In the halogenation reaction of organic olefin compounds, an excess amount of halogen gas (fluorine, chlorine, vaporized bromine and iodine, or their combination) is normally used in order to achieve as complete as possible conversion of the organic starting material. In a conventional process, the excess halogen gas in the off-gas stream is scrubbed by caustic solution which increases the consumption of halogen and generates waste for disposal. The present invention provides a novel process to recover and reuse the excess halogen gas and thus reduce the operating cost of the process.

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.

Assemblies, apparatuses, systems, and method to extract or convey a material from a source of the material may include a vacuum generation and sound attenuation assembly to enhance conveyance the material from the source of the material. The vacuum generation and sound attenuation assembly may include a vacuum source including a plurality of vacuum generators. Each of the plurality of vacuum generators may be positioned to cause a vacuum flow between the source of the material and the vacuum generation and sound attenuation assembly. The vacuum generation and sound attenuation assembly may further include a sound attenuation chamber connected to the vacuum source. The sound attenuation chamber may include an attenuation housing at least partially defining a chamber interior volume being positioned to receive at least a portion of the vacuum flow from the vacuum source and attenuate sound generated by the vacuum source.

Described herein are expandable center arrangements for use in a tubular reactor, such as a reformer, for enhancing heat transfer and reactor efficiency. The expandable center arrangement can include a cone being expandable in the radial direction and an expansion weight for promoting expansion of the cone. The cone and expansion weight can be slidably arranged on a center support. Expansion of the cones in the radial direction forces reactor components radially outward to an outer tube that houses the reactor components and expandable center arrangement. Expansion of reactor components towards the outer tube promotes heat for carrying out catalytic reactions.

Systems and methods for industrial tower packing using a high-energy laser surface processing technique are disclosed. The system includes a tower, a high-energy laser, a plurality of packing materials, and micro-sized or nano-sized structures on a packing material. The high-energy laser surface processing technique creates microscale structures that allow for high surface wettability. The high-energy laser creates micro-sized or nano-sized structures on a plurality of packing materials surfaces. The packing materials may be provided in industrial columns. The packing materials may be various shapes and sizes comprising various structures ablated into a surface of the packing materials to generate high surface area contact between a downward-flowing liquid and an upward-flowing gas. The use of a high-energy laser surface processing results in favorable super-wettable column packing material and geometry.

Mass transfer packing with a minimal surface or a triply periodic minimal surface which enables significantly improved performance for separation and mixing applications particularly with respect to distillation, liquid-liquid contacting, and heat exchange applications.

A swirler includes a base and one or more fins coupled to the base. The swirler also includes a distribution member configured to divert or guide fluid. In some implementations, the distribution member includes an annular member coupled to the base and positioned at least partially around the longitudinal axis. The swirler may be included in an adsorption column.

Systems and methods for industrial tower packing using a high-energy laser surface processing technique are disclosed. The system includes a tower, a high-energy laser, a plurality of packing materials, and micro-sized or nano-sized structures on a packing material. The high-energy laser surface processing technique creates microscale structures that allow for high surface wettability. The high-energy laser creates micro-sized or nano-sized structures on a plurality of packing materials surfaces. The packing materials may be provided in industrial columns. The packing materials may be various shapes and sizes comprising various structures ablated into a surface of the packing materials to generate high surface area contact between a downward-flowing liquid and an upward-flowing gas. The use of a high-energy laser surface processing results in favorable super-wettable column packing material and geometry.

A volumetric media having an upstream end and a downstream end. The volumetric media includes one or more spacers and a packing material around the spacers. The packing material includes a foam. The packing material may include fine fibers disposed on at least a portion of the foam.