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.

An expandable center arrangement for a reactor is disclosed. The arrangement comprises an expansion tube; a center support inside the expansion tube and three or more spring elements. The spring elements are fastened to the center support and arc out to the expansion tube. A reactor is also disclosed.

There is described a packing member for use in a packed bed, preferably a support for use as a catalyst support in a packed bed reactor. The packing member comprises ceramic material and has a geometric surface area per volume of ?0.7 cm.sup.2/cm.sup.3 and a side crush strength of ?250 kgf; or a geometric surface area per volume of ?1.5 cm.sup.2/cm.sup.3 and a side crush strength of ?150 kgf; or a geometric surface area per volume of ?3 cm.sup.2/cm.sup.3 and a side crush strength of ?60 kgf. The packing member optionally has a porosity of at least 6%, such as at least 15% or at least 20%.

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 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.

The invention relates to a process for the oxidative coupling of methane comprising converting methane to one or more C2+ hydrocarbons in a reactor, wherein said process comprises contacting a reactor feed comprising methane and oxygen with a catalyst composition and wherein the linear gas velocity of said reactor feed in the region above the catalyst bed is at least 0.6 m/s, the linear gas velocity through the catalyst bed is at least 0.6 m/s and the partial pressure of oxygen in the reactor is greater than 0.08 MPa.

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.