University of Minnesota

Hoechst Celanese Corporation

Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC

Dow Global Technolgoies LLC

Pfizer Corporation

Celanese Gmbh

Edward L Cussler

Alon V McCormick

Mohammadmahdi Malmali

Roger D Aines

William L Bourcier

Jeffery J Haslam

Kevin C O'Brien

Charlene M Schaldach

Michael J Sansone

Gunilla E Gillberg-LaForce

Scott Max Herbig

Timothy Charles Frank

Lanny D Schmidt

Kelly L Smith

Paul J Dauenhauer

Paul Van Eikeren

Robert W Callahan

Michael J Semmens

Paul R Alexander, Jr

Mark S Huberty

David K Schisla

Steven J Trank

Dale W Johnson

Prodromos Daoutidis

Matt Kale

Deepak Ojha

Michael Reese

Heath H Himstedt

Embodiments of the disclosure provide an apparatus and process for producing ammonia. The apparatus includes a reactor having (i) an inlet to receive an inlet gas comprising nitrogen and hydrogen, (ii) a catalyst and an absorbent disposed within an internal volume of the reactor, the catalyst configured to convert the nitrogen and hydrogen to a reaction mixture including ammonia, unreacted nitrogen, and unreacted hydrogen, the absorbent configured to selectively absorb a portion of the ammonia in the reactor during formation of the reaction mixture, and (iii) an outlet to discharge the reaction mixture from the reactor.

Integrated apparatus for producing ammonia

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods of making ammonia using stable ammonia absorbents. The system and method for producing ammonia, comprises a reactor comprising a catalyst that converts at least a portion of nitrogen feed gas and at least a portion of hydrogen feed gas to ammonia (NH3) forming a reaction mixture comprising the ammonia, unreacted nitrogen, and unreacted hydrogen. An absorber configured to selectively absorb ammonia from the reaction mixture at a temperature of about 180 deg. C. to 330 deg. C. and a pressure of about 1-20 bar, the absorber comprising a solid absorbent. Preferably the solid absorbent is at least one metal halide and a solid support. The unabsorbed ammonium, the unreacted nitrogen, and unreacted hydrogen gas are recycled to the reactor.

Stable ammonia absorbents

An ammonia-producing system comprises a reactor that catalytically converts nitrogen and hydrogen feed gases to ammonia to form a reaction mixture of the ammonia, unreacted nitrogen gas, and unreacted hydrogen gas. A feed system feeds the nitrogen and hydrogen gases to the reactor at a reaction pressure of from about 9 to about 100 atmospheres. A reactor control system controls the temperature during conversion of the nitrogen and hydrogen to ammonia by maintaining a reaction temperature of from about 330&#xb0; C. to about 550&#xb0; C. An absorbent selectively absorbs at least a portion of the ammonia from the reaction mixture, and an absorbent control system controls one or both of a temperature and pressure at the absorbent during selective absorption of the ammonia from the reaction mixture. A recycle line downstream of the absorbent recycles the unreacted nitrogen and unreacted hydrogen to the reactor.

Process for making ammonia

A system for producing ammonia comprises a reactor configured for receiving nitrogen feed gas and hydrogen feed gas, the reactor comprising a catalyst configured to convert at least a portion of the nitrogen gas and at least a portion of the hydrogen feed gas to ammonia to form a reactant mixture comprising the ammonia and unreacted nitrogen feed gas and unreacted hydrogen feed gas, an adsorbent configured to selective adsorb at least a portion of the ammonia from the reactant mixture, and a recycle line to recycle the unreacted nitrogen feed gas, the unreacted hydrogen feed gas, and unabsorbed ammonia to the reactor.

The present invention relates to a method of removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from a latex using a membrane.

Membrane stripping process for removing volatile organic compounds from a latex

The present invention provides a new method and apparatus/system for purifying ionic solutions, such as, for example, desalinating water, using engineered charged surfaces to sorb ions from such solutions. Surface charge is applied externally, and is synchronized with oscillatory fluid movements between substantially parallel charged plates. Ions are held in place during fluid movement in one direction (because they are held in the electrical double layer), and released for transport during fluid movement in the opposite direction by removing the applied electric field. In this way the ions, such as salt, are 'ratcheted' across the charged surface from the feed side to the concentrate side. The process itself is very simple and involves only pumps, charged surfaces, and manifolds for fluid collection.

Deionization and desalination using electrostatic ion pumping

Osmotic devices having vapor-permeable coatings

A process is provided for modifying the properties of a hydrophobic microporous membrane which includes the steps of first providing a hydrophobic microporous membrane, treating it with a surfactant to render the membrane hydrophilic, wetting the membrane with an aqueous solution of a polyol such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and divinyl sulfone (DVS) or a precursor thereof, washing the membrane with water to displace the polyol/DVA from the exterior of the membrane while retaining it in the pores of the membrane, and crosslinking the polyol/DVS into an aqueous gel to yield a hydrophilic microporous membrane having pores filled with an aqueous polyol/DVS gel, the exterior of the membrane being unobstructed by gel. The modified membranes produced according to the process are useful in carrying out chromatographic separations.

Process for making microporous membranes having gel-filled pores, and

The rate of mass transfer in liquid/liquid extractions can be increased by the appropriate selection of a solubilizing liquid to wet a microporous membrane. A solute is transferred between immiscible liquids across the membrane where and interface between the liquids is immobilized at a surface of the membrane.

Liquid/liquid extractions with microporous membranes

Liquid chromatography separations of solutes are achieved using porous hollow fibers. The pores of the hollow fibers immobilize a solute-absorbing phase (preferably organic) which has a greater absorbance affinity towards at least one solute in a mixture of solutes. By passing the solute mixture through the central lumen of the hollow fibers, chromatographic separation are realized due to the greater retention time of that solute with which the immobilized phase has greater absorbance affinity. The immobilized phase may be a liquid organic which may contain a surfactant so as to form reversed micelles or it may be in the form of a polymeric gel. Separations of biological species (e.g., proteins) may thus be accomplished by means of the present invention.

Liquid chromatography using microporous hollow fibers

Trickle bed reactors are prone to channelling, flooding, and similar flow problems. It has been found that these problems can be avoided by the use of a microporous membrane to separate a reactant fluid phase from a catalysis fluid phase surrounding a catalyst bed. An advantage of such a reactor is that the fluid flows can be separately controlled. An apparatus useful as a trickle bed reactor can include a plurality of microporous hollow fibers arranged in a shell-and-tube configuration within a housing. Such an apparatus is operated with a reactant fluid phase flowing through the fibers and with a catalyst bed on the shell-side of the arrangement.

Microporous membrane trickle bed reactor

A method for recovery of metal and cyanide from plating baths and rinse waters includes formation of hydrogen cyanide by acid treatment of such solutions, followed by HCN removal through diffusion across a microporous membrane. The method is applicable in a system wherein soluable metal cyanides and metal cyanide complexes are concentrated through use of a basic anion exchange system. Free hydrogen cyanide is released from the anion exchange system by means of an acid regenerant. In a preferred application of the invention, HCN, once having diffused through the microporous membrane, is neutralized with sodium hydroxide, to form a sodium cyanide solution that can be returned to a plating bath.

Method for metal and cyanide recovery from plating baths and rinse waters

A method is provided for the purification and concentration of soy protein comprising mixing an aqueous solution including soy protein along with other water soluble moieties including sugars, salts, and phytins with a solid crosslinked polymer gel selected from the group consisting of N-substituted polyacrylamides and copolymers of N-substituted polyacrylamides; swelling the gel to absorb a portion of the water and other water soluble moieties including sugars, salts, and phytins from the aqueous solution by substantially maintaining the temperature of the gel at a preselected temperature below the lower critical solution temperature of the gel, to yield a concentrated soy protein solution; and separating the concentrated soy protein solution from the swollen gel. The concentrated soy protein solution may be repeatedly subjected to the gel treatment depending on the desired purity of the protein and the desired solids concentration.

Soy protein isolation process using swellable

A separation method utilizing the ability of temperature-sensitive cross-linked polymer gels to selectively extract solvent from a solution of a macromolecular material. A feed solution containing macromolecules is added to a small amount of gel. The gel swells to absorb the low molecular weight solvent, but it cannot absorb the macromolecules. The raffinate, which is now a concentrated macromolecular solution, is drawn off. To regenerate, the filtered gel is warmed, so that its volume decreases sharply. This suddenly decreased volume occurs because the gel is near a critical point. The solvent is removed from the shrunken gel. The temperature of the gel is then lowered; more feed solution is added; and the cycle is begun again.

Growing community of inventors

Edina, MN, United States of America

Edward L Cussler