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 for catalytic reactors of which the outer shape is a helix with n blades, where n is greater than or equal to 1, wherein the stack void fraction percentage is between 75% and 85% and the surface area/volume ratio is greater than 1000 square meters/square meters.

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.

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.

Structured elements with capabilities for stream flow division and distribution and mitigation of undesired species that exceed those of conventionally available materials are provided. The structured elements provide increased opportunities for surface attraction, retention and coalescence of undesired species in a process stream. The functional contact surfaces of the structured elements can include one or more of the faces of cells, the surfaces of struts connecting cells, the surfaces of nodes connecting struts, and the surfaces of asperities or irregularities caused by channels, flutes, spikes, fibrils or filaments in or on the material surfaces.

A method for facilitating the distribution of the flow of one or more streams within a bed vessel is provided. Disposed within the bed vessel are internal materials and structures including multiple operating zones. One type of operating zone can be a processing zone composed of one or more beds of solid processing material. Another type of operating zone can be a treating zone. Treating zones can facilitate the distribution of the one or more streams fed to processing zones. The distribution can facilitate contact between the feed streams and the processing materials contained in the processing zones.

A method for facilitating the distribution of the flow of one or more streams within a bed vessel is provided. Disposed within the bed vessel are internal materials and structures including multiple operating zones. One type of operating zone can be a processing zone composed of one or more beds of solid processing material. Another type of operating zone can be a treating zone. Treating zones can facilitate the distribution of the one or more streams fed to processing zones. The distribution can facilitate contact between the feed streams and the processing materials contained in the processing zones.

Structured elements with capabilities for stream flow division and distribution and mitigation of undesired species that exceed those of conventionally available materials are provided. The structured elements provide increased opportunities for surface attraction, retention and coalescence of undesired species in a process stream. The functional contact surfaces of the structured elements can include one or more of the faces of cells, the surfaces of struts connecting cells, the surfaces of nodes connecting struts, and the surfaces of asperities or irregularities caused by channels, flutes, spikes, fibrils or filaments in or on the material surfaces.

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.