Davy Process Technology Limited

Basf Aktiengesellschaft

Johnson Matthey Public Limited Company

Johnson Matthey Davy Technologies Limited

Johnson Matthey Inc.

Andrew George Hiles

David Mark Sutton

Michael A Wood

Graham Reed

Rikard Umberto Andersson

Adrian Francis Backes

Donald H McKinley

Michael W Tuck

Nicholas Andrew Carthey

Michael W M Tuck

Joost Johannes Smit

Michael William Marshall Tuck

John Richard Hensman

Simon Nicholas Tilley

Paul Gordon

Philip H D Eastland

John Anthony Stannard

Richard John Hensman

Michael Gavin John Williams

Donald Hugh Mckinley

A process for the production of vinyl chloride comprises the step of passing a feed stream comprising ethylene dichloride (EDC) over a catalyst system comprising a dehydrochlorination catalyst and a hydrochlorination catalyst at a temperature, which may be in the range 150-350&#xb0; C., sufficient to effect dehydrochlorination of the ethylene dichloride to produce vinyl chloride.

Process for the preparation of vinyl chloride

A process for carrying out a reaction in a reaction column, said process comprising: providing a first reactant to the reaction column in the liquid phase; contacting said first reactant with an excess of a second reactant such that reaction takes place within the reaction column to form a low boiling product and a high boiling product, at least a portion of said second reactant being provided to the reaction column in the vapour phase; recovering an overhead stream from at, or near, the top of the reaction column, said overhead stream comprising unreacted second reactant and the low boiling product; and recovering a bottoms stream from at, or near, the bottom of the reaction column comprising the high boiling product; wherein at least a portion of the heat required to vaporise the second reactant provided to the reaction column in the vapour phase is provided by heat exchange in a heat exchanger with a hot stream generated within the process other than a hot stream generated within the reaction column.

Process for carrying out a reaction in a reaction column

In a process for the production of dialkyl succinate from a feedstock comprising maleic anhydride, feed in the liquid phase is provided to a reactor operated at a temperature of at least about 150&#xb0; C. The feed is contacted with hydrogen at a pressure of at least about 300 psig in the presence of an acid tolerant catalyst and an alkanol wherein at least some of the carbon carbon double bonds of the maleic anhydride are hydrogenated to form succinic acid and that the heat generated promotes esterification to dialkyl succinate in situ. A stream of dialkyl succinate is recovered from the reactor.

Process for the production of dialkyl succinate from maleic anyhdride

A process for the co-production of a stream of a fatty alcohol having first carbon chain lengths and a stream of a fatty alcohol having a second carbon chain lengths, said second carbon chain lengths being longer than said first carbon chain lengths, said process comprising the steps of: (a) supplying a stream comprising lower alkyl esters of fatty acids having chain lengths comprising the first and second chain lengths to a first vaporization zone and contacting said stream with an amount of hydrogen recycled from step (i) which is sufficient to vaporize the lower alkyl esters of the fatty acids having the first carbon chain lengths into the hydrogen; (b) supplying the hydrogen and the vaporized lower alkyl esters of fatty acids having the first carbon chain lengths to a first reaction zone comprising catalyst and operating under reaction conditions to allow hydrogenation to the desired alcohol having first carbon chain lengths; (c) recovering from the first reaction zone an alcohol product stream having first carbon chain lengths and the hydrogen; (d) supplying the unvaporized lower alkyl esters of the fatty acids having second carbon chain lengths remaining from step (a) to a second vaporization zone; (e) contacting the unvaporized lower alkyl esters having second carbon chain lengths in the second vaporization zone with an amount of hydrogen sufficient to vaporize the lower alkyl esters having fatty acids of the second carbon chain lengths into the hydrogen; (f) supplying the hydrogen and the vaporized lower alkyl esters of fatty acids having second carbon chain lengths to a second reaction zone comprising catalyst and operating under reaction conditions to allow hydrogenation to the desired alcohol having second carbon chain lengths; (g) recovering from the second reaction zone an alcohol product stream having second carbon chain lengths and hydrogen; (h) separating the stream of fatty acid alcohol having the second carbon chain length from hydrogen; and (i) recycling a portion of the hydrogen recovered in step (h) to the first vaporization zone and a portion to the second vaporization zone.

Process for the co-production of a stream of a fatty alcohol having a first carbon chain length and a stream of a fatty alcohol having a second carbon length

A process for the co-production of a stream of a fatty alcohol having first carbon chain lengths and a stream of a fatty alcohol having second carbon chain lengths, said second carbon chain lengths being longer than said first carbon chain lengths.

Process for the co-production of fatty alcohols showing different carbon chain lengths

A process for the production of carboxylic acid esters by reaction of a carboxylic acid selected from mono-, di- and polycarboxylic acids, with an alcohol in the presence of water of solution comprising the steps of: (a) providing a solution comprising the carboxylic acid and the water of solution; (b) reacting the solution of the carboxylic acid in an esterification zone with an alcohol to form an ester and water of esterification; (c) removing the water of solution and the water of esterification; and (d) recovering the ester.

Process for the production of esters of mono-, di- or polycarboxylic acids

A process for the production of an ether optionally with a diol and/or a lactone, by reaction of a corresponding organic feed material selected from unsaturated dicarboxylic acids and/or anhydrides, mono-esters of unsaturated dicarboxylic acids and/or anhydrides, diesters of unsaturated dicarboxylic acids and/or anhydrides, unsaturated lactones, and mixtures of two or more thereof in the presence of hydrogen which comprises the steps of-(a) supplying a stream comprising at least a portion of the organic feed material to a pre-reactor zone comprising catalyst and operating under reaction conditions and contacting said feed with a hydrogen containing stream such that at least some of the carbon carbon double bonds are saturated; (b) vaporising the at least partly saturated feed into the hydrogen containing stream in a vaporizing zone; (c) supplying the hydrogen-containing stream containing the vaporized at least partially saturated feed to a reaction zone comprising catalyst and operating under reaction conditions; (d) recovering from the reaction zone a product stream comprising the ether and optionally diol and/or lactone; and (e)recycling depleted hydrogen-containing stream to at least the pre-reactor zone or the vaporization zone.

Process for the production of ethers

A process is described for the co-production of maleic anhydride and at least one Ccompound selected from butane-1,4-diol, &#x3b3;-butyrolactone, and tetrahydrofuran in which maleic anhydride is produced by partial oxidation of a hydrocarbon feedstock selected from Chydrocarbons and benzene to yield a vaporous reaction effluent stream comprising maleic anhydride, water, unconverted hydrocarbon feedstock, and carbon oxides. A part of the maleic anhydride present in the vaporous reaction effluent stream is condensed to form a crude maleic anhydride stream and leave a residual vaporous stream containing residual amounts of maleic anhydride. Further maleic anhydride is absorbed from the residual vaporous stream by absorption in an organic solvent, water or an aqueous solution. Maleic anhydride is then recovered from the loaded liquid absorptions medium. Said at least one Ccompound is produced by hydrogenation of a Chydrogenation feedstock selected from maleic anhydride, maleic acid, dialkyl maleates, and mixtures of two or more thereof. The process is characterised in that material of the crude maleic anhydride stream is used as the Chydrogenation feedstock or is used to prepare the Chydrogenation feedstock.

Process for the simultaneous production of maleic anhydride and its hydrogenated derivatives

A process is described for the production of ethers, typically terahydrofuran, by reaction of a corresponding organic feed material selected from dicarboxylic acids and/or anhydrides, monoesters of dicarboxylic acids and/or anhydrides, diesters of dicarboxylic acids and/or anhydrides, lactones, and mixtures of two or more thereof in the presence of hydrogen which comprises the steps of: (a) supplying a stream comprising the organic feed material to a first vaporisation zone and contacting said feed with cycle gas comprising hydrogen such that at least a portion of the feed material is vaporised by and into the cycle gas; (b) supplying at least a portion of the cycle gas and the vaporised feed material to a first reaction zone comprising catalyst and operating under reaction conditions to allow hydrogenation and dehydration to occur; (c) recovering from the first reaction zone an intermediate product stream comprising unreacted feed material, cycle gas, desired product(s), and any co-products and by-products; (d) supplying the intermediate product stream to a second vaporisation zone and contacting it with additional feed material such that the said additional feed material is vaporised by and into the intermediate product stream; (e) supplying the product of step (d) to a subsequent reaction zone comprising catalyst and operating under reaction conditions to allow hydrogenation and, if required, dehydration to occur; and (f) recovering from the subsequent reaction zone a product stream comprising the ether.

Process for the production of ethers, typically thf

A process is described for the co-production of maleic anhydride and at least one C compound selected from butane-1,4-diol, &ggr;-butyrolactone, and tetrahydrofuran in which maleic anhydride is produced by partial oxidation of a hydrocarbon feedstock selected from C hydrocarbons and benzene to yield a vaporous reaction effluent stream comprising maleic anhydride, water, unconverted hydrocarbon feedstock, and carbon oxides. A part of the maleic anhydride present in the vaporous reaction effluent stream is condensed to form a crude maleic anhydride stream and leave a residual vaporous stream containing residual amounts of maleic anhydride. Further maleic anhydride is absorbed from the residual vaporous stream by absorption in an organic solvent, water or an aqueous solution. Maleic anhydride is then recovered from the loaded liquid absorptions medium. Said at least one C compound is produced by hydrogenation of a C hydrogenation feedstock selected from maleic anhydride, maleic acid, dialkyl maleates, and mixtures of two or more thereof. The process is characterised in that material of the crude maleic anhydride stream is used as the C hydrogenation feedstock or is used to prepare the C hydrogenation feedstock.

Butane-1,4-diol, gamma-butyrolactone or tetrahydrofuran are prepared by vapor phase hydrogenation of a C4-dicarboxylic acid derivative. A maleic anhydride containing vapor stream is contacted in an absorption zone with a first high boiling solvent. A waste gas stream is passed to a scrubbing zone containing a second, higher boiling solvent. The waste gas is purged and the first and second solvents are recovered and recycled. Maleic anhydride is obtained from the absorption zone and converted to a maleic acid diester, which is stripped from the first solvent with hydrogen. The desired products are obtained by hydrogenation.

Process for the preparation of butanediol, butyrolactone and tetrahydrofuran

A process for the production of at least one C,compound selected from 1,4-butanediol, gamma-butyrolactone and tetrahydrofuran, in which a solution of maleic anhydride in a high boiling ester is esterified with a C,to C,alcohol to form the corresponding maleate ester which is hydrogenated to form the at least one C,compound. The specified high boiling ester has a boiling point which is about 30 degrees C. higher than that of the di-(C,-C,alkyl)maleate.

Process for preparing gamma-butyrolactone, butane-1,4-diol and tetrahydrofuran

A process is described for the production of butane-1,4-diol, &ggr;-butyrolactone and/or tetrahydrofuran. A vaporous stream containing maleic anhydride, water, and carbon oxides is contact in an absorption zone with a high boiling ester as solvent to form a solution of maleic anhydride in the high boiling ester which has a boiling point at the atmospheric pressure at least about 30&deg; C. higher than that of maleic anhydride and is selected from di-(C,to C,alkyl) esters of alkyl dicarboxylic acids containing up to 3 carbon atoms, mono- and di-(C,to C,alkyl) esters of maleic acid, fumaric acid, succinic acid, and mixtures thereof, (C,to C,alkyl) esters of naphthalene-monocarboxylic acids, tri-(C,to C,alkyl) esters of aromatic tricarboxylic acids, and di-(C,to C,alkyl) esters of isophthalic acid. The maleic anhydride in the solution is stripped with a gaseous stream containing hydrogen thereby forming a vaporous stream comprising hydrogen and maleic anhydride, which is contacted in a hydrogenation zone with a heterogeneous hydrogenation catalyst to convert maleic anhydride to at least one C,compound selected from butane-1,4-diol, &ggr;-butyrolactone and tetrahydrofuran.

Growing community of inventors

London, United Kingdom

Andrew George Hiles