Exxon Chemical Patents, Inc.

Exxon Research and Engineering Company

Tpc Group LLC

Mark J Potter

Jar-Lin Kao

Thomas H Vanderspurt

Arie Bortinger

Joseph G Duff

Freddie L Tungate

Virginia R Cross

Edward K Dienes

Murray Nadler

Liana Caciula

Roque V Martir

Sirisha Chada

Elizabeth Ballard

Robert E Riley

An apparatus for producing butadiene by way of oxidative dehydrogenation of a butene-rich feed stream includes: (a) a reactor adapted for receiving said butene-rich feed stream and converting butenes to butadiene, thereby providing a butadiene enriched product effluent stream; (b) a superheater coupled to the reactor to receive the butadiene enriched product effluent stream from the reactor as well as being configured to receive reactor feed, said superheater transferring sensible heat from the butadiene enriched product effluent stream to reactor feed and (c) a first feed-vaporizer coupled to the superheater to receive the butadiene enriched product effluent stream as it exits the superheater and to transfer sensible heat from the butadiene enriched product effluent stream to reactor feed. Also provided are (d) a second feed vaporizer; (e) a purification train; and (f) a thermal oxidizer.

Low emissions oxidative dehydrogenation apparatus for producing butadiene

Butadiene is formed by dehydrogenation of butenes which are mixed with steam and oxygen then converted to butadiene by oxidative dehydrogenation over a ferritic oxide catalyst, wherein the sensible heat in the oxidative dehydrogenation reaction product is utilized along with heat produced by thermal oxidation of low value volatile products formed to reduce energy requirements and COemissions. Sensible heat is utilized at high temperature for purposes of superheating feed and at somewhat lower temperatures for purposes of vaporizing feed at sequential locations in the process.

Low emissions oxidative dehydrogenation process for producing butadiene

Processes for washing zeolites, preferably less than about 0.5 micron in size, with a microfiltration system employing a washing liquid, such as an aqueous solution or water (preferably deionized water), to produce zeolite crystals having a zeolite pH in the pH range of 9.4 to 10.0 are provided. The zeolite pH is determined by a special procedure. The preferred washing processes include slurring the zeolite crystals with water (or an appropriate wash solution), initially concentrating the slurry with a microfilter to a preselected initial concentration, washing the crystals by adding make-up water at the same rate as the fluid loss due to permeate flow until the permeate pH is below a preselected value, then stopping the make-up flow and concentrating the slurry to a preselected maximum final concentration. A sample of the zeolite is dried and tested for its pH and if within the desired range, the batch of maximally concentrated slurry is dried. These processes are employed to produce zeolite crystals having a zeolite pH of about 9.4 to 10.0.

Microfiltration of zeolites

A process for producing zeolite aggregates involves providing a formable paste composed of zeolite, a binder composed of an organic/metal oxide containing aluminum, a peptizing agent and water; forming the paste into an aggregate, preferably by extruding into an extrudate; curing the aggregate; hydro-thermally calcining the aggregate; and washing the hydro-thermally calcined aggregate with a washing medium, preferably followed by rinsing with a rinsing medium to remove residual washing medium from the aggregate. The washed and rinsed aggregate may then be permitted to equilibrate or is subjected to a drying procedure. Preferably, the washed and rinsed aggregate is again subjected to curing/hydro-thermal calcining. The resultant aggregates, such as extrudates, have an exterior surface with openings and interstitial spaces between particles of binder and zeolite which communicate by such openings between the exterior surface of the aggregate and micropores of the zeolite; the aggregates also exhibit characteristics of crush strength greater than about 0.9 pounds per millimeter and a loss by attrition of less than about 3.0%. Regenerable catalysts, such as reforming catalysts, based on such aggregate also exhibit a catalyst activity pass through to the zeolite bound in the aggregate of at least 70% of the initial catalyst activity of freshly prepared zeolite, as well as exhibiting more than about 70% of the reforming benzene yield that the reforming catalyst exhibited when similarly tested prior to being exposed to a hydrocarbon stream under specified reforming conditions of the catalyst activity test procedures.

Zeolite aggregates and catalysts

Zeolites washed with aqueous solutions or water to exhibit pH in the range of 9.4 to 10.0 and preferably 9.6 to 10.0 which can be converted to reforming catalysts with enhanced activity, selectivity and activity maintenance. Also processes for washing the zeolite to the target pH range and processes for using catalysts made with the washed zeolite to reform naphtha feeds.

Zeolites for reforming catalysts

Zeolites washed with aqueous solutions or water or exhibit pH in the range of 9.4 to 10.0 and preferably 9.6 to 10.0 which can be converted to reforming catalysts with enhanced activity, selectivity and activity maintenance. Also processes for washing the zeolite to the target pH range and processes for using catalysts made with the washed zeolite to reform naphtha feeds.

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League City, TX, United States of America

Mark J Potter