiles have at least 4 sides, c) each layer of catalyst comprises at least 4 tiles which tessellate together to form said layer, and d) the edges where 2 tiles meet in one layer do not align with the edges where 2 tiles meet in an adjacent layer.