A method of generating a hydrogen or hydrocarbon fuel from a feedstock via a centrifuge reactor that includes introducing a flow of feedstock to a centrifuge reactor with a centrifuge assembly having a reaction chamber and configured to rotate about a central rotational axis X, rotating the centrifuge assembly about the central rotational axis X at a tip speed of 100 m/s to 1000 m/s to generate an acceleration gradient from the central rotational axis X and from the first reaction chamber end to the second reaction chamber end; and generating reaction conditions in the reaction chamber, including pressure of 5 MPa to 500 MPa and temperature within a range of 200° C. to 1000° C., the reaction conditions and acceleration gradient causing a separation of products from a reaction of the feedstock within the reaction chamber.

A method of producing a fuel additive includes passing a feed stream comprising C4 hydrocarbons through a methyl tertiary butyl ether unit producing a first process stream; passing the first process stream through a selective butadiene hydrogenation unit transforming greater than or equal to 90% by weight of the butadiene to 1-butene and 2-butene, preferably greater than or equal to 93%, preferably, greater than or equal to 94%, more preferably, greater than or equal to 95% producing a second process stream; passing the second process stream through a hydration unit producing a third process stream and the fuel additive; passing the third process stream through a total hydrogenation unit producing a hydrogenated stream; and passing the hydrogenated stream to a cracker unit.

A method of producing a fuel additive includes: passing a first process stream comprising C4 hydrocarbons through a methyl tertiary butyl ether synthesis unit producing a first recycle stream; passing the first recycle stream through a hydration unit producing the fuel additive and a second recycle stream; passing the second recycle stream through a recycle hydrogenation unit and a deisobutanizer unit; and recycling the second recycle stream to the methyl tertiary butyl ether synthesis unit.

A process for steam cracking a whole crude including a volatilization step performed to maintain a relatively large hydrocarbon droplet size. The process may include contacting a whole crude with steam to volatilize a portion of the hydrocarbons, wherein the contacting of the hydrocarbon feedstock and steam is conducted at an initial relative velocity of less than 30 m/s, for example. The resulting vapor phase, including volatilized hydrocarbons and steam may then be separated from a liquid phase comprising unvaporized hydrocarbons. The hydrocarbons in the vapor phase may then be forwarded to a steam pyrolysis reactor for steam cracking of the hydrocarbons in the vapor phase.

A process for steam cracking a whole crude including a volatilization step performed to maintain a relatively large hydrocarbon droplet size. The process may include contacting a whole crude with steam to volatilize a portion of the hydrocarbons, wherein the contacting of the hydrocarbon feedstock and steam is conducted at an initial relative velocity of less than 30 m/s, for example. The resulting vapor phase, including volatilized hydrocarbons and steam may then be separated from a liquid phase comprising unvaporized hydrocarbons. The hydrocarbons in the vapor phase may then be forwarded to a steam pyrolysis reactor for steam cracking of the hydrocarbons in the vapor phase.

Processes herein may be used to thermally crack various hydrocarbon feeds, and may eliminate the refinery altogether while making the crude to chemicals process very flexible in terms of crude. In embodiments herein, crude is progressively separated into at least light and heavy fractions. Depending on the quality of the light and heavy fractions, these are routed to one of three upgrading operations, including a fixed bed hydroconversion unit, a fluidized catalytic conversion unit, or a residue hydrocracking unit that may utilize an ebullated bed reactor. Products from the upgrading operations may be used as feed to a steam cracker.

Processes herein may be used to thermally crack various hydrocarbon feeds, and may eliminate the refinery altogether while making the crude to chemicals process very flexible in terms of crude. In embodiments herein, crude is progressively separated into at least light and heavy fractions. Depending on the quality of the light and heavy fractions, these are routed to one of three upgrading operations, including a fixed bed hydroconversion unit, a fluidized catalytic conversion unit, or a residue hydrocracking unit that may utilize an ebullated bed reactor. Products from the upgrading operations may be used as feed to a steam cracker.

A process for upgrading a hydrocarbon-based composition that includes combining a supercritical water stream, a hydrogen stream, and a pressurized, heated hydrocarbon-based composition in a mixing device to create a combined feed stream. The process further includes introducing the combined feed stream into a supercritical water hydrogenation reactor operating at a temperature greater than a critical temperature of water and a pressure greater than a critical pressure of water, and at least partially converting the combined feed stream to an upgraded product.

A process for upgrading a hydrocarbon-based composition that includes combining a supercritical water stream, a hydrogen stream, and a pressurized, heated hydrocarbon-based composition in a mixing device to create a combined feed stream. The process further includes introducing the combined feed stream into a supercritical water hydrogenation reactor operating at a temperature greater than a critical temperature of water and a pressure greater than a critical pressure of water, and at least partially converting the combined feed stream to an upgraded product.

Processes for converting the coal-derived heavy-oil fraction of syncrude to polyols are described. The processes involve mixing a feed stream comprising the coal-derived heavy-oil fraction with an alcohol and aqueous sulfuric acid, heating the mixture, reacting the coal-derived heavy-oil fraction with ozone, and reacting the ozonated heavy-oil fraction with glycerin to form the polyol. In some cases, the ozonated heavy-oil fraction can be neutralized before reacting the ozonated heavy-oil fraction with the glycerin.