Exxon Research and Engineering Company

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

John P Longwell

Robert P Cahn

William Bartok

William A Peters

David W Blair

Stephen L Wythe

Yih H Song

Adel F Sarofim

Vince J Siminski

A process for treating liquid hydrocarbons to remove toxic, mutagenic and/or carcinogenic aromatic hydrocarbons comprises feeding the hydrocarbons into a reactor where vapors are thermally treated in contact with a catalyst consisting essentially of calcium oxide or a calcium oxide containing mineral. Thermally treating liquid hydrocarbons in contact with calcium oxide preferentially increases the cracking of aromatics thus producing a product having a reduced amount of aromatic compounds.

Process for detoxifying coal tars

Fuels containing fixed-nitrogen chemical species are combusted in a multi-stage process. The process which converts substantially all of the fixed-nitrogen into molecular nitrogen (and thus avoids the formation of significant amounts of nitrogen oxides from the fixed-nitrogen) comprises six steps: (a) mixing the fuel with at least one first oxidizing agent in amounts such that the equivalence ratio of said fuel to said oxidizing agent is at least about 1.4; (b) partially combusting the mixture resulting from step (a) in at least one first stage at a first temperature of about 1750.degree. to about 2150.degree. K., with a residence time of at least 0.03 second to less than 0.2 second; (c) injecting a free radical agent into the partially combusted mixture of said fuel and said first oxidizing agent; (d) reacting the mixture of said free radical agent and said partially combusted mixture of said fuel and said first oxidizing agent for at least about 0.05 second to about 0.2 second; (e) mixing the reaction products resulting from step (d) with at least one second oxidizing agent in an amount such that the equivalence ratio of reaction products to the total amount of oxidizing agents in the mixture will be about 1.0 or less, such mixing taking place under conditions such that the temperature of the mixture will not exceed about 1800.degree. K.; and (f) completely combusting the mixture resulting from step (e) in at least one second stage at a second temperature of less than about 1800.degree. K.

Multi-stage process for combusting fuels containing fixed-nitrogen

Fuels containing fixed-nitrogen chemical species are combusted in a multi-stage process. The process which converts substantially all of the fixed-nitrogen into molecular nitrogen (and thus avoids the formation of significant amounts of nitrogen oxides from the fixed-nitrogen) consists of four steps: (a) mixing said fuel with at least one first oxidizing agent in amounts such that the equivalence ratio of said fuel to said oxidizing agent is at least about 1.4; (b) partially combusting the mixture resulting from step (a) in at least one first stage at a first temperature of about 1850.degree. to about 2150.degree. K., with a residence time of at least 0.03 second; (c) mixing the combustion products resulting from step (b) with at least one second oxidizing agent in an amount such that the equivalence ratio of combustion products to the total amount of oxidizing agents in the mixture will be about 1.0 or less, such mixing taking place under conditions such that the temperature of the mixture will not exceed about 1800.degree. K.; and (d) completely combusting the mixture resulting from step (c) in at least one second stage at a second temperature of less than about 1800.degree. K.

Partially deactivated hydrocarbon conversion catalysts comprising (a) one or more Lewis acids of the formula MX.sub.n where M is a metal selected from Group III-A, IV-B, V or VI-B elements of the Periodic Table, X is a halogen, n is the ratio of halogen atoms to atoms of M and varies from 1-8, and (b) a strong Bronsted acid are contacted with a hydrocarbon feedstock to recover the active or potentially active catalyst species from the partially deactivated catalyst stream prior to regeneration. In addition, potential organic and inorganic catalyst poisons present in said feedstock are removed therefrom during said contacting prior to introducing said feedstock into a hydrocarbon conversion process.

Catalyst pretreatment with hydrocarbon feedstock

Methanol and synthetic natural gas are produced concurrently by introducing a carbonaceous material into a gasification zone, and thereafter, passing sequentially the synthesis gas thus formed through a water gas shift conversion zone, a sulfur compound and carbon dioxide removal zone, a methanol synthesis zone and a methanation zone.

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Cambridge, MA, United States of America

John P Longwell