Exxonmobil Chemical Patents Inc.

Catalytic Distillation Technologies

David G Woods

Ronald Dean Garton

Hans Georg Korsten

Brian C McClaine

Pierre J Osterrieth

Steven E Silverberg

Mitchell E Loescher

Michael J Keenan

Larry O Jones

Paul William Allen

Pei-Yi Lo

The invention provides a system for designing, operating, monitoring and/or diagnosing a chemical reaction, particularly a hydrotreating process, using a fixed bed catalytic reactor.

Fixed bed reactor

Method of operating a fixed bed reactor under predetermined hydraulic conditions

Alkenes, such as normal butenes in a mixed Cstream are oligomerized, preferably to dimers, which are dimerized in a distillation column reactor over ZSM-57 zeolite catalyst at high conversions and high selectivity to octenes. Prior to oligomerization the mixed Cstream is pretreated to remove dimethyl ether, butadienes and sulfur compounds.

Oligomerization process

The present invention provides a process for the production of an ester, including reacting an alcohol with a carbonyl-like compound in the presence of a first esterification catalyst; and adding a second esterification catalyst to the reaction mixture at some time after initiation of the esterification reaction. The staged addition of the esterification catalyst according to the present invention provides a reduced reaction time to achieve a targeted conversion to esters.

Optimized catalyst addition to enhance esterification catalyst performance

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Beaumont, TX, United States of America

David G Woods