Catalytic Distillation Technologies

Chemical Research & Licensing Company

Clifford S Crossland

Willibrord A Groten

Henry J Semerak

Lawrence A Smith, Jr

Hugh M Putman

Derwyn Booker

Ralph E Casas

Rodney D Chevalier

A collapsible sparger for insertion into a vessel through a flanged opening is disclosed having a central tubular conduit having a plurality of rotatable members along its length. The rotatable members may be rotated and secured into position after insertion.

Collapsible sparger

A process for the production of tertiary ethers from the reaction of isoolefins with lower alcohols, such as methanol, uses two distillation column reactors in series to maximize conversion, especially for isopentenes and isohexenes. The second distillation column reactor may be concurrently used as a C polishing reactor and a reactor for producing MTBE or ETBE from isobutene, for example.

Process for the production of tertiary alkyl ethers

A contact structure, useful as a distillation structure, has a rigid frame made of two substantially vertical duplicate grids spaced apart and held rigid by a plurality of substantially horizontal rigid members and a plurality of substantially horizontal wire mesh tubes mounted to the grids to form a plurality of fluid pathways among the tubes. For use as a catalytic distillation structure, which serves as both the distillation structure and the catalyst, at least a portion of the wire mesh tubes contain a particulate catalytic material. The catalyst within the tubes provides a reaction zone where catalytic reactions may occur and the wire mesh provides mass transfer surfaces to effect a fractional distillation. The spacing elements provide for a variation of the catalyst density and loading and structural integrity.

Catalytic distillation structure

Growing community of inventors

Sarnia, Canada

Clifford S Crossland