The invention relates to a process for the preparation of styrene or substituted styrenes comprising the steps of: (a) subjecting a feed containing 1-phenyl ethanol or substituted 1-phenyl ethanol to a dehydration treatment in the presence of a suitable dehydration catalyst; (b) subjecting the resulting product mixture to a separation treatment, thus obtaining a stream containing water and styrene or substituted styrene and a residual fraction containing heavy ends; (c) treating the stream containing water and styrene or substituted styrene with a base; (d) separating the treated stream of step (c) into a styrene or substituted styrene-rich product stream and a styrene or substituted styrene-lean waste water stream; (e) treating the styrene or substituted styrene-lean waste water stream with steam in a stripping column, thus obtaining a treated waste water stream and a treated stream comprising steam and styrene or substituted styrene.

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of styrene or substituted styrenes comprising the steps of: (a) subjecting a feed containing 1-phenyl ethanol or substituted 1-phenyl ethanol to a dehydration treatment in the presence of a suitable dehydration catalyst; (b) subjecting the resulting product mixture to a separation treatment, thus obtaining a stream containing water and styrene or substituted styrene and a residual fraction containing heavy ends; (c) treating the stream containing water and styrene or substituted styrene with a base; (d) separating the treated stream of step (c) into a styrene or substituted styrene-rich product stream and a styrene or substituted styrene-lean waste water stream; (e) treating the styrene or substituted styrene-lean waste water stream with steam in a stripping column, thus obtaining a treated waste water stream and a treated stream comprising steam and styrene or substituted styrene.

The invention relates to a process for the manufacture of diesel range hydrocarbons wherein a feed is hydrotreated in a hydrotreating step and isomerised in an isomerisation step, and a feed comprising fresh feed containing more than 5 wt % of free fatty acids and at least one diluting agent is hydrotreated at a reaction temperature of 200-400 C., in a hydrotreating reactor in the presence of catalyst, and the ratio of the diluting agent/fresh feed is 5-30:1.

The invention relates to a process for the manufacture of diesel range hydrocarbons wherein a feed is hydrotreated in a hydrotreating step and isomerised in an isomerisation step, and a feed comprising fresh feed containing more than 5 wt % of free fatty acids and at least one diluting agent is hydrotreated at a reaction temperature of 200-400 C., in a hydrotreating reactor in the presence of catalyst, and the ratio of the diluting agent/fresh feed is 5-30:1.

A method for the synthesis of a aryl compound of Formula (1).
UT-WR.sub.1).sub.n (1)

A method for the synthesis of a aryl compound of Formula (1).
UT-WR.sub.1).sub.n (1)

Described is a solar-energy converter device including a shell and a core inside the shell, wherein the shell and the core develop axially along a longitudinal axis and include a volume therebetween. The core includes a thermally conductive matrix in a thermal exchange relationship with the volume, the matrix housing one or more flow conduits for a working fluid, the one or more flow conduits being in thermal exchange relationship with the matrix. Moreover, described is a corresponding solar reactor and a corresponding plant.

Described is a solar-energy converter device including a shell and a core inside the shell, wherein the shell and the core develop axially along a longitudinal axis and include a volume therebetween. The core includes a thermally conductive matrix in a thermal exchange relationship with the volume, the matrix housing one or more flow conduits for a working fluid, the one or more flow conduits being in thermal exchange relationship with the matrix. Moreover, described is a corresponding solar reactor and a corresponding plant.

Oxidized disulfide oil (ODSO) solvent compositions are derived from by-product disulfide oil (DSO) compounds produced as by-products from the generalized mercaptan oxidation (MEROX) processing of a refinery feedstock. The oxidized disulfide oil (ODSO) solvent compositions comprise at least a primary oxidized disulfide oil (ODSO) compound selected from either water soluble or water insoluble oxidized disulfide oil (ODSO) compounds and in some embodiments at least 0.1 ppmw of a secondary oxidized disulfide oil (ODSO) compound that is a water soluble oxidized disulfide oil (ODSO) compound.

A method of producing p-xylene, the method comprising the steps of converting the C9+ aromatic hydrocarbons and the hydrogen gas in the presence of a dealkylation catalyst to produce a dealkylation effluent, separating the dealkylation effluent to produce a carbon-nine (C9) aromatics stream, a xylene stream, and a toluene stream, separating the p-xylenes from the xylene stream in the p-xylene separation unit to produce a p-xylene product and a p-xylene depleted stream, converting the m-xylene and o-xylene in the p-xylene depleted stream in the isomerization unit to produce an isomerization effluent, reacting the C9 aromatics stream and the hydrogen stream in the presence of a transalkylation catalyst in the transalkylation reactor to produce a transalkylation effluent, separating the C6 to C9+ aromatic hydrocarbons in the isomerization effluent and the transalkylation effluent in the splitter column to produce a benzene recycle, a toluene recycle, a xylene recycle and a C9+ recycle.