The invention provides a reaction system for the production of ethylene carbonate and/or ethylene glycol. The reaction system having a guard bed system upstream of a catalytic EO reactor. The guard bed system having a feed line supplying a gaseous feed and an effluent line configured to remove the treated gaseous feed. The guard bed system has two or more guard bed vessels arranged in series in sequential order, each having an inlet, a bed of guard bed material and an outlet. The inlet of each guard bed vessel is attached by means of valves to both the feed line and the outlet of the guard bed vessel preceding it in sequential order. The outlet of each guard bed vessel is attached by means of valves to both the effluent line and to the inlet of the guard bed vessel following it in sequential order.

The invention provides a reaction system for the production of ethylene carbonate and/or ethylene glycol. The system having a guard bed system upstream of a catalytic EO reactor. The guard bed system having a feed line supplying a gaseous feed to be treated and an effluent line configured to remove the treated gaseous feed. The guard bed system has two or more guard bed vessels arranged in series in sequential order, each having an inlet, a bed of guard bed material and an outlet. The inlet of each guard bed vessel is attached by means of valves to both the feed line and the outlet of the guard bed vessel preceding it in sequential order. The outlet of each guard bed vessel is attached by means of valves to both the effluent line and to the inlet of the guard bed vessel following it in sequential order.

A bi-modal radial flow reactor comprising a cylindrical outer housing surrounding at least five cylindrical, concentric zones, including at least three annulus vapor zones and at least two catalyst zones. The at least two catalyst zones comprise an outer catalyst zone and an inner catalyst zone. The at least three annulus vapor zones comprise an outer annulus vapor zone, a middle annulus vapor zone, and a central annulus vapor zone, wherein the central annulus vapor zone extends along a centerline of the bi-modal radial flow reactor. The outer catalyst zone is intercalated with the outer annulus vapor zone and the middle annulus vapor zone, and the inner catalyst zone is intercalated with the middle annulus vapor zone and the central annulus vapor zone. A removable head cover can be fixably coupled to a top of the cylindrical outer housing to seal a top of the bi-modal radial flow reactor.

A method includes at least two-stage process for the oligomerization of short-chain olefins in the presence of a catalyst, wherein the regeneration of the catalyst is stage-customized.

A bi-modal radial flow reactor comprising: a cylindrical outer housing surrounding at least five cylindrical, concentric zones, including at least three annulus vapor zones including an outer annulus vapor zone, a middle annulus vapor zone, and a central annulus vapor zone, and at least two catalyst zones, including an outer catalyst zone and an inner catalyst zone, wherein the outer catalyst zone is intercalated with the outer annulus vapor zone and the middle annulus vapor zone, and wherein the inner catalyst zone is intercalated with the middle annulus vapor zone and the central annulus vapor zone; and a manifold configured to introduce a feed vertically into a bottom end of each of one or two of the at least three annulus vapor zones, and remove a product from a bottom end of each of the one or two remaining of the at least three annulus vapor zones.

A bi-modal radial flow reactor comprising: a cylindrical outer housing surrounding at least five cylindrical, concentric zones, including at least three annulus vapor zones including an outer annulus vapor zone, a middle annulus vapor zone, and a central annulus vapor zone, and at least two catalyst zones, including an outer catalyst zone and an inner catalyst zone, wherein the outer catalyst zone is intercalated with the outer annulus vapor zone and the middle annulus vapor zone, and wherein the inner catalyst zone is intercalated with the middle annulus vapor zone and the central annulus vapor zone; and a manifold configured to introduce a feed vertically into a bottom end of each of one or two of the at least three annulus vapor zones, and remove a product from a bottom end of each of the one or two remaining of the at least three annulus vapor zones.

A process for the synthesis of methanol from an input stream of synthesis gas, comprising the following steps: subjecting a portion of said input stream as feed stream to an adiabatic reactive step, providing an effluent containing methanol and unreacted synthesis gas; quenching of said effluent with a further portion of said input stream, providing a quenched stream; subjecting said quenched stream to an isothermal reactive step, providing a methanol-containing product stream.

A method includes at least two-stage process for the oligomerization of short-chain olefins in the presence of a catalyst, wherein the regeneration of the catalyst is stage-customized.

Spent aromatization catalysts containing a transition metal and a catalyst support are selectively poisoned in the disclosed reforming methods, resulting in improvements in overall aromatics yield and selectivity.

The selective dimerization of isoolefins, such as isobutene or isopentane, or mixtures thereof, may be conducted in a system including a series of fixed bed reactors and a catalytic distillation reactor. The system may provide for conveyance of the fixed bed reactor effluents, without componential separation, to a downstream reactor. It has been found that a high selectivity to the dimer may be achieved even though intermediate separation of the desired product from unreacted components between reactors is not performed. Further, embodiments provide for use of a divided wall column for recovery of a high purity dimer product, reducing unit piece count and plot size.