Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company

Exxonmobil Chemical Patents Inc.

Joshua W Allen

Jihad Mohammed Dakka

Stephen Zushma

Bryan A Patel

Michael Salciccioli

Victor DeFlorio

Jarid M Metz

James Richardson Lattner

Frank Hershkowitz

Ivy Dawn Johnson

Ajit Bhaskar Dandekar

Michael W Weber

Michael P Lanci

Matthew Scott Ide

John Frances Brody

Everett J O'Neal

Anastasios I Skoulidas

Brian Michael Weiss

Arsam Behkish

Mayank Shekhar

Federico Barrai

Dhaval Ajit Bhandari

Jianxin Jason Wu

Matthew S Mettler

Cynthia F Omilian

Vinit Choudhary

Joseph A Camisa

Methods of transforming a hydrocarbon feedstream into an aromatization product in a multi-stage reverse flow reactor (RFR) apparatus are disclosed. The methods include at least two reaction stages in series, at least one being a pyrolysis stage and at least another being a catalytic aromatization stage. Using a highly saturated hydrocarbon feedstream the pyrolysis stage focuses on desaturation, while the catalytic aromatization stage focuses on aromatization. The catalytic aromatization stage contains a aromatization catalyst that can include substantially no magnesium, scandium, yttrium, titanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, manganese, rhenium, iron, ruthenium, cobalt, rhodium, nickel, palladium, platinum, copper, silver, gold, gallium, indium, tin, lanthanides, or actinides, or, in some cases, substantially no added active metals at all. The aromatization product can contain at least 35 mol % aromatic hydrocarbons, based on a total amount of hydrogen and hydrocarbons in the aromatized hydrocarbon product.

Reactor apparatus for non-oxidative hydrocarbon conversion to aromatics, methods of using same, and products made using same

A reforming catalyst with improved surface area is provided by using high surface area alumina doped with a stabilizer metal as a catalyst support. The surface area of the catalyst can be higher than a typical reforming catalyst, and the surface area can also be maintained under high temperature operation. This can allow use of the catalyst for reforming in a higher temperature environment while maintaining a higher surface area, which can allow for improved dispersion and/or activity of an active metal such as rhodium on the catalyst support. The catalyst can be suitable for production of syngas from natural gas or other hydrocarbon-containing feeds.

Reforming catalyst

A process for selective oxidation of dimethyl-1,1'-biphenyl to form methyl-1,1&#x2032;-biphenyl mono-carboxylic acid(s), comprising contacting a solution of dimethyl-1,1&#x2032;-biphenyl in acetic acid solvent in the presence of a Co(II) acetate catalyst and air, and optionally adding a co-solvent, or adding sodium or potassium acetate, and oxidizing the dimethyl-1,1&#x2032;-biphenyl under time and temperature conditions sufficient to form one or more methyl-1,1&#x2032;-biphenyl mono-carboxylic acid(s). The mono-carboxylic acids are advantageously isolated and esterified to form biphenyl mono-esters for use as plasticizers.

Selective aerobic oxidation of dimethylbiphenyls

A process for selective oxidation of dimethyl-1,1'-biphenyl(s) to form methyl-1,1&#x2032;-biphenyl mono-carboxylic acid(s), which can be esterified to form plasticizers, comprising contacting a solution of dimethyl-1,1&#x2032;-biphenyl(s) in acetic acid in the presence of an oxidation catalyst and air under time and temperature conditions sufficient to oxidize the dimethyl-1,1&#x2032;-biphenyl(s) into one or more methyl-1,1&#x2032;-biphenyl mono-carboxylic acid(s) products, conducting at least one of (i) adding an antisolvent, or (ii) optimizing a total conversion of dimethyl-1,1&#x2032;-biphenyl(s) by oxidation based upon a molar ratio of dimethyl-1,1&#x2032;-biphenyl isomers, or (iii) precipitating the methyl-1,1&#x2032;-biphenyl mono-carboxylic acid(s) products by lowering the temperature, or (iv) decreasing the oxidation reaction temperature to enhance conversion of aldehydes over methyl functional groups, so as to limit over-oxidation of the dimethyl-1,1&#x2032;-biphenyl(s), wherein the oxidation reaction is conducted in the absence of bromide-containing catalysts.

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Branchburg, NJ, United States of America

Joshua W Allen