This invention relates to a robotic device 10.1, 10.2 and method for handling catalyst material 106, 206 in a reactor 100 by removing spent catalyst from the reactor and/or loading the reactor with fresh catalyst without an operator having to enter an interior of the reactor which increases operator safety. The robotic device includes a body 12, which is configured to engage a flange 104 of the reactor, and a handling arm which is configured for use both as a cleaning arm 18 and a loading arm 218. The handling arm is connected to the body and is angularly and longitudinally displaceable relative to the body. The handling arm has a segment which is telescopically extendible/retractable relative to the body. When used as a cleaning arm, the arm receives a vacuum line for removing catalyst. When used as a loading arm, a telescopic loading sleeve is connected to the segment.

A dismountable and dismantlable loading system for loading a reactor with bulk material, is described. The dismantlable rail system with a multiplicity of rail segments can be connected to one another to form a self-contained rail system, wherein the individual rail segments have the ability to connect the rail segments to one another. Also provided is at least one rail vehicle for operation on the rail system, having a holding device for containers for receiving the bulk material, and at least one filling station for receiving the bulk material, having a hose present in the floor of the filling station for transporting the bulk material into various areas of the reactor.

A loading device for loading pellets into reactor tubes has a modular design, which can be taken apart, moved through a manway, and then reassembled simply by stacking one part on top of another. A reciprocating slide plate and a vibrator work together to meter pellets through the loading device and into the reactor tubes.

A dispersion device includes a stirring and mixing unit that mixes a powder with a liquid, a powder feed unit that feeds the powder to the stirring and mixing unit, and a dry gas generation unit that supplies a dry gas to the powder feed unit. The powder feed unit is sealable.

A process for supplying deaerated water to a chemical plant that includes a distillation column for separating a reaction effluent comprising water and a product. The process includes inventorying the distillation column with aerated water (water having an oxygen content of greater than 50 ppbw, such as greater than 1 ppmw). The aerated water in the distillation column may then be distilled to produce an oxygen-containing overheads and a bottoms fraction comprising deaerated water. The deaerated water in the bottoms fraction ma be transported to an upstream or a downstream unit operation, and utilizing the deaerated water in the upstream or downstream unit operation. The reaction effluent is fed to the distillation column, transitioning the distillation column from separating oxygen from water to operations for separating the product from the water.

An addition system for introducing particulate material into an industrial process is disclosed. The addition system comprises a vessel for holding the particulate material, wherein the vessel has a top and a bottom; one or more weighing devices; a controller for controlling operation of the addition system; a base plate to support the vessel and optionally the controller; and three or more legs, each leg having an uppermost section that connects to the vessel and a foot that is connected to the base plate. The widest diameter of the vessel is less than the diameter of a circle drawn through the feet of the legs. The one or more weighing device are mounted on the base plate and support the legs of the vessel.

A catalytic reactor comprises a floating particle catcher unit and a particle catching surface which extracts particles from the fluid flow stream above the catalyst bed whereby at least a part of the particles settles on the particle catching surface instead of clogging the catalyst bed.

Methods and systems for converting methane to syngas are provided. Certain exemplary methods and systems involve reacting methane and carbon dioxide with a nickel oxide catalyst in a reaction chamber, thereby providing syngas and a reduced nickel species. The reduced nickel species can be regenerated by oxidation with air in a regeneration chamber, thereby generating a regenerated nickel oxide and heat. The regenerated nickel oxide and heat can be returned to the reaction chamber to drive the syngas reaction.

The number of small gels that form in polyolefin thin films may be reduced by altering certain production parameters of the polyolefin. In some instances, the number of small gels may be influenced by the melt index of the polyolefin. However, in many instances, melt index is a critical part of the polyolefin product specification and, therefore, is not manipulated. Two parameters that may be manipulated to mitigate small gel count while maintaining the melt index are polyolefin residence time in the reactor and ICA concentration in the reactor.

Polyolefin polymerization performed by contacting in a reactor an olefin monomer and optionally a comonomer with a catalyst system in the presence of induced condensing agents (ICA) and optionally hydrogen. The ICA may include two or more ICA components where the composition of the ICA (i.e., the concentration of each ICA component) may affect the polyolefin production rate. Changes to the relative concentration of the two or more ICA components may be according to ICA equivalency factors that allow for increasing the polyolefin production rate while maintain a sticking temperature, increasing polyolefin production rate while increasing the dew point approach temperature of the ICA, or a combination thereof.