Patents by Inventor Wenyih F. Lai

Wenyih F. Lai 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).

  • Patent number: 8992764
    Abstract: An integrated process for producing naphtha fuel, diesel fuel and/or lubricant base oils from feedstocks under sour conditions is provided. The ability to process feedstocks under higher sulfur and/or nitrogen conditions allows for reduced cost processing and increases the flexibility in selecting a suitable feedstock. The sour feed can be delivered to a catalytic dewaxing step without any separation of sulfur and nitrogen contaminants. The integrated process includes an initial dewaxing of a feed under sour conditions, optional hydrocracking of the dewaxed feed, and a separation to form a first diesel product and a bottoms fraction. The bottoms fraction is then exposed to additional hydrocracking and dewaxing to form a second diesel product and optionally a lubricant base oil product. Alternatively, a feedstock can be hydrotreated, fractionated, dewaxed, and then hydrocracked to form a diesel fuel and a dewaxed, hydrocracked bottoms fraction that is optionally suitable for use as a lubricant base oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Krista Marie Prentice, Michel Daage, Ajit Bhaskar Dandekar, Christopher Gordon Oliveri, Rohit Vijay, Stephen J. McCarthy, Wenyih F. Lai, Bradley R. Fingland
  • Patent number: 8981170
    Abstract: In a process for producing a cycloalkylaromatic compound, an aromatic compound, hydrogen and at least one diluent are supplied to a hydroalkylation reaction zone, such that the weight ratio of the diluent to the aromatic compound supplied to the hydroalkylation reaction zone is at least 1:100. The aromatic compound, hydrogen and the at least one diluent are then contacted under hydroalkylation conditions with a hydroalkylation catalyst in the hydroalkylation reaction zone to produce an effluent comprising a cycloalkylaromatic compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Teng Xu, Wenyih F. Lai
  • Patent number: 8906224
    Abstract: Sweet and sour lubricant feeds are block and continuous processed to produce lubricant basestocks. Total liquid product yields at a desired pour point are maintained for catalytic dewaxing of both sweet and sour conditions. The desired pour point is achieved for both the sweet and sour feeds by varying the catalytic dewaxing reaction temperature as a function of sulfur content entering the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Krista Marie Prentice, Michel Daage, Gary Paul Schleicher, Christine Nicole Elia, Stephen J. McCarthy, Wenyih F. Lai, Shifang L. Luo, Robert Andrew Migliorini
  • Patent number: 8840779
    Abstract: A supported catalyst comprises a zeolite having a silica to alumina molar ratio of 500 or less, a first metal oxide binder having a crystallite size greater than 200 ? and a second metal oxide binder having a crystallite size less than 100 ?, wherein the second metal oxide binder is present in an amount less than 15 wt % of the total weight of the catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Stephen J. McCarthy, Wenyih F. Lai, Darryl Donald Lacy, Robert Ellis Kay
  • Publication number: 20140194653
    Abstract: A process for converting hydrocarbons comprising the step of contacting said hydrocarbons under conversion conditions with a crystalline molecular sieve having a pore size in the range of from about 2 to about 19 ?, said molecular sieve made by a method comprising the steps of (a) providing a mixture comprising at least one source of ions of tetravalent element (Y), at least one trivalent element hydroxide source (OH?), and water, said mixture having a solid-content in the range of from about 15 wt. % to about 50 wt. % .%, preferably of from about 20% to about 30%; and (b) treating said mixture to form the desired crystalline molecular sieve with stirring at crystallization conditions sufficient to obtain a weight hourly throughput from about 0.005 to about 1 hr?1, wherein said crystallization conditions comprise a temperature in the range of from about 200° C. to about 500° C. and a crystallization time less than 100 hr, wherein said crystalline molecular sieve has a zeolite framework type of MFI.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2014
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Inventors: Ivy D. Johnson, Wenyih F. Lai
  • Publication number: 20140171293
    Abstract: The invention concerns a xylenes isomerization process for the production of equilibrium or near-equilibrium xylenes. The process utilizes a catalyst comprising HZSM-5 or MCM-49 and process conditions including a temperature of less than 295° C. and a pressure sufficient to maintain the xylenes in liquid phase. In embodiments, the process can be operated in a continuous mode with ppm levels of dissolved H2 in the feed and in other embodiments in a cyclic mode without the H2 in feed but with periodic regenerations using a feed having low ppm levels of H2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2014
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Inventors: John D. Ou, April D. Ross, Doron Levin, Mohan Kalyanaraman, Wenyih F. Lai
  • Patent number: 8673263
    Abstract: A method of crystallizing a crystalline molecular sieve having a pore size in the range of from about 2 to about 19 ?, said method comprising the steps of (a) providing a mixture comprising at least one source of ions of tetravalent element (Y), at least one trivalent element hydroxide source (OH?), and water, said mixture having a solid-content in the range of from about 20% to about 30%; and (b) treating said mixture to form the desired crystalline molecular sieve with stirring at crystallization conditions sufficient to obtain a weight hourly throughput from about 0.005 to about 1 hr?1, wherein said crystallization conditions comprise a temperature in the range of from about 200° C. to about 500° C. and a crystallization time less than 100 hr, wherein said crystalline molecular sieve has a zeolite framework type of MFI.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Ivy D. Johnson, Wenyih F. Lai
  • Patent number: 8617383
    Abstract: An integrated process for producing naphtha fuel, diesel fuel and/or lubricant base oils from feedstocks under sour conditions is provided. The ability to process feedstocks under higher sulfur and/or nitrogen conditions allows for reduced cost processing and increases the flexibility in selecting a suitable feedstock. The sour feed can be delivered to a catalytic dewaxing step without any separation of sulfur and nitrogen contaminants, or with only a high pressure separation so that the dewaxing still occurs under sour conditions. Various combinations of hydrotreating, catalytic dewaxing, hydrocracking, and hydrofinishing can be used to produce fuel products and lubricant base oil products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Krista Marie Prentice, Michel Daage, Ajit Bhaskar Dandekar, Christopher Gordon Oliveri, Rohit Vijay, Stephen J. McCarthy, Wenyih F. Lai, Bradley R. Fingland
  • Patent number: 8545694
    Abstract: An improved aromatics saturation process for use with lube oil boiling range feedstreams utilizing a catalyst comprising a hydrogenation-dehydrogenation component selected from the Group VIII noble metals and mixtures thereof on a mesoporous support having aluminum incorporated into its framework and an average pore diameter of about 15 to less than about 40 ?.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Stephen J. McCarthy, Wenyih F. Lai, Sylvain S. Hantzer, Ian A. Cody
  • Publication number: 20130251627
    Abstract: A method of crystallizing a crystalline molecular sieve having a pore size in the range of from about 2 to about 19 ?, said method comprising the steps of (a) providing a mixture comprising at least one source of ions of tetravalent element (Y), at least one hydroxide source (OH?), and water, said mixture having a solid-content in the range of from about 15 wt. % to about 50 wt. %; and (b) treating said mixture to form the desired crystalline molecular sieve with stirring at crystallization conditions sufficient to obtain a weight hourly throughput from about 0.005 to about 1 hr?1, wherein said crystallization conditions comprise a temperature in the range of from about 200° C. to about 500° C. and a crystallization time less than 100 hr.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Inventors: Ivy D. Johnson, Wenyih F. Lai
  • Patent number: 8500991
    Abstract: A process is described of producing an MTT framework type molecular sieve by crystallizing a mixture capable of forming said molecular sieve, wherein the mixture comprises sources of alkali or alkaline earth metal (M), an oxide of trivalent element (X), an oxide of tetravalent element (Y), water and a directing agent (R) of the formula (CH3)3N+CH2CH2CH2N+(CH3)2CH2CH2CH2N+(CH3)3, and has a composition, in terms of mole ratios, within the following ranges. YO2/X2O3 less than 45 H2O/YO2 5 to 100 OH?/YO2 0.05 to 0.5 M/YO2 0.05 to 0.5 and R/YO2 >0 to <0.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Wenyih F. Lai, Christine N. Elia
  • Publication number: 20130172514
    Abstract: In a process for producing a cycloalkylaromatic compound, an aromatic compound, hydrogen and at least one diluent are supplied to a hydroalkylation reaction zone, such that the weight ratio of the diluent to the aromatic compound supplied to the hydroalkylation reaction zone is at least 1:100. The aromatic compound, hydrogen and the at least one diluent are then contacted under hydroalkylation conditions with a hydroalkylation catalyst in the hydroalkylation reaction zone to produce an effluent comprising a cycloalkylaromatic compound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicant: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Teng Xu, Wenyih F. Lai
  • Patent number: 8394255
    Abstract: An integrated process for producing naphtha fuel, diesel fuel and/or lubricant base oils from feedstocks under sour conditions is provided. The ability to process feedstocks under higher sulfur and/or nitrogen conditions allows for reduced cost processing and increases the flexibility in selecting a suitable feedstock. The sour feed can be delivered to a catalytic dewaxing step without any separation of sulfur and nitrogen contaminants, or a high pressure separation can be used to partially eliminate contaminants. The integrated process includes an initial hydrotreatment, hydrocracking, catalytic dewaxing of the hydrocracking effluent, and an option final hydrotreatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Stephen J. McCarthy, Gary Paul Schleicher, Krista Marie Prentice, Michel Daage, Christopher Gordon Oliveri, Thomas Francis Degnan, José Guadalupe Santiesteban, Ajit Bhaskar Dandekar, William Joseph Novak, Wenyih F. Lai
  • Patent number: 8366908
    Abstract: An integrated process for producing lubricant base oils from feedstocks under sour conditions is provided. The ability to process feedstocks under higher sulfur conditions allows for reduced cost processing and increases the flexibility in selecting a suitable feedstock. The sour feed can be delivered to a catalytic dewaxing step without any separation of sulfur and nitrogen contaminants, or a high pressure separation can be used to partially eliminate contaminants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Krista Marie Prentice, Gary Paul Schleicher, Lei Zhang, Timothy Lee Hilbert, Michel A. Daage, Sylvain Hantzer, Wenyih F. Lai, David Mentzer, William Francis Heaney, Christine Nicole Elia, Shifang Luo, Stephen J. McCarthy, Mohan Kalyanaraman
  • Publication number: 20120316365
    Abstract: In a process for the dehydrogenation of cyclohexanone to produce phenol, a feed comprising cyclohexanone is contacted with a catalyst comprising an inorganic, crystalline, mesoporous support material and a hydrogenation-dehydrogenation component under dehydrogenation conditions effective to convert at least part of the cyclohexanone in the feed into phenol and hydrogen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Inventors: Teng Xu, Edward A. Lemon, JR., Wenyih F. Lai, George H. Gamble
  • Patent number: 8298403
    Abstract: A process for dewaxing a waxy component-containing hydrocarbon feedstock comprises contacting the feedstock under dewaxing conditions with a catalyst system comprising ZSM-48 and a molecular sieve of the MTT framework type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Christine N. Elia, Wenyih F. Lai
  • Publication number: 20110315596
    Abstract: An integrated process for producing naphtha fuel, diesel fuel and/or lubricant base oils from feedstocks under sour conditions is provided. The ability to process feedstocks under higher sulfur and/or nitrogen conditions allows for reduced cost processing and increases the flexibility in selecting a suitable feedstock. The sour feed can be delivered to a catalytic dewaxing step without any separation of sulfur and nitrogen contaminants. The integrated process includes an initial dewaxing of a feed under sour conditions, optional hydrocracking of the dewaxed feed, and a separation to form a first diesel product and a bottoms fraction. The bottoms fraction is then exposed to additional hydrocracking and dewaxing to form a second diesel product and optionally a lubricant base oil product. Alternatively, a feedstock can be hydrotreated, fractionated, dewaxed, and then hydrocracked to form a diesel fuel and a dewaxed, hydrocracked bottoms fraction that is optionally suitable for use as a lubricant base oil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: Krista Marie Prentice, Michel Daage, Ajit Bhaskar Dandekar, Christopher Gordon Oliveri, Rohit Vijay, Stephen J. McCarthy, Wenyih F. Lai, Bradley R. Fingland
  • Publication number: 20110315599
    Abstract: An integrated process for producing naphtha fuel, diesel fuel and/or lubricant base oils from feedstocks under sour conditions is provided. The ability to process feedstocks under higher sulfur and/or nitrogen conditions allows for reduced cost processing and increases the flexibility in selecting a suitable feedstock. The sour feed can be delivered to a catalytic dewaxing step without any separation of sulfur and nitrogen contaminants, or with only a high pressure separation so that the dewaxing still occurs under sour conditions. Various combinations of hydrotreating, catalytic dewaxing, hydrocracking, and hydrofinishing can be used to produce fuel products and lubricant base oil products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: Krista Marie Prentice, Michel Daage, Ajit Bhaskar Dandekar, Christopher Gordon Oliveri, Rohit Vijay, Stephen J. McCarthy, Wenyih F. Lai, Bradley R. Fingland
  • Publication number: 20110192766
    Abstract: A supported catalyst comprises a zeolite having a silica to alumina molar ratio of 500 or less, a first metal oxide binder having a crystallite size greater than 200 ? and a second metal oxide binder having a crystallite size less than 100 ?, wherein the second metal oxide binder is present in an amount less than 15 wt % of the total weight of the catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2011
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Applicant: EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: Stephen J. McCarthy, Wenyih F. Lai, Darryl Donald Lacy, Robert Ellis Kay
  • Publication number: 20110174684
    Abstract: Sweet and sour lubricant feeds are block and continuous processed to produce lubricant basestocks. Total liquid product yields at a desired pour point are maintained for catalytic dewaxing of both sweet and sour conditions. The desired pour point is achieved for both the sweet and sour feeds by varying the catalytic dewaxing reaction temperature as a function of sulfur content entering the reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Applicant: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Krista Marie Prentice, Michel Daage, Gary Paul Schleicher, Christine Nicole Elia, Stephen J. McCarthy, Wenyih F. Lai, Shifang L. Luo, Robert Andrew Migliorini