A system for continuously treating recycled polymeric material includes a hopper configured to feed the recycled polymeric material into the system. An extruder can turn the recycled polymeric material in a molten material. In some embodiments, the extruder uses thermal fluids, electric heaters, and/or a separate heater. The molten material is depolymerized in a reactor. In some embodiments, a catalyst is used to aid in depolymerizing the material. In certain embodiments, the catalyst is contained in a permeable container. The depolymerized molten material can then be cooled via a heat exchanger. In some embodiments, multiple reactors are used. In certain embodiments, these reactors are connected in series. In some embodiments, the reactor(s) contain removable static mixer(s) and/or removable annular inserts.

A process for large scale and energy efficient production of oxygenates from sugar is disclosed in which a sugar feedstock is introduced into a thermolytic fragmentation reactor comprising a fluidized stream of heat carrying particles which are separated from the reaction product and directed to a reheater comprising a resistance heating system.

A system for continuously treating recycled polymeric material includes a hopper configured to feed the recycled polymeric material into the system. An extruder can turn the recycled polymeric material in a molten material. In some embodiments, the extruder uses thermal fluids, electric heaters, and/or a separate heater. The molten material is depolymerized in a reactor. In some embodiments, a catalyst is used to aid in depolymerizing the material. In certain embodiments, the catalyst is contained in a permeable container. The depolymerized molten material can then be cooled via a heat exchanger. In some embodiments, multiple reactors are used. In certain embodiments, these reactors are connected in series. In some embodiments, the reactor(s) contain removable static mixer(s) and/or removable annular inserts.

A method of producing a composite product is provided. The method includes providing a fluidized bed of metal oxide particles in a fluidized bed reactor, providing a catalyst or catalyst precursor in the fluidized bed reactor, providing a carbon source in the fluidized bed reactor for growing carbon nanotubes, growing carbon nanotubes in a carbon nanotube growth zone of the fluidized bed reactor, and collecting a composite product comprising metal oxide particles and carbon nanotubes.

Systems and methods are provided for performing the initial heating phase for a thick wall reactor, such as a hydroprocessing reactor, by using heat tracing to heat the exterior walls of the reactor. Instead of attempting to initially heat the reactor by passing a low pressure heat transfer gas through the interior of the reactor, external heater(s) placed under the reactor insulation can be used to heat the exterior of the reactor. An example of a suitable external heater is a heat tracing blanket, where heat is provided by passing steam through pipes in contact with the external surface or by electrical heaters in contact with the external surface. This can allow for more rapid heating of the reactor, so that a target temperature can be achieved in a time of 5.0 hours or less.

The present relates to a chemical reactor comprising a catalyst bed enclosed in a reactor vessel and at least one cooling tube placed in the reactor vessel and passing through the catalyst bed, characterized in that the cooling tubes are disposed within the reactor so as to generate thermal gradients of at least 20 C./cm thereby generating hot spots throughout the reactor upon carrying out a reaction. The invention further relates to a methanation process.

A system for continuously treating recycled polymeric material includes a hopper configured to feed the recycled polymeric material into the system. An extruder can turn the recycled polymeric material in a molten material. In some embodiments, the extruder uses thermal fluids, electric heaters, and/or a separate heater. The molten material is depolymerized in a reactor. In some embodiments, a catalyst is used to aid in depolymerizing the material. In certain embodiments, the catalyst is contained in a permeable container. The depolymerized molten material can then be cooled via a heat exchanger. In some embodiments, multiple reactors are used. In certain embodiments, these reactors are connected in series. In some embodiments, the reactor(s) contain removable static mixer(s) and/or removable annular inserts.

The present disclosure provides a biogas reformer in which a portion of biogas feed can be combusted in a burner to supply the required heat amount to a catalytic reactor without supplying heat from an external heat source, and the CO.sub.2:CH.sub.4 ratio can be adjusted to be advantageous for a catalytic reforming reaction of the biogas by supplying a combustion effluent together with the biogas feed to the catalytic reactor.

A hydrogen producing apparatus includes a reforming unit, a feed unit, and a heating unit. The reforming unit includes a casing defining a receiving space and having gas intake and outlet ports, a plurality of reformers disposed in the receiving space, at least one gas pipe winding around one of the reformers, and a connecting pipe in fluidic communication with the gas pipe. The feed unit is in fluidic communication with the reformers and the connecting pipe such that air delivered from the gas intake port through the gas pipe and the connecting pipe is mixed with a fuel in the feed unit to form a reactant mixture to be fed to the reformers for hydrogen production. The heating unit includes a heater connected to the casing.

The present disclosure is directed to steam reformers for the production of a hydrogen rich reformate, comprising a shell having a first end, a second end, and a passage extending generally between the first end and the second end of the shell, and at least one heat source disposed about the second end of the shell. The shell comprises at least one conduit member comprising at least one thermally emissive and high radiant emissivity material, at least partially disposed within the shell cavity. The shell further comprises at least one reactor module at least a portion of which is disposed within the shell cavity and about the at least one conduit member and comprises at least one reforming catalyst. The disclosure is also directed to methods of producing a hydrogen reformate utilizing the steam reformers, comprising the steps of combusting a combustible mixture in a burner to produce a combustion exhaust that interacts with the steam reactor module(s) through surface to surface radiation and convection heat transfer, and reforming a hydrocarbon fuel mixed with steam in the steam reformers to produce a hydrogen-containing reformate. The present disclosure is further directed to reactor modules for use with the above steam reformers and methods of producing a hydrogen reformate.