Catalytic Distillation Technologies

The Lummus Company

Allied Corporation

Jamin Chen

George D Suciu

Ali M Khonsari

Chuen Yuan Yeh

William B Fisher

Lamberto Crescentini

A countercurrent process for the alkylation of aromatic materials with olefins which takes place in a multi-bed system. The aromatic material is in the liquid phase; the olefin in the gaseous phase; and the catalyst in the solid phase. The olefinic material is fed below the catalyst bed in the gaseous phase and aromatic is fed as a liquid phase above the catalyst bed under conditions of temperature and pressure to maintain the aromatic product in the liquid phase and the olefin in the vapor phase.

Countercurrent alkylation process

A process for the conversion of heavy bottoms from aromatic alkylation known as 'flux oil' and containing heavier polyalkylaromatic compounds, in which the heavier polyalkylates are fed along with aromatic to a reactor containing an acidic zeolite catalyst for conversion to light mono-, and poly alkylaromatic compounds. The light polyalkylates may then be transalkylated with benzene to form additional monoalkylate.

Conversion of heavy polyalkylaromatic compounds

The benzene content of light reformate is reduced by selectively alkylating the toluene contained therein with olefins by contacting the light reformate with the olefins in a catalyst bed. The catalyst structure in the catalyst bed acts as both a catalyst for the alkylation reaction and as distillation structure thus immediately separating the reaction product from the reaction zone to prevent reverse reactions and increase the overall reaction rate. The alkylated toluene is then used to transalkylate benzene to reduce the amount of benzene in the gasoline.

Process for the production of alkyl benzene

Crude phenol containing methyl benzofuran and other impurities is distilled in the presence of water to recover a phenol bottoms having a reduced quantity of impurities. The water-phenol overhead is cooled to separate a water phase essentially free of methyl benzofuran, which is recycled to the distillation. The organic phase may then be further distilled, in the presence of water, as previously described, to eventually recover a reduced quantity of phenol in which impurities are concentrated.

Phenol purification

Crude phenol, containing AMS by-product, and MBF impurity, is distilled in the presence of water to separate MBF impurity.

Production of high purity phenol by steam distillation

In the production of high purity phenol, a water-phenol mixture recovered from the top of a distillation column is contacted with a water immiscible solvent to extract methyl benzofuran and other by-products and impurities in phenol production therefrom, with the extraction being accomplished at a temperature at which the water-phenol mixture is present as a single phase liquid. The remaining mixture of phenol and water is recycled to the distillation.

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Montville, NJ, United States of America

Jamin Chen