A butadiene production system and a butadiene production method are provided in which butadiene can be produced with a high yield. The butadiene production system (1) includes: a gas preparation device (10) that heats raw materials to prepare a mixed gas including hydrogen and carbon monoxide; an ethanol production device (12) that is provided downstream of the gas preparation device (10) and brings the mixed gas including hydrogen and carbon monoxide into contact with a first catalyst to obtain ethanol; a butadiene production device (16) that is provided downstream of the ethanol production device (12) and brings the ethanol into contact with a second catalyst to obtain butadiene; and return means (18) for returning hydrogen, which is produced as a by-product in the butadiene production device (16), to the ethanol production device (12). In addition, in the butadiene production method, the butadiene production system (1) is used.

The invention is directed to a process to prepare an activated carbon product and a gaseous fraction comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and a mixture of gaseous organic compounds from a solid torrefied biomass feed comprising the following steps. (i) subjecting the solid biomass feed to a pyrolysis reaction thereby obtaining a gaseous fraction comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and a mixture of gaseous organic compounds and a solid fraction comprising of char particles. (ii) separating the solids fraction from the gaseous fraction. and (iii) activating the char particles as obtained in step (ii) to obtain the activated carbon product.

Methods and systems for producing light olefins are disclosed. A feedstock comprising crude oil is distilled to produce a plurality of streams including a naphtha stream and a vacuum residue stream. The naphtha is fed to a steam cracking unit to produce light olefins, C.sub.4 hydrocarbons, pyrolysis gasoline and pyrolysis oil. The vacuum residue stream is hydrocracked to produce additional naphtha and heavy unconverted oil. The heavy unconverted oil and the pyrolysis oil from steam cracking unit can be deasphalted to produce deasphalted oil and pitch product. The deasphalted oil can be further hydrocracked to produce naphtha. The pitch product can be gasified to produce synthesis gas, which is further used to produce methanol. The methanol can be used to react with isobutylene of the C.sub.4 hydrocarbon stream from steam cracker to produce methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE).

The invention is directed to a process to prepare a char product and a syngas mixture comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide from a solid torrefied biomass feed comprising the following steps: (i) subjecting the solid biomass feed to a pyrolysis reaction thereby obtaining a gaseous fraction comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and a mixture of gaseous organic compounds and a solid fraction comprising of char particles; (ii) separating the char particles as the char product from the gaseous fraction; (iii) subjecting the gaseous fraction obtained in step (ii) to a continuously operated partial oxidation to obtain a syngas mixture further comprising water and having an elevated temperature and (iv) contacting the syngas mixture with a carbonaceous compound to chemically quench the syngas mixture. The temperature of the syngas is reduced in step (iv) from between 1000 and 1600° C. to a temperature of between 800 and 1200° C.

The invention is directed to a process to prepare a char product by pyrolysis or mild gasification of a solid biomass feed thereby obtaining a gaseous fraction comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and a mixture of gaseous organic compounds and a solid fraction comprising of char particles having a reduced atomic hydrogen over carbon ratio and a reduced oxygen over carbon ratio relative to the solid biomass feed. The solid biomass feed are pellets of a solid torrefied biomass feed. The pyrolysis or mild gasification is performed at a temperature of between 500 and 800° C. and at a solid residence time of between 10 and 60 minutes.

A two-reactor catalytic system including a catalytic membrane gasification reactor and a catalytic membrane water gas shift reactor. The catalytic system, for converting biomass to hydrogen gas, features a novel gasification reactor containing both hollow fiber membranes that selectively allow O.sub.2 to permeate therethrough and a catalyst that facilitates tar reformation. Also disclosed is a process of converting biomass to H2. The process includes the steps of, among others, introducing air into a hollow fiber membrane; mixing the O.sub.2 permeating through the hollow fiber membrane and steam to react with biomass to produce syngas and tar; and reforming the tar in the presence of a catalyst to produce more syngas.

A process for producing acrylic acid from carbonaceous materials such as biomass. The carbonaceous material, such as biomass, is gasified to produce synthesis gas. The synthesis gas then is subjected to a plurality of reactions to produce acrylic acid.

The invention is directed to a process to prepare an activated carbon product and a syngas mixture comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide from a solid torrefied biomass feed comprising the following steps, (i) subjecting the solid biomass feed to a pyrolysis reaction thereby obtaining a gaseous fraction comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and a mixture of gaseous organic compounds and a solid fraction comprising of char particles, (ii) separating the solids fraction from the gaseous fraction, (iii) subjecting the gaseous fraction obtained in step (ii) to a continuously operated partial oxidation to obtain a syngas mixture further comprising water and having an elevated temperature and (iv) activating the char particles as obtained in step (ii) to obtain the activated carbon product.

A waste incinerator, in a vertical structure and including from the top down: a drying section, a destructive distillation section, a reduction section, and a combustion section. The combustion section includes: two layers of grate bars, a first combustion layer, a second combustion layer, and a third combustion layer. The heat produced from the combustion in the combustion section is used to heat the carbide in the reduction section. The heated carbide reduces CO.sub.2 produced in the combustion into CO (coal gas). The coal gas ascends to the destructive distillation section through the ambient coal gas chamber to heat and destructively distillate the waste to produce the pyrogenic coal gas and the carbide. The carbide drops to the combustion section for combustion, and the pyrogenic coal gas and the coal gas are collected by the draft fan.

A waste incinerator, in a vertical structure and including from the top down: a drying section, a destructive distillation section, a reduction section, and a combustion section. The combustion section includes: two layers of grate bars, a first combustion layer, a second combustion layer, and a third combustion layer. The heat produced from the combustion in the combustion section is used to heat the carbide in the reduction section. The heated carbide reduces CO.sub.2 produced in the combustion into CO (coal gas). The coal gas ascends to the destructive distillation section through the ambient coal gas chamber to heat and destructively distillate the waste to produce the pyrogenic coal gas and the carbide. The carbide drops to the combustion section for combustion, and the pyrogenic coal gas and the coal gas are collected by the draft fan.