A tube reactor for heterogeneous catalysed gas phase reactions having a thermal tube with a catalyst material around which a fluid heat transfer medium, a temperature-sensitive optical waveguide surrounded by a capillary tube that extends into the catalyst material and has measuring points having a predetermined spacing between adjacent measurement points, and can be connected to a source for optical signals and to an evaluation unit (31) for optical signals reflected by the optical waveguide. The optical waveguide has measuring points having a spacing between adjacent measuring points in the axial direction of the thermal tube which is 0.8 to 5 times the shortest edge length of all imaginary cuboids which, having a minimum volume in the cases in which nominal external dimensions are associated with particles of the catalyst material.

The catalyst productivity of a polyolefin catalyst in the methods disclosed herein may be increased by increasing the concentration of an induced condensing agent (ICA) in the reactor system. The effect the increased ICA concentration may have on a melt index may be counteracted, if necessary, in various ways.

The number of small gels that form in polyolefin thin films may be reduced by altering certain production parameters of the polyolefin. In some instances, the number of small gels may be influenced by the melt index of the polyolefin. However, in many instances, melt index is a critical part of the polyolefin product specification and, therefore, is not manipulated. Two parameters that may be manipulated to mitigate small gel count while maintaining the melt index are polyolefin residence time in the reactor and ICA concentration in the reactor.

Polyolefin polymerization performed by contacting in a reactor an olefin monomer and optionally a comonomer with a catalyst system in the presence of induced condensing agents (ICA) and optionally hydrogen. The ICA may include two or more ICA components where the composition of the ICA (i.e., the concentration of each ICA component) may affect the polyolefin production rate. Changes to the relative concentration of the two or more ICA components may be according to ICA equivalency factors that allow for increasing the polyolefin production rate while maintain a sticking temperature, increasing polyolefin production rate while increasing the dew point approach temperature of the ICA, or a combination thereof.

A method of manufacturing lithium-metal nitride including suspending a lithium-metal-oxide-powder (LMOP) within a gaseous mixture, incrementally heating the suspended LMOP to a holding temperature of between 400 and 800 degrees Celsius such that the LMOP reaches the holding temperature, and maintaining the LMOP at the holding temperature for a time period in order for the gaseous mixture and the LMOP to react to form a lithium-metal nitride powder (LMNP).

A method for analyzing a catalyst in a catalytic reactor that operates under non-isothermal conditions includes the steps of: positioning a catalyst basket within a catalyst bed within the catalytic reactor, the catalyst basket containing catalyst material the forms the catalyst bed; operating the catalytic reactor, the catalyst basket having dimensions such that a temperature difference (ΔT) along an axial direction (height) of the catalyst basket is non-isothermal; and analyzing the catalyst material contained within the catalyst basket. The temperature difference (ΔT) is, in one embodiment, within a range of 1° C. to 40° C. and preferably, within a range of 5° C. to 25° C.

A reactor for producing desired reaction products has a housing, a plurality of catalyst conduits within the housing, and a plurality of coolant conduits within the housing. The coolant conduits are interspersed among the catalyst conduits, and each catalyst conduit is positioned adjacent to at least two coolant conduits.

A device for centering a temperature measurement device inside a tube reactor that will be filled with catalyst, including a single inflatable bladder mechanically and fluidically attached to a centering ring.

An apparatus for controlling flow of a material includes an inlet for receiving the material from a source, and a seal mechanism connected to the inlet, the seal mechanism having a fluidizing bed configured to receive the material from the inlet, a first discharge passageway and a second discharge passageway. The fluidizing bed includes a first transport zone associated with the first discharge passageway and a second transport zone associated with the second discharge passageway, wherein the first and second transport zones are configured to receive transport gas from a transport gas source. The transport gas is controllable to selectively divert a flow of the material into the first discharge passageway and the second discharge passageway.

A method for determining temperature information for a plurality of tubes in a furnace where one or more digital images provide temperature information for imaged tubes, and temperature information for non-imaged tubes is determined from the temperature information for the imaged tubes and measured temperatures of combined effluent from the imaged and non-imaged tubes.