Dow Technology Investments LLC

Lyondell Chemical Technology, L.p.

Rick B Watson

Michael A Brammer

Glenn A Miller

Thomas Carl Eisenschmid

Michael C Becker

David W Leyshon

Marinus A Bigi

George R Phillips

Martin Smidt

Avery L Watkins

Irvin B Cox

Morteza Mokhtarzadeh

Cloid Russell Smith, Iii

Jason F Giles

Edward Adrian Lord

Stephane Wambergue

Martin Lucas Smidt

A skeletal isomerization process for isomerizing olefins is described. The process includes the steps of feeding an olefin-containing feed to a reactor at a space velocity of 1-100 hrfor a first period of time at a first temperature, followed by discontinuing, or stopping, the olefin-containing feed for a second period of time while maintaining the reactor at a second temperature, before resuming the flow of the olefin-containing feed for a third period of time. The methods of this disclosure increase the yield of the skeletal isomers product while reducing the production of C5+ heavy olefins. Additionally, the methods of this disclosure can be applied to feeds containing iso-olefins (for the production of linear olefins) or linear olefins (for the production of iso-olefins).

Method of improving olefin isomerization

Improved systems and methods for producing propylene from olefins including isobutylene is disclosed. The improvements combine streams containing co-produced 1-butene, 2-butene, butadiene, and heavy olefins (C5+) exiting both a metathesis reactor and a skeletal isomerization reactor in a gasoline fractionation tower to remove the heavy olefins. The C4-containing distillate from the gasoline fractionation tower is then fed to a hydroisomerization unit to form mono-olefins and 2-butene. The resulting 2-butene rich stream can then be utilized in metathesis reactions to increase the production of propylene while increasing the lifetime of the metathesis catalyst.

Isobutylene to propylene process flow improvement

Disclosed herein are methods of treating a hydroformylation catalyst solution wherein the solution comprises rhodium, polyphosphoramidite ligands, and polyphosphoramidite ligand degradation products and wherein the hydroformylation catalyst solution is used to hydroformylate an olefin in an operating hydroformylation unit. In some embodiments, such methods comprise contacting the catalyst solution with a peroxide in the operating hydroformylation unit.

Methods of treating a hydroformylation catalyst solution

Some embodiments of the present invention relate to processes to recover rhodium from a hydroformylation process. In some embodiments, the process to recover rhodium from the hydroformylation process comprises (a) treating a catalyst-containing stream from the hydroformylation process with 2.5 to 20 weight percent, based on the total weight of the stream, of a water-soluble organic amine of the following structure: wherein R, R, and Rare each independently alkyls and ethoxylates, and wherein no more than one of R, R, and Ris alkyl; (b) heating the resulting solution in the presence of syngas to a temperature of at least 65&#xb0; C. to generate a rhodium-rich phase and a supernatant; and (c) removing the supernatant to recover the rhodium-rich phase. 

Processes for recovery of rhodium from a hydroformylation process

The present invention relate to processes for converting olefins to alcohols, ethers, or combinations thereof that are suitable for use as a gasoline additive. In one embodiment, the process comprises (a) receiving a feed stream, wherein the feed stream comprises one or more olefins having 2 to 5 carbon atoms in an amount of up to 80% by weight based on the weight of the feed stream; (b) hydroformylating the feed stream in the presence of a catalyst to convert at least 80% of the olefins from the feed stream to oxygenates; (c) separating a product stream from step (b) into an oxygenate stream and a stream comprising unreacted olefins, inerts, the catalyst, and the remaining oxygenates; and (d) treating the oxygenate stream to convert a plurality of the oxygenates into at least one of an alcohol, an ether, or combinations thereof is suitable for use as a gasoline additive.

Process for converting olefins to alcohols, ethers, or combinations thereof

A hydroformylation process wherein a water-soluble amine is contacted with the reaction fluid, liquid from the reactor is sent to an extraction zone, and a neutralized phosphorus acidic compound is at least partially removed from the extraction zone.

Hydroformylation process

A multi-reaction train hydroformylation process wherein a common product-catalyst separation zone is employed.

A process for reducing the diene content of an olefin by feeding hydrogen to the process in stages.

Selective hydrogenation process

A process for forming a catalyst from a catalytic metal precursor, a chelating bisphosphite and a bulky monophosphite, with a slightly greater than stoichiometric amount of chelating bisphosphite relative to catalytic metal under a CO partial pressure at least 25 psig.

Catalyst preparation process

A hydroformylation process that tolerates a high level of methanol in the feed.

A process for stabilizing a phosphite ligand against degradation in a hydroformylation reaction fluid, said process comprising adding an epoxide to the reaction fluid, and further comprising separating one or more phosphorus acidic compounds from the reaction fluid by treating the reaction fluid with an aqueous buffer solution under conditions sufficient to neutralize and remove at least some amount of the phosphorus acidic compounds from the reaction fluid.

Process for stabilizing a phosphite ligand against degradation

A process comprising contacting a reaction fluid, which contains at least one phosphorus acidic compound, with a buffer solution to neutralize at least some amount of the phosphorus acidic compound, wherein the buffer solution comprises at least one salt of an unsaturated aliphatic carboxylic acid.

Growing community of inventors

Missouri City, TX, United States of America

Rick B Watson