In a method of manufacturing objects, extrudable ceramic forming material is extruded through multiple dies arrayed around an extrusion axis, the dies mounted to permit controlled movement of the dies during the course of extrusion to vary the position of several extrudate streams exiting the dies. Extruded objects are defined by spokes corresponding to the extrudate streams with the streams having a varying spacing from a central axis.

A support for a catalyst. The support is for use in a packed-bed reactor for the production of an alkylene oxide. The support includes ceramic material and the support has a substantially spherical or ellipsoidal macrostructure. The support further includes surface structures and has a porosity of 0.35 cm.sup.3/g. The catalyst may be included in an apparatus and used for the production of an alkylene oxide.

An object is extruded to have the form of a cage, the cage defined by spokes corresponding to several extrudate streams. The spokes bound a hollow interior and extend between opposed hub regions where the spokes are fused together. In manufacturing the objects, ceramic material is extruded through multiple dies arrayed around an extrusion axis, the dies mounted to permit controlled movement of the dies during the course of extrusion to vary the position of extrudate streams exiting the dies.

A catalyst arrangement disposed within a vertical reaction tube includes a structured catalyst within an upper part of the reaction tube, a particulate catalyst beneath the structured catalyst in a lower part of the reaction tube, and a catalyst support device located between the structured catalyst and the particulate catalyst, wherein the catalyst support device includes a cylindrical body having a first end adapted for connection to the structured catalyst, and a second end, and the cylindrical body has a diameter 70-90% of the internal diameter of the tube and a length/diameter in the range 0.5-2.5.

Steam-hydrocarbon reforming reactor with a reformer tube containing ceramic-supported catalyst pellets and metal foam particles. The ceramic-supported catalyst pellets have a porous support comprising one or more of alumina, calcium aluminate, and magnesium aluminate. The metal foam particles comprise Fe and/or Ni. The ceramic-supported catalyst pellets and metal foam particles may be layered or interspersed.

An object is extruded to have the form of a cage, the cage defined by spokes corresponding to several extrudate streams. The spokes bound a hollow interior and extend between opposed hub regions where the spokes are fused together. In manufacturing the objects, ceramic material is extruded through multiple dies arrayed around an extrusion axis, the dies mounted to permit controlled movement of the dies during the course of extrusion to vary the position of extrudate streams exiting the dies.

A packed bed includes a vessel including a shell, an inlet, and an outlet, wherein the space inside the shell between the inlet and outlet forms an internal volume; a plurality of packing material structures filling at least a portion of the internal volume thereby forming a packed volume, wherein the packed volume has a void fraction, and the packing material structures provide an aggregate surface area; and the vessel has a pressure drop between the vessel inlet and vessel outlet, wherein the pressure drop is less than 1.0 times that of a packed bed of the non-twisted shapes with the same cross-section.

A catalyst carrier may have a cross-sectional shape that may include a plurality of surface channels having a first channel width and a second channel width, where the first channel width may be closer to a periphery of the cross-sectional shape than the second channel width and the first channel width may be less than the second channel width. The cross-sectional shape may further include a plurality of surface features where at least one surface feature is located between at least one pair of surface channels. The cross-sectional shape may further include a ratio L.sub.OC/L.sub.SCP of at least about 1.7, where L.sub.OC is a length of a total contour of the cross-sectional shape and L.sub.SCP is a length of an outer simple convex perimeter of the cross-sectional shape.

A method and apparatus for manufacturing a combined polymeric structure are disclosed. The apparatus includes an extruder body (110), a die (120) configured to receive flowing polymeric material from the extruder body (110) and a motion unit. The die includes a hollow inner die (122), a protecting sleeve (124) located within the inner die (122) and an outer die (125) located at an exit (128) end of the hollow inner die (122). The motion unit is configured to cause bidirectional translational motion of the hollow inner die (122) relative to the outer die (125).

A compressible biomass carrier for use in fluid treatment systems is disclosed. The biomass carrier includes an extruded circumferential mesh-like structure and elongated elements positioned in a space confined by the circumferential mesh-like structure and at least some of the elongated elements are joined to an inner portion of the mesh-like structure.