Solutia Incorporated

Huntsman Petrochemical Corporation

Michael J Gross

Anthony K Uriarte

Jerry R Ebner

William D McGhee

Erik D Sall

Charles W Rooks

Christopher R Buechler

Jayne E Morris

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to temperature control of a reactor using probability distribution of temperature measurements. In one embodiment, a method of controlling a temperature of a chemical reaction includes injecting a reactant stream into a reactor and through a catalyst bed of the reactor. The reactant stream includes a hydrocarbon and oxygen. Injection of the reactant stream into the catalyst bed causes an exothermic chemical reaction. The method further includes circulating a coolant through the reactor, thereby removing heat from the catalyst bed. The method further includes measuring temperature at a plurality of locations in the catalyst bed. The method further includes calculating a fraction of the catalyst bed greater than a predetermined maximum temperature limit using a probability distribution generated using the temperature measurements.

Reactor temperature control using probability distribution

Inert gas additive is utilized in the catalytic oxidation of benzene with nitrous oxide to produce phenol in order to prevent excessive exothermic temperature increases and to render gaseous mixtures throughout the process non-flammable.

Chemical composition and process

A continuous process for converting benzene or a derivative thereof to phenol or a derivative thereof comprises continuously activating .alpha.-sites on a zeolite catalyst by contacting the catalyst with a free oxidant activator, thereby producing an activated zeolite hydroxylation catalyst, and separately and continuously contacting benzene or a derivative thereof with the activated zeolite catalyst, thereby producing phenol or a derivative thereof. The benzene or derivative thereof can be separately contacted with the activated zeolite catalyst by (a) contacting in a reaction vessel that is physically separate and distinct from the vessel in which the catalyst is contacted with the free oxidant activator, (b) contacting in a zone of a vessel that is separate from the zone in that same vessel in which the catalyst is contacted with the free oxidant activator, or (c) contacting with the catalyst in a reaction vessel in a first time pulse, with the benzene or derivative thereof being contacted with the activated zeolite catalyst in a second time pulse in the same reaction vessel which does not overlap substantially with the first time pulse.

Transport hydroxylation reactor

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Cantonment, FL, United States of America

Michael J Gross