Exxonmobil Chemical Patents Inc.

Other

Georgia Tech Research Corporation

Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company

Michael W Weber

Gaurav Agrawal

Michael Salciccioli

James Richardson Lattner

Dana Lynn Pilliod

John Roger Porter

Jihad Mohammed Dakka

Stephen Zushma

Peter Loezos

Bryan A Patel

Victor DeFlorio

Michael P Lanci

Catherine M Dorsi

Yoshiaki Kawajiri

Michael J Veraa

Joshua W Allen

Siwei Guo

Jarid M Metz

Jimmy L Tardy

Jason Bentley

Randy L Foster

Keith Holroyd Kuechler

Larry Lee Iaccino

Laughlin G McCullough

Jay L Reimers

David T Ferrughelli

Jeevan Sahib Abichandani

Jason D Davis

John Slocum Coleman

Timothy Paul Bender

Federico Barrai

Steven D Brown

Ramanathan Sundararaman

Randell Wayne Dickey

Saurabh S Maduskar

Edward J Stuart

Howard G Large

Processes and systems for upgrading a hydrocarbon feed. The process can include feeding a hydrocarbon feed, catalyst particles, and molecular hydrogen (H) into a separation zone. The hydrocarbon feed and Hcan be contacted in the presence of the catalyst particles under hydrotreating conditions in the separation zone that can include contacting under a total pressure of less than 3,500 kilopascals-gauge. The Hcan be fed into the separation zone at a rate of no greater than 270 cubic meters of Hper cubic meter of the hydrocarbon feed, where the volume of Hand hydrocarbon feed are based on a temperature of 25 C and a pressure of 101 kilopascals-absolute. A vapor phase hydrocarbon stream and a liquid phase hydrocarbon stream can be obtained from the separation zone. At least a portion of the vapor phase hydrocarbon stream can be fed into a pyrolysis reaction zone to produce a pyrolysis effluent.

Process and system for upgrading a hydrocarbon feed

A method for washing an oligomerization reactor using by-product solvent recovered from the reactor can include: catalytically converting a monomer in a reactor section in a reaction mode in the presence of a catalyst to form a product stream comprising an oligomer, a by-product solvent, and a polymeric by-product; separating the product stream into a first fraction comprising the oligomer and a second fraction comprising a mixture of the by-product solvent and the polymeric by-product; and separating, in a thin film evaporator, the second fraction into a third fraction comprising the by-product solvent and a fourth fraction comprising the polymeric by-product.

Oligomerization reactor wash process using by-product solvent recovered using a thin film evaporator

The process involves the use of two rotary valves to implement Varicol operation of a simulated moving bed apparatus to separate a product from at least one multicomponent feed. In a particular embodiment, paraxylene is separated from a mixture of C8 aromatic hydrocarbons. The use of the Varicol process further enhances the separation of the desired product and provides flexibility with a simulated moving bed apparatus using dual rotary valves.

Simulated moving bed separation process

A process to separate paraxylene from a mixture of paraxylene, metaxylene, orthoxylene, and ethylbenzene in a commercial simulated moving bed apparatus in a reduced number of beds is provided, allowing an additional separation to be conducted in the remaining beds. This additional separation may separate another xylene isomer, ethylbenzene, or a non-aromatic Chydrocarbon from the raffinate stream produced by the first separation. A PowerFeed process is used to recover paraxylene in a first adsorption zone containing 8-16 beds of a conventional 24-bed simulated moving bed adsorption apparatus, and then a second separation may be conducted in a second adsorption zone containing the remaining beds.

Xylene separation process

Disclosed is a process for recovering paraxylene in which a first simulated moving bed adsorption unit is used to produce two extract streams&#x2014;one rich in paraxylene and a paraxylene-rich extract stream that is lean in ethylbenzene and an ethylbenzene-rich extract stream that is lean in paraxylene- and a paraxylene-depleted raffinate stream. A significant amount of the ethylbenzene is removed in the ethylbenzene-rich extract stream (at least enough to limit buildup in the isomerization loop), so the paraxylene-depleted raffinate stream may be isomerized in the liquid phase. Avoiding vapor phase isomerization saves energy and capital, as liquid phase isomerization requires less energy and capital than the vapor phase isomerization process due to the requirement of vaporizing the paraxylene-depleted stream and the use of hydrogen, which requires an energy and capital intensive hydrogen recycle loop.

Processes for recovering paraxylene

A process for selective oxidation of dimethyl-1,1'-biphenyl to form methyl-1,1&#x2032;-biphenyl mono-carboxylic acid(s), comprising contacting a solution of dimethyl-1,1&#x2032;-biphenyl in acetic acid solvent in the presence of a Co(II) acetate catalyst and air, and optionally adding a co-solvent, or adding sodium or potassium acetate, and oxidizing the dimethyl-1,1&#x2032;-biphenyl under time and temperature conditions sufficient to form one or more methyl-1,1&#x2032;-biphenyl mono-carboxylic acid(s). The mono-carboxylic acids are advantageously isolated and esterified to form biphenyl mono-esters for use as plasticizers.

Selective aerobic oxidation of dimethylbiphenyls

Disclosed herein are processes for recovering paraxylene in which a first simulated moving bed adsorption unit is used to produce a paraxylene-rich extract stream that also contains a significant amount of the ethylbenzene and a paraxylene-depleted raffinate stream. Because a significant amount of the ethylbenzene is removed in the paraxylene-rich extract stream (at least enough to limit buildup in the isomerization loop), the paraxylene-depleted raffinate stream may be isomerized in the liquid phase. Avoiding vapor phase isomerization saves energy and capital, as liquid phase isomerization requires less energy and capital than the vapor phase isomerization process due to the requirement of vaporizing the paraxylene-depleted stream and the use of hydrogen, which requires an energy- and capital-intensive hydrogen recycle loop.

Process for the recovering of paraxylene

A process for selective oxidation of dimethyl-1,1'-biphenyl(s) to form methyl-1,1&#x2032;-biphenyl mono-carboxylic acid(s), which can be esterified to form plasticizers, comprising contacting a solution of dimethyl-1,1&#x2032;-biphenyl(s) in acetic acid in the presence of an oxidation catalyst and air under time and temperature conditions sufficient to oxidize the dimethyl-1,1&#x2032;-biphenyl(s) into one or more methyl-1,1&#x2032;-biphenyl mono-carboxylic acid(s) products, conducting at least one of (i) adding an antisolvent, or (ii) optimizing a total conversion of dimethyl-1,1&#x2032;-biphenyl(s) by oxidation based upon a molar ratio of dimethyl-1,1&#x2032;-biphenyl isomers, or (iii) precipitating the methyl-1,1&#x2032;-biphenyl mono-carboxylic acid(s) products by lowering the temperature, or (iv) decreasing the oxidation reaction temperature to enhance conversion of aldehydes over methyl functional groups, so as to limit over-oxidation of the dimethyl-1,1&#x2032;-biphenyl(s), wherein the oxidation reaction is conducted in the absence of bromide-containing catalysts.

A process is described for separating paraxylene from a multicomponent fluid mixture of Caromatics. A mixture of Caromatics is fed to a simulated moving bed adsorptive apparatus having at least two sieve chambers and at least two rotary valves. Each sieve chamber may be operated individually using the PowerFeed process. The flow rates of the streams to or from the individual sieve chambers may be varied during the step time in an inverse manner such that a substantially constant flow to and from the apparatus is achieved. Alternatively, the flow rates to each sieve chamber may vary during the step time according to the same profile, but the rotary valves may be off-set and step independently in a staggered manner to achieve a substantially constant flow of a stream to or from the apparatus.

A process for producing paraxylene is provided. The process includes separating a first mixture of Caromatic hydrocarbons in a simulated moving bed apparatus using a desorbent to produce (i) an extract comprising &#x2267;50.0 wt % of the paraxylene in the first mixture; (ii) a desorbent-rich raffinate comprising &#x2267;75 wt % of the desorbent withdrawn, and (iii) an desorbent-lean raffinate comprising &#x2266;25 wt % of the desorbent withdrawn in the desorbent-rich and desorbent-lean raffinates. The desorbent-lean raffinate can then, without an intervening separation step, be passed to a refinery process or a vapor phase isomerization reaction to produce an effluent comprising paraxylene in a greater concentration than the desorbent-lean raffinate. The desorbent-rich raffinate can be passed to a liquid phase isomerization reaction to produce an effluent comprising paraxylene in a greater concentration than the desorbent-rich raffinate.

Paraxylene separation process

Disclosed herein are methods and apparatus for deactivating a catalyst composition in an reaction product stream. One such method and apparatus contact the catalyst composition with a catalyst-deactivating composition and a diluent in a vapor phase of a product-receiving vessel, wherein the boiling point of the diluent is at least 5.0&#xb0; C. greater than the boiling point of the catalyst-deactivating composition. Also disclosed are oligomerization systems for producing oligomers.

Methods and apparatus for deactivating a catalyst composition

Disclosed herein is a method for separating from the reactor effluent of an olefin oligomerization procedure those catalyst materials and polymeric by-products which can cause difficulties in the downstream processing of such effluent. Polymer by-products and catalyst in the effluent are separated from reaction products by flash vaporization utilizing an in-situ hot solvent which is contacted with the effluent and serves as the heating medium to promote this flash vaporization step. Subsequent processing of a liquid portion of the effluent which is left after flash vaporization involves recovery of catalyst and polymeric by-products therefrom in a steam stripping vessel. Also disclosed is a multiple reactor system which can be used for continuous trimerization of ethylene to 1-hexene while at the same time washing polymeric by-products from one of the reactors in the series using a wash oil solvent.

System and method for selective trimerization

This disclosure relates generally to low temperature steam stripping methods for byproduct polymer and solvent separation from an ethylene oligomerization process. The methods disclosed have been found to separate byproduct polymer from solvent without fouling process equipment or causing other process problems. The byproduct polymer ends up as flowable solid particles in a water stream that may be easily discharged from the process, while solvent is recovered for recycle to the process. In embodiments of the invention, over 90 wt % of the solvent used is recovered and the discharged byproduct polymer is less than 20 wt % solvent.

Low temperature steam stripping for byproduct polymer and solvent recovery from an ethylene oligomerization process

A fishing rod holder includes a central shaft with telescoping sections and a pair of support legs secured adjacent the first end thereof. A third support leg attached to the central shaft provides further supports. A rod support arm is pivotally secured within a vertical slot in the second end of the central shaft. A second end of the rod support arm includes a forked end with finger sections. A T-shaped hanger supported by the forked end has a central leg section pivotally secured to a strap that engages the handle of a fishing pole. The fishing pole is free to pivot up and down relative to the T-shaped hanger. Raising the fishing pole disengages the T-shaped hanger from the support arm, thereby pivoting the rod support arm to a vertical orientation. An anchor further secures the central shaft to a support surface.

Anchored fishing rod holder assembly

The invention relates to olefin oligomerization methods and methods for reducing/inhibiting fouling in olefin oligomerization reactions comprising: contacting, in an oligomerization reactor (e.g., under oligomerization conditions), an alpha-olefin feed, a catalyst having an olefin selectivity of at least 90 mol % to a desired oligomerization product, a polymer anti-foulant, and optionally a diluent; selectively producing an effluent comprising the desired oligomerization product, unreacted olefin, and alpha-olefin-based polymer byproduct that causes fouling. The amount of polymer anti-foulant can be chosen to limit fouling to &#x2266;20 g/kg desired oligomerization product, to remediate &#x2267;3 grams fouled polymer/kg desired oligomerization product, and/or to reduce/inhibit polymer fouling by &#x2267;10% over a selective oligomerization with substantially no added polymer anti-foulant. Advantageously, desired oligomerization product so obtained can also be polymerized/copolymerized with an alpha-olefin such as ethylene.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Michael W Weber