In a process for producing para-xylene, a feed stream comprising C.sub.6+ aromatic hydrocarbons is separated into a toluene-containing stream, a C.sub.8 aromatic hydrocarbon-containing stream and a C.sub.9+ aromatic hydrocarbon-containing stream. The toluene-containing stream is contacted with a methylating agent to convert toluene to xylenes and produce a methylated effluent stream. Para-xylene is recovered from the C.sub.8 aromatic hydrocarbon-containing stream and the methylated effluent stream in a para-xylene recovery section to produce a para-xylene depleted stream, which is then contacted with a xylene isomerization catalyst under liquid phase conditions effective to isomerize xylenes in the para-xylene depleted stream and produce an isomerized stream. The C.sub.9+-containing stream with a transalkylation catalyst under conditions effective to convert C.sub.9+-aromatics to C.sub.8−-aromatics and produce a transalkylated stream, which is recycled together with the isomerized stream to the para-xylene recovery section.

In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a continuous catalytic deasphalting process includes introducing a feed comprising crude oil and solvent to a first reactor to deasphalt the feed, producing polymerized asphaltene adsorbed to the catalyst and deasphalted oil; introducing solvent to a second reactor to regenerate catalyst in the second reactor while the deasphalting step is performed in the first reactor; introducing a wash solvent to the first reactor after deasphalting to remove the polymerized asphaltene, thereby regenerating the catalyst in the first reactor and producing a mixture comprising solvent and polymerized asphaltene; passing the mixture to a separator downstream of the reactor system to separate the wash solvent from the polymerized asphaltenes; and reintroducing at least a portion of the separated wash solvent to at least one of the first and second reactors.

In some examples, hydrocarbon feed and a diluent such as steam are mixed, and heated. A vapor phase product and a liquid phase product can be separated from the heated mixture. The liquid phase product can be hydroprocessed to produce a first hydroprocessed product. A pitch and one or more hydrocarbon products can be separated from the first hydroprocessed product. The pitch can be contacted with a diluent to produce a pitch-diluent mixture. The pitch-diluent mixture can be hydroprocessed to produce a second hydroprocessed product. A hydroprocessor heavy product and a utility fluid product can be separated from the second hydroprocessed product. The diluent can be or include at least a portion of the utility fluid product. The vapor phase product can be steam cracked to produce a steam cracker effluent. A tar product and a process gas that can include ethylene and propylene can be separated from the steam cracker effluent.

A method of preparing a conjugated diene-based polymer is provided. The method includes: adding a conjugated diene-based monomer, a catalyst, and a solvent to parallel polymerization reactors, performing a polymerization reaction to prepare a first polymer solution including a first conjugated diene-based polymer; and adding the first polymer solution to a polymerization reactor connected in series to the parallel polymerization reactors, performing the polymerization reaction to prepare a second polymer solution including a second conjugated diene-based polymer. After the polymerization reaction in the series polymerization reactor, gas produced by polymerization heat is condensed in the series polymerization reactor and refluxed to the parallel polymerization reactors, and a reaction temperature of the series polymerization reactor is maintained to be lower than a reaction temperature of the parallel polymerization reactors by 10° C. or more.

The invention relates to a chemical plant comprising a reforming section arranged to receive a feed gas comprising hydrocarbons and provide a synthesis gas, wherein the reforming section comprises: an electrically heated reforming reactor housing a first catalyst, said electrically heated reforming reactor being arranged for receiving said feed gas and generating a first synthesis gas; and an autothermal reforming reactor downstream said electrically heated reforming reactor, said autothermal reforming reactor housing a second catalyst, said autothermal reforming reactor being arranged for receiving said first synthesis gas and outputting a second synthesis gas, wherein said reforming section is arranged to output said output synthesis gas comprising said second synthesis gas. The invention also relates to a process for producing a chemical product from a feed gas comprising hydrocarbons, in a chemical plant according to the invention.

The invention is directed to a chemical reactor (100) having (a) two or more gas reactor elements (12) with each gas reactor element (12) having (i) a first reaction chamber (38), and (ii) a feed assembly unit (36), (b) a second reaction chamber (20) coupled with each of the two or more gas reactor elements (12) and configured to independently receive two or more product streams from the two or more gas reactor elements (12); and optionally, (c) a gas converging section (40) located downstream to the second reaction chamber (20). The invention is further directed to a method of producing chemical products using the chemical reactor (100) of the present invention.

The present invention relates to the field of renewable energy. More specifically, the present invention relates to the production of biofuel from biomass including, for example, polymeric materials.

The present invention relates to a process for producing butadiene from ethanol, in two reaction steps, comprising a step a) of converting ethanol into acetaldehyde and a step b) of conversion into butadiene, said step b) simultaneously implementing a reaction step and a regeneration step in (n+n/2) fixed-bed reactors, n being equal to 4 or a multiple thereof, comprising a catalyst, said regeneration step comprising four successive regeneration phases, said step b) also implementing three regeneration loops.

Improved methods of synthesizing ammonia from hydrogen sulfide and lithium nitrate are disclosed. Specifically, in a continuous cycle, hydrogen sulfide reactant is regenerated from the elemental sulfur that is extracted from a product of the ammonia synthesis, and the regenerated hydrogen sulfide is fed back into the ammonia synthesis reaction. The cycle that regenerates the hydrogen sulfide uses either a water-containing or a water and carbon-containing feedstock to facilitate the regeneration of the hydrogen sulfide from the elemental sulfur.

A system for controlling contamination in hydrogen production from water-reactive aluminum includes at least one reaction vessel. For example, each reaction vessel may include a container, a conduit, and a plurality of baffles. The container may define a volume, and the conduit may define an orifice outside of the container and spaced away from the container. The plurality of baffles may be disposed in the volume to form a tortuous flow path through the volume to the orifice of the conduit to facilitate rapid production of a large quantity of hydrogen from water-reactive aluminum while reducing the likelihood that ejecta, aerosols, or a combination thereof, may escape the reaction vessel to interfere with end-use of the hydrogen produced.