Methods, reactor tubes, reactors, and systems for catalysis are disclosed. A reactor tube includes an outer shell defining a catalyst bed, a catalyst within the catalyst bed, and an inner tube extending through the catalyst bed. An interior of the inner tube is isolated from the catalyst within the catalyst bed. Methods of activating a catalyst are also disclosed herein.

A socket-type fluid distributor for distributing and supplying a gas and/or liquid reactant into a reactor body. The socket-type fluid distributor includes: a distributor body, a bottom portion of which is inserted into the reactor body; a mixing flow path formed in a central portion of the distributor body such that the mixing flow path penetrates through the distributor body into the reactor body; a gas reactant input portion disposed above the distributor body and having a gas flow path; a liquid reactant input portion disposed between the distributor body and the gas reactant input portion and having a liquid flow path; and a flow control portion formed in the mixing flow path.

The present invention relates to a process for carrying out a chemical reaction in a chemical reactor, in which at least one starting material, which is an organic chemical compound comprising 1 to 80 carbon atoms, is converted into at least one reaction product in a fluid phase in the presence of a film comprising solid catalyst particles, which catalyze said chemical reaction, and comprising an organic polymer in fibrillated form, wherein the mass fraction of the sum of the starting material and of the reaction product based on the total mass of the fluid phase is in the range from 0.01 to 1.

Disclosed herein are methane conversion devices that achieve autothermal conditions and related methods using the methane conversion devices.

A load-following reactor system and associated facilities for improved control of a reactor under varying loads. The load-following reactor may be a tube-cooled reactor for methanol synthesis. A reactant may be controlled by at least one valve element such that a portion of the reactant is fed to the reactor through the reactor tubes, and a portion of the reactant is fed to the reactor after being heated in a heat exchanger. The heated portion of the reactant may be fed to the reactor after the tubes. The valve element may be controlled based on a temperature of the reactor and/or a flowrate of reactant feed to adapt the temperature of the reactor to the changing reactant flowrate.

An ethylene oxide (EO) reactor is provided in which a removable impingement basket is configured to be inserted into the reactor inlet pipe of the EO reactor. The removable impingement basket provides protection for the silver-based catalyst filled tubes and other components that are present inside the EO reactor as well as providing another access point into the EO reactor. The removable impingement basket also can provide better distribution of the inlet gas as compared to an EO reactor containing a non-removable impingement plate.

Disclosed is a cost-effective process for catalytic conversion of simple C.sub.6-based sugars (such as glucose and fructose) and industrial-grade sugar syrups derived from starch (such as different grades of High Fructose Corn Syrup) and cellulosic biomass to 5-HydroxyMethylFurfural (5-HMF) in a continuous-flow tubular reactor in bi-phasic media using inexpensive heterogeneous solid catalysts. Commercial and synthesized heterogeneous solid catalysts were used and their activities in terms of sugar conversion and HMF selectivity and yield were compared. Continuous dehydration of fructose, glucose and industrial-grade sugar syrups derived from corn and wood to HMF was achieved and the stability of selected catalysts and feasibility of catalyst recycling and regeneration were demonstrated. The performance of the catalysts and reactor system were examined under different operating conditions including reaction temperature, feeding flow rate, initial feedstock concentration, catalyst loading, presence of extracting organic solvent and phase transfer catalyst and aqueous to organic phase ratio. At the best operating conditions, HMF yield attained 60%, 45% and 53%, from dehydration of fructose, glucose and HFCS-90, respectively.

An improved reactor comprising a shell and at least one reactor internal component. The reactor internal component includes a tube bundle comprising a plurality of tubes attached by at least one tube support plate comprising at least one radial strut and at least one bracket configured to secure to at least one tube of the tube bundle. The tubes are arranged in concentric bands about a longitudinal axis of the reactor. The reactor comprises a gas inlet plate, a catalyst support plate, and a top plate.

A process is described for steam reforming a hydrocarbon feedstock, comprising passing a mixture of the hydrocarbon feedstock and steam through a catalyst bed comprising a particulate nickel steam reforming catalyst and a structured nickel steam reforming catalyst disposed within a plurality of externally heated tubes in a tubular steam reformer, wherein each tube has an inlet to which the mixture of hydrocarbon and steam is fed, an outlet from which a reformed gas containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, steam and methane is recovered, and the steam reforming catalyst at the outlet of the tubes is the structured steam reforming catalyst, wherein the particulate steam reforming catalyst comprises 5 to 30% by weight nickel, and the structured steam reforming catalyst comprises nickel dispersed over the surface of a porous metal oxide present as a coating on a non-porous metal or ceramic structure.

A process for continuous production of C.sub.2-C.sub.4-monoalkanolamines by reaction of a corresponding C.sub.2-C.sub.4-alkylene oxide with a molar excess of ammonia (NH.sub.3), wherein aqueous ammonia is employed, in the liquid phase and in the presence of an acidic cation exchanger as catalyst which contains a crosslinked copolymer comprising acidic functional groups as the carrier matrix, wherein the cation exchanger has a total exchange capacity of not less than 1.8 eq/L.