Bp Chemicals Limited

Bp P.l.c.

Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC

Technip E&c Limited

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

University of Illinois

Bp Corporation North America Inc.

Ineos Europe Ag

Leslie William Bolton

Benjamin Patrick Gracey

Michael Keith Lee

Craig Bailey

John Glenn Sunley

Stephen Roy Partington

Andrew Richard Lucy

Aidan Hurley

Ian David Dobson

Andrew John Hogben

Martin Philip Atkins

Peter Simpson Bell

Stephen James Smith

William Terence Woodfin

Nenad Miljkovic

Amit A Gokhale

Jon Michael Stewart Deeley

Martin E Carrera

Liang Song

Jacob Borden

Nigel Stewart Brown

Guillaume Lajus

Karen Kustedjo

George Barac

Soumyadip Sett

Lewis Adam Heptonstall

Susan Elizabeth Little

Eric T Mack

Chris Horler

Binita X Bhattacharjee

Glen Austin

Cecilia Cheng

Thomas Basham

Rupert Parkinson

Sarah Richardson Hanson

A heat and mass transfer component comprises a lubricant-impregnated surface including hydrophobic surface features, which comprise nanostructured surface protrusions having a hydrophobic species attached thereto. The hydrophobic surface features are impregnated with a fluorinated lubricant having a viscosity in a range from about 400 mPa&#xb7;s to about 6000 mPa&#xb7;s. A method of fabricating a lubricant-impregnated surface on a heat and mass transfer component comprises: cleaning a thermally conductive substrate to form a cleaned substrate; exposing the cleaned substrate to a hot water or hot alkaline solution to form a thermally conductive substrate having nanostructured surface protrusions; depositing a hydrophobic species on the nanostructured surface protrusions to form hydrophobic surface features; and coating the hydrophobic surface features with a fluorinated lubricant having a viscosity in a range from 400 mPa&#xb7;s to 6000 mPa&#xb7;s. The heat and mass transfer component may exhibit a substantial increase in heat transfer coefficient during hydrocarbon condensation.

Heat and mass transfer component comprising a lubricant-impregnated surface

The present invention provides a process for the preparation of ethene by vapour phase chemical dehydration of ethanol using an adiabatic reactor, wherein the interior of the adiabatic reactor is separated into at least three reaction zones, comprising a first reaction zone, at least one intermediate reaction zone and a final reaction zone, and wherein each zone contains an ethanol dehydration catalyst; said process comprising the steps of; a) feeding a pre-heated reactant feed-stream into an inlet of the first reaction zone; b) extracting an effluent-stream from an outlet of the first reaction zone; c) feeding said effluent-stream into an inlet of a subsequent intermediate reaction zone; d) extracting an effluent-stream from an outlet of the intermediate reaction zone; e) repeating steps (c) and (d) for any subsequent intermediate reaction zones, if present; f) feeding, into an inlet of the final reaction zone, the effluent-stream from the preceding intermediate reaction zone; g) extracting a product stream from an outlet of the final reaction zone; wherein the effluent-streams are re-heated prior to being fed into a subsequent reaction zone by means of one or more heat exchangers and; and wherein a single heat exchanger simultaneously re-heats at least two of the effluent-streams, such that no more than one heat exchanger is present for every two effluent-streams being re-heated in the process.

Process and apparatus for ethanol dehydration

Process for the production of ethanol from acetic acid and hydrogen, said process comprising: reacting in an esterification reaction vessel methanol with acetic acid in the presence of an esterification catalyst and an entrainer to form a product comprising entrainer, methyl acetate and water, and in a distillation column, recovering from the product an overhead product fraction comprising methyl acetate, methanol and water, feeding the overhead product fraction, together with hydrogen, into a hydrogenation unit containing a copper based hydrogenation catalyst, to produce a hydrogenation product stream comprising ethanol, methanol, unreacted methyl acetate, unreacted hydrogen, ethyl acetate and water, cooling the hydrogenation product stream; separating the cooled hydrogenation product stream into a liquid phase which comprises the majority of the methanol, ethanol, methyl acetate, ethyl acetate and water, and a gaseous phase which comprises the majority of the unreacted hydrogen; recycling at least part of the gaseous phase to the hydrogenation unit; separating a lower boiling product stream comprising methanol, methyl acetate and ethyl acetate, and a higher boiling product stream comprising ethanol, water, from the liquid phase; recycling at least part of the lower boiling product stream to the esterification reaction vessel; and, optionally removing water from the higher boiling product stream.

Process for the production of ethanol by hydrogenation of methyl acetate

Hydrogenation of methyl acetate to methanol and ethanol by feeding a hydrogenation feed of methyl acetate, water, hydrogen and a carbon oxide into a hydrogenation unit containing a copper-zinc oxide hydrogenation catalyst to produce a hydrogenation product stream of ethanol, methanol, unreacted methyl acetate, water, unreacted hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and ethyl acetate. The hydrogenation unit is operated in the vapor phase at elevated temperature and pressure. The total molar ratio of hydrogen to methyl acetate fed to the hydrogenation unit is 5:1 to 20:1. The total molar ratio of methyl acetate to carbon oxide(s) fed to the hydrogenation unit is 1:2 to 100:1. The hydrogenation product stream is separated into a liquid stream containing ethanol, methanol, unreacted methyl acetate, water and ethyl acetate, and a gaseous stream containing unreacted hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, and a portion of the gaseous stream is recycled to the hydrogenation unit.

Process for producing ethanol

A process for the acid-catalyzed dehydration of ethanol, the process comprising the steps of distilling an ethanol feedstock () comprising at least one nitrogen-containing contaminant to form an overhead stream () and a bottom stream comprising ethanol (), wherein the distillation has a reflux ratio of at least 20:1; and reacting the bottom stream in the presence of an acid catalyst to form a product stream comprising ethylene.

Process for the acid-catalysed dehydration of ethanol

Provided are methods for removing one or more components from a butanol based composition. The methods comprise providing a butanol based composition comprising one or more components, targeting at least one component or a combination thereof for reduction, and processing said butanol based composition such that the at least one targeted component is substantially removed. The butanol based composition can, for example, be bio-produced.

Butanol purification

Process for reducing the water and carboxylic acid content of an alcohol composition containing at least one alcohol having one to four carbon atoms, water and at least one carboxylic acid having from one to four carbon atoms by contacting the alcohol composition with a desiccant bed containing at least one porous inorganic oxide material at elevated temperature. At least one of the porous inorganic oxide material(s) contains Br&#xf8;nsted acid sites and/or neutralized Br&#xf8;nsted acid sites.

Treatment of alcohol compositions

The invention relates to a method for producing butanol through microbial fermentation, in which the butanol product is removed by extraction into a water immiscible organic extractant during the fermentation. The invention also relates to a method for producing butanol through microbial fermentation, in which the butanol product is removed during the fermentation by extraction into a water-immiscible extractant composition. The invention further relates to compositions comprising a solution of butanol in a water immiscible organic extractant composition.

Method for producing butanol using extractive fermentation

Process for the polymerization of olefins in a gas phase fluidized bed reactor, by i) passing a fluidizing gas to the reactor to fluidize a bed of polymer particles therein, ii) withdrawing the fluidizing gas from the reactor, iii) cooling all or a portion of the fluidizing gas withdrawn from the reactor to a temperature at which a portion of the components of the fluidizing gas condense to form condensed liquid, and iv) passing condensed liquid and non-condensed components of the fluidizing gas back to the reactor. A reservoir of condensed liquid downstream of the cooling step is provided, and variations in the inventory of the condensed liquid are made in order to control the temperature in the reactor.

Polymerisation process

Methods of producing renewable materials may include consuming a fermentation feedstock with a fermentation organism to produce a renewable material in fermentation broth; water may then be separated from the feedstock or broth using one or more phase separations, or the renewable material may be concentrated from the feedstock or broth using one or more phase separations. Methods of producing biofuel components may include consuming a lignocellulosic or sugar fermentation feedstock with a fermentation organism to produce either ethanol or butanol in fermentation broth; cooling the feedstock or broth to solidify at least some water therein; and separating the solidified water from the feedstock or broth using a solid-liquid phase separation.

Purification methods and systems related to renewable materials and biofuels production

Process for the conversion of carbon oxide(s) and hydrogen containing feedstocks into alcohols in the presence of a particulate catalyst.

Process for the conversion of synthesis gas to oxygenates containing C2+ alcohols

Process for removing water from an ethylene stream containing water, by introducing an ethylene stream containing water into, and circulating the ethylene stream through, a separation vessel. A liquid diethyl ether stream is introduced into, and circulated through, the separation vessel so that the liquid diethyl ether stream and the ethylene stream containing water are brought into contact, and an ethylene stream having a reduced water content is recovered from the separation vessel.

Process for treatment of ethylene

Process for producing propylene from a propanol feedstock Aby reacting the propanol feedstock Ain a vapor phase dehydration reactor wherein the propanol is convened at a temperature comprised between 160 and 270&#xb0; C. and at a pressure of above 0.1 MPa but less than 4.5 MPa, into a product stream Bcontaining propylene, propyl ethers, water and unconverted and/or isomerized propanols, cooling the product stream B, disengaging the cooled product stream Bin a separation unit to give a first stream Ccontaining propylene and propyl ethers, and a second product stream Dcontaining water, propyl ethers and unconverted and/or isomerized propanols, feeding the product stream Dto a dewatering unit wherein the water stream Fis separated from the propyl ethers and unconverted and/or isomerised propanols stream E, recycling the stream Einto the dehydration reactor, cooling the product stream C, feeding the cooled product stream Cto a purification unit wherein the propyl ethers stream Gis separated from the propylene stream H, and optionally, recycling the propyl ethers stream Gto either the dewatering unit or directly to dehydration reactor.

Process for producing propylene

Process for producing mono-olefins(s) from a feedstock A containing ethanol and propanol, wherein ethanol and propanol are dehydrated into the corresponding same carbon number olefins. The process is performed by 1. reacting feedstock A in a vapor phase dehydration reactor wherein the ethanol and propanol alcohols are converted into a product stream B comprising ethylene, propylene, ethers, water and unconverted alcohols, 2. cooling the product stream B, 3. disengaging the cooled product stream B in a separation unit to give a first stream C containing ethylene, propylene and ethers, and a second product stream D containing water, ethers and unconverted alcohols, 4. feeding the product stream D to a dewatering column wherein the water stream F is separated from the ethers and unconverted alcohols stream E, 5. recycling the stream E into the dehydration reactor of step 1, and 6. cooling the product stream C. In a step 7, the cooled product stream C is fed to a purification unit wherein the ethers stream G is separated from the ethylene and propylene stream H, and in an optional step 8, the ethers stream G is recycled to either the dewatering column of step 4 and/or directly to dehydration reactor of step 1.

Process for producing olefins

Process for producing ethylene from an ethanol feedstock A by (1) reacting the ethanol feedstock A in a vapor phase reactor wherein the ethanol is converted at a temperature between 160 and 270&#xb0; C. and at a pressure of above 0.1 MPa but less than 4.5 MPa, into a product stream B containing ethylene, diethyl ethers, water and unconverted ethanol, (2) cooling the product stream B, (3) disengaging the cooled product stream B in a separation unit to give a first stream C containing ethylene and diethyl ethers, and a second product stream D containing water, diethyl ethers and unconverted ethanol, (4) feeding the product stream D to a dewatering unit wherein the water stream F is separated from the diethyl ethers and unconverted ethanol stream E, (5) recycling the stream E into the dehydration reactor of step 1, (6) cooling the product stream C, and (7) feeding the cooled product stream C to a purification unit wherein the diethyl ethers stream G is separated from the ethylene stream H. Optionally, the ethyl ethers stream G is recycled to either the dewatering unit of step (4) or directly to dehydration reactor of step (1).

Growing community of inventors

Fleet, United Kingdom

Leslie William Bolton