A reactor has a reactor vessel and one or more reaction tubes. One or more power input elements are guided into the reactor vessel for the electrical heating of the reaction tube(s). The one or more power input elements each have a rod-shaped section, and the rod-shaped section(s) each run in a respective wall passage through a wall of the reactor vessel. A connection chamber into which the rod-shaped section(s) project is arranged outside the reactor vessel and adjacent to the wall of the reactor vessel through which the rod-shaped section(s) run in their wall passages. Gas feed means apply an inerting gas to the connection chamber, and the wall passages with the rod-shaped sections received therein in a longitudinally-movable manner are designed to be gas-permeable so that at least a portion of the inerting gas fed into the connection chamber flows out into the reactor vessel.

A reactor for carrying out a chemical reaction has a reactor vessel, one or more reaction tubes and means for the electrical heating of the one or more reaction tubes. The reactor vessel has one or more discharge orifices which are permanently open or are set up to open above a preset pressure level, and gas feed means are provided, which are set up to feed an inerting gas into an interior of the reactor vessel.

The invention provides a thermal cracking system which comprises a reactor, and a feed module or a solid product discharge module. The feed module transports a feed material from the outside environment to the reactor. While being transported, the feed material is heated by the feed module to become molten and fills up the interior of the feed module, thereby preventing air from entering the reactor. The solid product discharge module transports a solid product from the reactor to the outside environment. One end of the solid product discharge module is connected with the reactor. The other end of the solid product discharge module comprises a first opening interfacing with the outside environment. When the solid product is transported to the outside environment, the opening size of the first opening is selected such that the speed at which the solid product is entering the solid product discharge module form the reactor is equal to or greater than that at which the solid product is leaving the solid product discharge module, through the first opening, and into the outside environment. Benefit of the invention includes a higher production efficiency and enhanced safety for a thermal cracking system at industrial scale.

This disclosure provides improved processes for converting aromatic hydrocarbons, such as benzene/toluene, alkylation, transalkylation, or isomerization. In an embodiment, a process comprises utilizing a passivated reactor to reduce deactivation of a molecular sieve catalyst. Additional measures such as the use of an auxiliary catalyst and/or an elevated reactor pressure may be used to further reduce deactivation of the molecular sieve catalyst.

A process (and a related system) for collecting samples of a polymerization catalyst or of a catalyst-containing polymer from an operation unit, having an upper end and a lower end, of a polymerization plant, including the steps of: a) extracting a prefixed amount of product from the lower end of the operation unit through a discharge valve; b) directing the product towards a filtering unit through an inlet valve; c) flushing an inert gas through the filtering unit; d) outgassing the filtering unit, through the outlet valve; and e) displacing the filtering unit, for collecting the sample.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for processing ammonia. The system may comprise one or more reactor modules configured to generate hydrogen from a source material comprising ammonia. The hydrogen generated by the one or more reactor modules may be used to provide additional heating of the reactor modules (e.g., via combustion of the hydrogen), or may be provided to one or more fuel cells for the generation of electrical energy.

The invention relates to an integrated process for assessing one or more properties of a catalyst. In the method, a standard chemical reactor or reactors is/are provided, and a bypass means is also provided, to transport a sample of whatever is added to the industrial reactor, to the test reactor. Both gases and liquids are transferred to the test reactor.

The invention relates to a method for the heterogeneous catalysis of a reaction for the hydrogenation of a carbon oxide in the gaseous state, such as a methanation reaction, using, in a reactor (1), carbon dioxide and gaseous dihydrogen and at least one solid catalytic compound capable of catalyzing said reaction in a given temperature range T, comprising contacting said gaseous reactant and said catalytic compound in the presence of a heating agent, and heating the heating agent to a temperature within said temperature range T. The method is characterized in that the heating agent comprises a ferromagnetic material in the form of micrometric powder and/or wires, said ferromagnetic material being heated by magnetic induction by means of a field inductor, such as a coil (2) external to the reactor (1). According to one embodiment, the catalyst support for implementing said method comprises a ferromagnetic material in the form of wires of micrometric diameters, on the surface of which metal catalyst particles are deposited.

The invention pertains to a device for determination of a catalyst state in a chemical reactor and to a method for detecting a catalyst state under in situ reaction conditions. A reactor is provided with a solid catalyst provided in a reactor chamber. A fluid sample is taken from the reactor chamber and is transferred to a sample chamber. The temperature at the extraction site of the sample in the reactor chamber is determined and the temperature of the sample chamber is adjusted to the same temperature. A small amount of the catalyst provided in reactor chamber is provided in sample chamber and is contacted with the sample flow. Spectroscopic information is then obtained on the catalyst provided in sample cell, e.g. by an IR spectrometer.

Process and reaction system for the preparation of methanol. The process comprises the steps of (a) providing a fresh methanol synthesis gas containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide; (b)) introducing and reacting the fresh methanol synthesis gas stream in a first methanol reaction unit in presence of a methanol catalyst and obtaining a first effluent stream containing methanol and unconverted synthesis gas; (c) providing a recycle gas stream containing the unconverted methanol synthesis gas contained in the first effluent stream and unconverted methanol synthesis gas from a second methanol reaction unit; (d) introducing and reacting the recycle gas stream in the second methanol reaction unit in presence of a methanol catalyst; (e) withdrawing a second effluent stream containing methanol and the unconverted methanol synthesis gas from the second methanol reaction unit; (f)) combining the first and a part of the second effluent stream; (g) cooling and separating the combined effluent into a methanol-containing liquid stream and the recycle stream; and (h) withdrawing the remaining part of the second effluent stream a purge gas stream,wherein the remaining part of he second effluent stream is withdrawn as a purge gas stream prior to combining the first and second effluent stream.