Dow Technology Investments LLC

Michael L Hutchison

Harvey E Andresen

Christopher P Christenson

Charles William Lipp

John R Mayer

Victor R Fey

Laurence G Britton

Thomas J Kling

Michael J Rangitsch

Matthias Schaefer

Liping L Zhang

Charles W Lipp

Michael Habenschuss

Bernie Osborne

Clarence P Stadlwieser

Gary Lynn Culp

Andrew Addie

Steven R Osborne

John P Dever

Bernie B Osborne

Gary L Culp

Processes and systems for purifying ethylene oxide, including introducing a feed stream including ethylene oxide to a heat exchanger to heat the feed stream, feeding the heated feed stream to a distillation apparatus base below a first stage, removing from the distillation apparatus an impurity fraction as a top exit stream from the distillation apparatus located at a top take-off on the distillation apparatus, removing from the distillation apparatus an ethylene oxide stream of 99.7 weight percent purity, based on the total weight of the ethylene oxide stream, from the distillation apparatus, and removing from the distillation apparatus an aldehyde enriched fraction as a bottom stream from the distillation apparatus, where the aldehyde enriched fraction is fed directly to a glycol reactor.

Alkylene oxide purification processes and systems

A gas mixer () for mixing a first gas stream with a second gas stream includes an impact labyrinth () in the first gas stream having structures (), e.g., corrugated walls, forming a tortuous path through which the first gas stream must pass en route to a mixing point () in the gas mixer. The labyrinth fosters ignition of particles entrained in the first gas stream. Elongate, straight pipes () receive the first gas stream from the impact labyrinth () and carrying the first gas stream to the mixing point () the pipes () are positioned with a vessel () carrying the second gas stream. The pipes () have openings which are substantially aligned with the flow direction of the second gas stream at the mixing point () thereby introducing the first gas stream into the second gas stream in a low shear manner.

Low shear gas mixer

A method of mixing an oxygen gas with a hydrocarbon-containing gas includes the steps of wet scrubbing the oxygen gas in a wet scrubber, supplying oxygen gas from the wet scrubber to a gas mixer and mixing the oxygen gas with the hydrocarbon-containing gas in the gas mixer. Wet scrubbers for use in the method may take various forms, including packed-tower, bubble cap, and sparger-type wet scrubbers. The removal of the particulate matter reduces the risk of ignition of the hydrocarbon-containing gas in the gas mixer. The use of a wet scrubber in the oxygen supply line overcomes many problems currently faced with screen and filters, as per current practice.

Wet scrubbing for removing particulate solids from oxygen supply line

A hydrocarbon-containing gas is mixed with an oxygen-containing gas in a gas mixer in the presence of a water mist. The water mist surrounds and contacts entrained particles in either the oxygen-containing gas stream or the hydrocarbon-containing gas stream. The water acts to suppress and prevent ignition of the hydrocarbon gas in the mixer by serving as a sink for heat created by energetic collisions between such particles and structures within the gas mixer. The water mist also acts to quench ignition caused by such collisions. The water mist can be introduced into the gas mixer in a number of different configurations, including via nozzles injecting a mist into a hydrocarbon gas manifold or an oxygen gas manifold, nozzles placed within the gas mixer adjacent to ends of the oxygen supply pipes, and nozzles placed coaxially within the oxygen supply pipes in the gas mixer.

Hydrocarbon/oxygen industrial gas mixer with water mist

A gas mixer is disclosed which includes a vessel () (e.g., pipe) containing a stream () of a first hydrocarbon-containing gas. The mixer includes a hollow pipe () located internal to the vessel containing a stream of a second gas, e.g., an oxygen-containing gas stream such as a stream of pure oxygen gas or air enriched with oxygen. The internal pipe further includes a mixer tip () at the peripheral end thereof. The mixer tip includes a body having an internal passage for conducting the second gas out of the pipe and an opening introducing the second gas stream into the first gas stream in a radial plane at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the pipe. The pipe further includes a deflector () on its external surface in longitudinal alignment with the opening of the mixer tip. The deflector serves to deflect any entrained particles within the first gas stream away from the mixing zone where the two streams mix, minimizing the risk of ignition of the hydrocarbon-containing gas.

Oxygen/hydrocarbon rapid (high shear) gas mixer, particularly for the production of ethylene oxide

A hydrocarbon-containing gas is mixed with an oxygen gas in a gas mixer in the presence of coarse water droplet environment, e.g., a 'rainy' or 'driving rainstorm' environment in which the water droplets generally have a size greater than 200 microns SMD. The water droplets surround and contact entrained particles in either the oxygen gas stream or the hydrocarbon-containing gas stream. The water acts to suppress, prevent and quench ignition of the hydrocarbon gas in the mixer which would otherwise be caused by energetic collisions between such particles and structures within the gas mixer. In one configuration the gas mixer includes water pipes having coarse water droplet-producing nozzles at the peripheral end thereof concentrically located within oxygen supply pipes. Additionally, nozzles introduce coarse water droplets into a pipe carrying the hydrocarbon gas and forming a mixing chamber for the hydrocarbon and oxygen gases.

Hydrocarbon/oxygen industrial gas mixer with coarse water droplet environment to reduce ignition potential

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Poca, WV, United States of America

Michael L Hutchison