The present invention discloses a process for preparing perhydrofluorene or alkyl-substituted perhydrofluorene, comprising the steps of: (1) reacting a phenolic compound or an aromatic hydrocarbon compound or an aromatic ketone compound or an aromatic ether compound with a benzyl compound to carry out an alkylation reaction in the presence of a first catalyst, thereby to produce substituted or unsubstituted diphenyl methane, wherein the first catalyst is an acidic catalyst; and (2) reacting the substituted or unsubstituted diphenyl methane with hydrogen gas to carry out an hydrogenation reaction or a hydrodeoxygenation reaction, thereby to produce perhydrofluorene or alkyl-substituted perhydrofluorene, wherein the second catalyst is a physical mixture of a metal catalyst and an acidic catalyst or a metal catalyst loaded on an acidic catalyst.

The present disclosure relates to solid phosphoric acid (SPA) catalysts useful in the conversion of hydrocarbons, such as the oligomerization of olefins, to methods for making such SPA catalysts, and to methods for converting hydrocarbons by contacting hydrocarbons with such catalyst. For example, in certain embodiments, the disclosure provides a calcined solid phosphoric acid catalyst composition that includes phosphoric acid and silicon phosphates, and in which (i) one or more promoters each selected from the group consisting of boron, bismuth, tungsten, silver and lanthanum is present; (ii) the composition is a calcined product of a formable mixture including silica-alumina clay, silica fiber and/or silica alumina fiber; or (iii) the composition is a calcined product of a formable mixture including fumed silica.

A method for producing a conjugated diene, including a step A of allowing an -olefin and formaldehyde to react with each other to produce a ,-unsaturated alcohol in the presence of an alcohol; and a step B of subjecting the ,-unsaturated alcohol to a dehydration reaction at 135 to 210 C. in the presence of an aqueous solution of an acidic catalyst.

A continuous mixing reactor has an outer shell having a cylindrical portion with a central section and two opposite conical end sections; a circulation tube within the shell so that an annular passage forms between the shell and the circulation tube; an impeller within and positioned adjacent to one end of the circulation tube; and heat exchange means penetrating the outer shell and extending into the end of the circulation tube opposite the impeller. The outer shell has a hydraulic head forming one end of the shell, a heat exchange medium header at the opposite end of the shell. The circulation tube nearer the heat exchange medium header terminates at or downstream from a tangential plane extending through the shell at the intersection of the central section and the conical end section of the cylindrical portion of shell. The reactor is useful in an alkylation process.

Processes and apparatuses for the production of propylene are provided. In an embodiment, a process is provided for production of propylene from an oxygenate feed comprising passing the oxygenate feed to an oxygenate-to-olefin reactor to contact the oxygenate feed with a catalyst to provide an effluent stream comprising olefins comprising ethylene, propylene and butylene. The effluent stream is separated in a product separation zone to generate a propylene product stream, an ethylene stream and a C.sub.4+ stream. The ethylene stream is reacted in an ethylene dimerization or oligomerization reactor in presence of a dimerization or oligomerization catalyst to provide a first process stream. The C.sub.4+ stream and the first process stream are cracked in a cracking reactor under cracking conditions to provide a cracked stream comprising additional amounts of ethylene and propylene. Finally, the cracked stream is passed to the product separation zone to recover additional amounts of propylene.

Disclosed is a process and apparatus for switching oligomerization feed between a first oligomerization zone that includes a uni-dimensional small pore zeolite to make more diesel and a second oligomerization zone that includes SPA catalyst for making more gasoline. The diesel can be recycled to make more propylene. The process and apparatus will provide refiners with flexibility to produce the most valuable product commensurate with fluctuating market conditions.

Process for converting an olefin containing hydrocarbon feed into an oligomerization product or a hydrogenated oligomerization product, comprising contacting the feed in a reactor with an oligomerization catalyst under conditions suitable to oligomerize the olefin to obtain an oligomerization product and optionally hydrogenating the oligomerization product wherein the content of the at least one C.sub.4-, C.sub.5-, C.sub.6- or C.sub.7-cyclic olefin in the feed is controlled.

The present disclosure relates to solid phosphoric acid (SPA) catalysts useful in the conversion of hydrocarbons, such as the oligomerization of olefins, to methods for making such SPA catalysts, and to methods for converting hydrocarbons by contacting hydrocarbons with such catalyst. For example, in certain embodiments, the disclosure provides a calcined solid phosphoric acid catalyst composition that includes phosphoric acid and silicon phosphates, and in which (i) one or more promoters each selected from the group consisting of boron, bismuth, tungsten, silver and lanthanum is present; (ii) the composition is a calcined product of a formable mixture including silica-alumina clay, silica fiber and/or silica alumina fiber; or (iii) the composition is a calcined product of a formable mixture including fumed silica.

A process for dehydration of an ethanol feedstock to ethylene by: a) preheating ethanol feedstock by heat exchange with effluent from e), b) pretreating the ethanol feedstock to produce pretreated ethanol feedstock, c) vaporizing a vaporization feedstock containing pretreated ethanol feedstock and at least a portion of the flow of treated water recycled in an exchanger to produce a vaporized feedstock, d) compressing said vaporized feedstock to produce a compressed feedstock, e) dehydrating said compressed feedstock in at least one adiabatic reactor, f) separating the effluent from the last adiabatic reactor of e) into an effluent containing ethylene and an effluent containing water, g) purifying at least a portion of the effluent containing water from 0 and separating at least one flow of treated water and at least one flow of unconverted ethanol, h) recycling at least a portion of the flow of treated water from g) upstream of c).

A continuous mixing reactor has an outer shell having a cylindrical portion with a central section and two opposite conical end sections; a circulation tube within the shell so that an annular passage forms between the shell and the circulation tube; an impeller within and positioned adjacent to one end of the circulation tube; and heat exchange means penetrating the outer shell and extending into the end of the circulation tube opposite the impeller. The outer shell has a hydraulic head forming one end of the shell, a heat exchange medium header at the opposite end of the shell. The circulation tube nearer the heat exchange medium header terminates at or downstream from a tangential plane extending through the shell at the intersection of the central section and the conical end section of the cylindrical portion of shell. The reactor is useful in an alkylation process.