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.

Disclosed herein are a method and systems for cumene hydroperoxide cleavage with an improved configuration for online instrumentation. The systems comprise a first fluid loop comprising one or more reactors and a fluid pump and a second fluid loop in fluid communication with the first fluid loop. This second fluid loop comprises an instrument configured to measure a characteristic of a fluid flowing through the second loop, wherein an input of the second fluid loop is disposed downstream of said fluid pump and an output of the second fluid loop is disposed upstream of said fluid pump. The method comprises causing fluid to flow within a first stage comprising one or more reactors and a fluid pump, wherein the first stage is configured to decompose a cumene hydroperoxide in the presence of a catalyst mixture to form a dicumyl peroxide mixture. The method also comprises causing at least a portion of the fluid to flow through a instrumentation line in open fluid communication with the first stage. This instrumentation line comprises an instrument configured to measure a characteristic of the fluid flowing through the instrumentation line and an input of the instrument line is disposed downstream of said fluid pump.

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.

The present disclosure provides oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) systems for small scale and world scale production of olefins. An OCM system may comprise an OCM subsystem that generates a product stream comprising C.sub.2+ compounds and non-C.sub.2+ impurities from methane and an oxidizing agent. At least one separations subsystem downstream of, and fluidically coupled to, the OCM subsystem can be used to separate the non-C.sub.2+ impurities from the C.sub.2+ compounds. A methanation subsystem downstream and fluidically coupled to the OCM subsystem can be used to react H.sub.2 with CO and/or CO.sub.2 in the non-C.sub.2+ impurities to generate methane, which can be recycled to the OCM subsystem. The OCM system can be integrated in a non-OCM system, such as a natural gas liquids system or an existing ethylene cracker.

A reservoir for one or more chemical reactants has means for heating the reactants and optional means for stirring the reactants. A pumped reactant feed line and a return line provide fluid communication between the reservoir and a 4-way valve system. The 4-way valve system is also in fluid communication with a reactor vessel and a source of inert gas for purging the system. In a first state, the 4-way valve provides fluid communication between the reservoir and the reactor. In a second state, the 4-way valve provides a continuous circulation path for the heated reactants from the reservoir, to the valve system, and back to the reservoir via the return line. In a third state, the 4-way valve provides a fluid pathway for purging the reactor with inert gas. In a fourth state, the 4-way valve provides a fluid pathway for purging the reservoir with inert gas.

The present invention relates to a process for the selective hydrogenation of a feed of hydrocarbons containing polyunsaturated molecules comprising at least 3 carbon atoms, using a single principal fixed bed reactor R1 containing at least two catalytic beds A1 and A2 and a fixed bed guard reactor which is reduced in size, said hydrogenation reactors being disposed in series for use in a cyclic manner in accordance with a sequence of steps which can be used to short-circuit the catalytic bed or beds of the principal reactor which have been at least partially deactivated with the aid of the guard reactor, while ensuring the continuous operation of the process.

A fluid dynamic model having at least 5,000,000 cells of the portion of a gas phase reactor from the exit of the condenser to a half a reactor diameter above the bed plate is useful in determining the design of the bottom surface or support structure for a bed plate to minimize liquid pooling below and above the bed plate when operating in condensing mode.

An immersion fixed bed reactor intensified by liquid flow contains a cylindrical tank internally installed with an annular cylindrical catalyst bed (ACCB) packed with solid catalysts is provided. The inner and outer walls of the ACCB are composed of two layers of stainless steel sheets with holes. The outer layer of stainless steel perforated with holes. The inner layer of catalyst contacting stainless steel is covered with stainless steel waved mesh in circumferential direction. The bottom of AACB is sealed with a steel plate by welding or a blind plate and the top of ACCB is fixed to cylindrical tank with a flange. The solid catalysts are packed in the ACCB.

The present disclosure provides oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) systems for small scale and world scale production of olefins. An OCM system may comprise an OCM subsystem that generates a product stream comprising C.sub.2+ compounds and non-C.sub.2+ impurities from methane and an oxidizing agent. At least one separations subsystem downstream of, and fluidically coupled to, the OCM subsystem can be used to separate the non-C.sub.2+ impurities from the C.sub.2+ compounds. A methanation subsystem downstream and fluidically coupled to the OCM subsystem can be used to react H.sub.2 with CO and/or CO.sub.2 in the non-C.sub.2+ impurities to generate methane, which can be recycled to the OCM subsystem. The OCM system can be integrated in a non-OCM system, such as a natural gas liquids system or an existing ethylene cracker.

The present invention relates to a process for the selective hydrogenation of a feed of hydrocarbons containing polyunsaturated molecules comprising at least 3 carbon atoms, using a single principal fixed bed reactor R1 containing at least two catalytic beds A1 and A2 and a fixed bed guard reactor which is reduced in size, said hydrogenation reactors being disposed in series for use in a cyclic manner in accordance with a sequence of steps which can be used to short-circuit the catalytic bed or beds of the principal reactor which have been at least partially deactivated with the aid of the guard reactor, while ensuring the continuous operation of the process.