Uop Lcc

Mark C Anderson

Thomas R Fritsch

George R Winter

A vapor-solids contacting apparatus useful as a catalytic reactor in the processing of hydrocarbonaceous reactants. A plurality of preferably rectangular cross-section elongated catalyst compartments are formed by box-like structures having two opposing parallel perforate planar sides and sealed ends. The perforate sides of adjacent catalyst compartments form two of the sides of reactant flow chambers having the same length. Alternating ends of the reactant flow chambers are sealed to direct the reactants flowing from one end of the vessel to the other through the catalyst compartments.

Multi-bed catalytic reactor

A hydrocarbon separation process which includes a novel method of fractionating the extract and raffinate streams removed from a simulated moving bed of a selective adsorbent. The extract and raffinate streams are passed into separate fractionation columns, each having a sidecut removed above the feed point. Each sidecut is stripped, with the stripper overhead vapor passing directly into the extract or raffinate column. The bottoms streams of the two sidecut strippers are combined and passed into the adsorbent bed.

Fractionation in an adsorptive hydrocarbon separation process

A process, apparatus and control system for the fractionation of a hydrocarbon feed stream containing relatively nonvolatile impurities. A sidecut liquid stream which is substantially free of the impurities is withdrawn below the feed point. The liquid derived from the feed stream is confined to a first lateral half of the fractionation column to prevent the transfer of the nonvolatile impurities to the second lateral half from which the sidecut is removed. Liquid descending from above the feed point is collected and distributed between the two lateral halves of the column in response to temperature measurements taken in the two halves to thereby equalize liquid flow rates in the two halves. The flow of vapor between the two halves is not obstructed.

Fractionation process, control system and apparatus

Normal paraffinic hydrocarbons, having from three to about twenty carbon atoms per molecule, are dehydrogenated to produce corresponding linear mono-olefins.These are separated from unreacted paraffins, preferably via an adsorption-separation technique. Raffinate, containing the unreacted normal paraffins, is subjected to mild hydrotreating, as is the hydrogen-rich vaporous phase recovered from the dehydrogenation zone product effluent,to saturate the olefins therein. Hydrotreated effluent is introduced, generally in admixture with fresh feed paraffins, into the dehydrogenation reaction zone.This technique avoids by-product dehydrogenation reactions otherwise resulting in non-linear mono-olefins, di-olefinic hydrocarbons and aromatics.

Production and recovery of linear mono-olefins

A mixture of cymene isomers, containing paracymene is subjected to adsorption-separation in contact with a crystalline aluminosilicate adsorbent which selectively retains para-cymene. Raffinate therefrom, being a para-cymene deficient mixture of cymene isomers, is isomerized to form additional para-cymene. Isomerization conditions employed to produce para-cymene, also effect formation of olefinic material. To prevent the adverse effect which olefins exhibit toward the efficiency and capacity of the zeolitic adsorbent, the isomerization effluent is subjected to hydrotreating at conditions which provide a liquid-phase operation and saturate olefins without saturation of the cymene isomers.

Production and recovery of para-cymene

A C.sub.8 -aromatic hydrocarbon mixture containing para-xylene is subjected to adsorption-separation in contact with a crystalline aluminosilicate adsorbent which selectively retains para-xylene. Raffinate therefrom, being a para-xylene deficient C.sub.8 -aromatic concentrate, is isomerized in contact with a catalytic composite containing a Group VIII noble metal component to form additional para-xylene. Isomerization conditions employed to produce the para-xylene, also effect the formation of olefinic material. To prevent the adverse effect which olefins exhibit toward the efficiency and capacity of the zeolitic adsorbent, the isomerization effluent is subjected to hydrotreating at conditions which provide a liquid-phase operation and saturate olefins without saturation of the C.sub.8 -aromatics. The hydrotreating is effected in contact with a substantially non-acidic catalytic composite comprising a Group VIII noble metal component.

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Palatine, IL, United States of America

Mark C Anderson