Methods and systems to decarbonize natural gas using sulfur to produce hydrogen and polymers are provided. Sulfur can be introduced in elemental form or as hydrogen sulfide, as may be desired. Decarbonization of natural gas involves introducing natural gas and H.sub.2S to a first reactor to produce first reactor products including CS.sub.2 and H.sub.2. The CS.sub.2 can subsequently be polymerized and the H.sub.2 recovered in a purified form with little or no carbon emissions.

The present disclosure relates to converting equilibrium-limited reactions. Various embodiments may include methods and apparatus for such reactions, such as a method for converting equilibrium-limited reactions comprising: delivering a catalyst material to a reaction zone of a reactor; delivering starting materials into the reaction zone; reacting the materials to form a product; introducing a sorbent into the reactor; taking up the products with the sorbent; and collecting the sorbent once it is loaded with products in a collection zone of the reactor. In some embodiment, the reaction zone is separated from the collection zone in the reactor.

A process includes periodically or continuously introducing an olefin monomer and periodically or continuously introducing a catalyst system or catalyst system components into a reaction mixture within a reaction system, oligomerizing the olefin monomer within the reaction mixture to form an oligomer product, and periodically or continuously discharging a reaction system effluent comprising the oligomer product from the reaction system. The reaction system includes a total reaction mixture volume and a heat exchanged portion of the reaction system comprising a heat exchanged reaction mixture volume and a total heat exchanged surface area providing indirect contact between the reaction mixture and a heat exchange medium. A ratio of the total heat exchanged surface area to the total reaction mixture volume within the reaction system is in a range from 0.75 in.sup.1 to 5 in.sup.1, and an oligomer product discharge rate from the reaction system is between 1.0 (lb)(hr.sup.1)(gal.sup.1) to 6.0 (lb)(hr.sup.1)(gal.sup.1).

A quenching system for a plant, operating a cracking furnace, works with liquid as well as gaseous starting materials. The quenching system includes a primary heat exchanger (PQE 10) and a secondary heat exchanger (SQE 11) and a tertiary heat exchanger. A TLX-D exchanger (TLX-D 26) is arranged and configured as the tertiary heat exchanger for dual operation. The TLX-D (26) is connected in series via a TLX-D gas feed line (24) to the SQE 11. The TLX-D (26) is connected to a steam drum (59), which is connected to a feed water line (49), via a TLX-D feed water drain line (34) and a TLX-D riser (46) and a TLX-D downcomer (38). The SQE 11 is connected to the steam drum (59), which is connected to the feed water line (49), via a TLX downcomer (52) and a TLX-riser (57).

The invention concerns a process and apparatus for cracking ammonia in which heated ammonia gas at super-atmospheric pressure is partially cracked catalytically in an adiabatic reaction unit to produce partially cracked ammonia gas which is heated and fed to catalyst-containing reactor tubes in a furnace to cause cracking of further ammonia and produce a cracked gas comprising hydrogen gas, nitrogen gas and residual ammonia gas. At least some, preferably all, of the duty required to heat the partially cracked ammonia gas is provided by heat exchange with the cracked gas, enabling more efficient heat integration within the process.

The invention concerns a process and apparatus for cracking ammonia in which heated ammonia gas at super-atmospheric pressure is partially cracked in at least two adiabatic reactors in series with interstage heating in which the feed temperature to a first reactor is higher than the feed temperature to a further reactor to produce a partially cracked ammonia gas which is then fed to catalyst-containing reactor tubes in a furnace to produce a cracked gas comprising hydrogen gas, nitrogen gas and residual ammonia gas. The use of the adiabatic reactors enables more efficient heat integration within the process and the higher temperature in the first reactor enables the use of a nickel-based catalyst in that reactor as an alternative solution to the potential problem of the presence of oil in the ammonia.

The present invention concerns a process for cracking ammonia comprising providing an ammonia-containing feed gas at a temperature of over 600? C. and a pressure in a range from about 5 bar to about 50 bar; combusting a fuel with an oxidant gas in a furnace to heat reactor tubes to achieve a maximum inner wall temperature of over 700? C. and produce a flue gas, each reactor tube comprising a catalyst bed comprising a first row transition metal-based catalyst; and feeding the ammonia-containing feed gas to the reactor tubes to produce a cracked gas at a temperature of over 600? C. on exit from the reactor tubes.

Provided is a method for continuous production of zeolite in which a starting material is continuously supplied to a tubular reactor to produce an aluminophosphate zeolite that contains, in the framework structure, at least aluminum atoms and phosphorus atoms or an aluminosilicate zeolite having 5SiO.sub.2/Al.sub.2O.sub.32000. The tubular reactor is heated using a heat medium; a ratio (volume)/(lateral surface area) of the volume (inner capacity) to the lateral surface area of the tubular reactor is 0.75 cm or smaller; and seed crystals are added to the starting material. Through using a small-diameter tubular reactor and heating with a heat medium, it becomes possible to heat sufficiently the entirety of a starting material (zeolite precursor gel) in a short time, and to allow reaction to proceed at a high rate. The occurrence of irregular pressure fluctuations during continuous production of the zeolite can be prevented by adding seed crystals.

The invention provides a continuous process for the preparation of ethylene glycol and 1, 2-propylene glycol from starting material comprising one or more saccharides, said process being carried out in a reactor system comprising a reactor vessel equipped with an external recycle loop and said process comprising the steps of: i) providing the starting material in a solvent, via an inlet, to the external recycle loop and contacting it therein with a retro-aldol catalyst composition to provide an intermediate stream; ii) then contacting said intermediate stream with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst composition in the reactor vessel; iii) withdrawing a product stream comprising glycols from the reactor vessel; iv) providing a portion of said product stream, via an outlet, for separation and purification of the glycols contained therein; and v) recycling the remainder of said product stream via the external recycle loop.

Method of producing hydrogen sulfide in an alkaline environment. A mixture having a sodium salt, elemental sulfur (S) and water is added to a reactor for the purpose of generating hydrogen sulfide (H.sub.2S) gas as the main product and sodium sulfate (Na.sub.2SO.sub.4) as a byproduct.