The present disclosure provides systems and methods for producing olefins via an oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) process. The systems and methods may comprise the use of a staged process comprising at least one non-adiabatic section that is in thermal communication with a heat transfer medium and at least one substantially adiabatic section. The systems and methods may also comprise the use of a diluent stream which may improve methane conversion in an OCM reactor and an ethylene/ethane ratio in a post-bed cracking unit. The methods and systems may further comprise injecting oxygen (O.sub.2) and a paraffin into a gas stream containing a radical transfer agent to provide a reaction mixture. The reaction mixture may be held in a vessel for a time period greater than an auto-ignition delay time (AIDT), such that the reaction mixture may ignite to liberate heat and convert to a product mixture comprising olefins.

A dehydrogenation system includes a plurality of dehydrogenation reactors valved to operate in alternating dehydrogenation modes and regeneration modes in a timed sequence in a system cycle by way of the plurality of valves; a digital programmable controller connected to the plurality of valves for sequencing the reactors; and means for determining the productivity characteristics of each reactor over a system cycle. The digital controller is operable to re-sequence the reactors to reduce either peak productivity or productivity deltas over an initial system cycle. After resequencing, production may be increased with the more uniform productivity profile of the re-sequenced system without exceeding system limits, such as compressor operating limits.

A process for processing lignin includes contacting a mixture comprising lignin and/or lignin-like molecules with a catalyst to form a reaction mixture, and producing one or more reaction products. The reaction mixture comprises one or more aliphatic alcohols, and the one or more reaction products are selected from the group consisting of: 2-methoxy-4-propylphenol (DHE), 2,6-dimethoxy-4-propylphenol (DMPP), 4-(3-hydroxypropyl)-2,6-dimethoxyphenol (DMPP-OH), 4-(3-hydroxypropyl)-2-methoxyphenol (DHE-OH), 2,6-dimethoxy-4-(prop-1-en-1-yl)phenol (i-DMPP), 2-methoxy-4-(prop-1-en-1-yl)phenol (isoeugenol), and mixtures thereof.

A furnace for performing an endothermic process, comprising tubes containing a catalyst for converting a gaseous feed, wherein tubes are positioned in rows inside the furnace, wherein burners are mounted between the tubes and between the tubes and the furnace walls parallel to the tubes rows, and wherein the burners rows and the tubes rows are ended by end walls and are divided into sections with, on each row of tubes, the distance from a wall end tube to the end wall being T2W, the distance between two adjacent inner tubes in a section being T2T, and the distance between two symmetry end tubes of two adjacent sections being T2S, wherein the tubes in the rows are arranged in such a way that the ratios T2T/T2W and T2T/T2S are greater than 0.5 and smaller than 2 thus limiting the differences in the heat transfer to the outer tubes (wall end tubes and symmetry end tubes) with respect to the inner tubes and reducing the temperature difference between outer tubes and inner tubes.

One aspect of the present disclosure provides a system for producing 1,3-butadiene, which includes: a first supply unit, by which a first feed including a butene raw material, oxygen and steam is supplied; a second supply unit, by which a second feed including a butene raw material and oxygen is supplied; and a reaction unit, which includes a catalyst fixed bed and in which an oxidative dehydrogenation reaction takes place, wherein the first supply unit is connected to a front end of the reaction unit, and the second supply unit is connected to an intermediate end of the reaction unit.

Processes for producing neopentane are disclosed herein. Processes comprise demethylating a C.sub.6-C.sub.8 alkane within a shell and tube reactor to produce a demethylation product including at least 10 wt % neopentane based on the weight of the demethylation product.

Described is an industrial scale chemical reactor or reactor containing a shell having an inner wall, and at least one channel inside the shell. The shell has a circular, square, or rectangular cross-sectional area. All of the internal dimensions of the channel are greater than 10 mm, and optionally less than 50 mm. The channel has a rectangular cross-sectional area, and contains a catalyst bed containing catalyst particles and/or pieces containing catalyst particles packed inside the channel. The reactor has improved shell volume utilization, catalyst loading capacities, heat exchange efficiency, process intensification, or combinations thereof, compared to currently existing reactors. Exothermic reactions, such as the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis can be performed inside the channels of the reactor. Also described are methods of making the reactor.

A method of operating a reformer furnace is disclosed. The method comprises using a carbon margin in balancing the furnace temperature thereby leading to carbon free formation operation and improved efficiency.

The invention relates to a reactor for performing exothermic equilibrium reactions, especially for producing methanol from synthesis gas in a multistage synthesis with intermediate condensation of the reaction product. The reactor according to the invention has a reactor shell and a multitude of series-connected and mutually fluid-connected reactor cells disposed within the reactor shell, where each of the reactor cells includes a reaction apparatus, a cooling-down apparatus and a phase separation apparatus as reactor cell elements. The reactor has a multitude of reactor planes disposed in a mutually parallel arrangement within the reactor shell, where reactor cell elements of the same kind are disposed in the same reactor plane. The inventive arrangement of the reactor cell elements enables the building of a compact reactor and reduces material stresses within the reactor by the avoidance of large temperature differences within the reactor shell.

Processes for producing neopentane are disclosed herein. Processes comprise demethylating a C.sub.6-C.sub.8 alkane within a shell and tube reactor to produce a demethylation product including at least 10 wt % neopentane based on the weight of the demethylation product.