Kellogg Brown + Root LLC

Kiran Shah

Anand Subramanian

Ronald Birkhoff

Michael A Silverman

Pritham Ramamurthy

Martin John Van Sickels

Clive Griffiths

Thomas F McCall

A process for the selective hydrogenation of alpha-methyl-styrene (AMS) to cumene in a two catalyst system is disclosed. A crude cumene feed stream containing up to 10% AMS by weight is supplied to the first reaction zoneand mixed with hydrogen in a first catalyst bedcontaining a nickel catalyst, converting from 70 to 95 percent of the AMS to cumene. Cumene and remaining AMS are separated from hydrogen in a liquid take off tray. The first reaction zoneeffluent is supplied to a second reaction zone, where the effluent and hydrogen gas are mixed in a second catalyst bedcontaining a noble-metal catalyst to substantially convert any remaining AMS to cumene. Cumene is collected, separated from the hydrogen, and can be resupplied to the hydrogenation reactor, or supplied as feed to a phenol synthesis loop.

Selective hydrogenation of alpha-methyl-styrene to cumene

Supercritical conversion of hydrocarbons boiling above 538&#xb0; C. (1000&#xb0; F.) with a solvating hydrocarbon at a weight ratio of solvating hydrocarbon to high-boiling hydrocarbons of at least 2:1 and at conditions above the critical temperature and pressure of the high-boiling hydrocarbons-solvent mixture, in the presence of hot fluidized solids. The hydrocarbons are supplied to a reaction zone at a temperature below that of the hot solids supplied thereto, whereby the resulting hydrocarbons-solids suspension has a thermal equilibrium temperature corresponding to the reaction temperature. The conversion has high rates of sulfur, nitrogen and metals removal, nearly complete conversion to lower molecular weight products, high naphtha and distillate selectivity, and low coke formation. The supercritical conversion can replace crude distillation, vacuum distillation, solvent deasphalting, coking, hydrocracking, hydrotreating, and/or fluid catalytic cracking, and/or used in parallel with such unit operations for debottle-necking or increasing capacity.

Supercritical hydrocarbon conversion process

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Sugar Land, TX, United States of America

Kiran Shah