The invention relates to the extraction of organic compounds from mixtures of said compounds with water, using a nanoporous carbon membrane. The invention can be used in any field where it is desired to separate an organic compound of interest from water, such as the drying of alcohols or alkanes.

A carbon molecular sieve (CMS) membrane having improved separation characteristics for separating olefins from their corresponding paraffins is comprised of carbon with at most trace amounts of sulfur and a group 13 metal. The CMS membrane may be made by pyrolyzing a precursor polymer devoid of sulfur in which the precursor polymer has had a group 13 metal incorporated into it, wherein the metal is in a reduced state. The pyrolyzing for the precursor having the group 13 metal incorporated into it is performed in a nonoxidizing atmosphere and at a heating rate and temperature such that the metal in a reduced state (e.g., covalently bonded to carbon or nitrogen or in the metal state).

A carbon molecular sieve (CMS) membrane having improved separation characteristics for separating olefins from their corresponding paraffins is comprised of carbon with at most trace amounts of sulfur and a group 13 metal. The CMS membrane may be made by pyrolyzing a precursor polymer devoid of sulfur in which the precursor polymer has had a group 13 metal incorporated into it, wherein the metal is in a reduced state. The pyrolyzing for the precursor having the group 13 metal incorporated into it is performed in a nonoxidizing atmosphere and at a heating rate and temperature such that the metal in a reduced state (e.g., covalently bonded to carbon or nitrogen or in the metal state).

A carbon molecular sieve (CMS) membrane having improved separation characteristics for separating olefins from their corresponding paraffins is comprised of carbon with at most trace amounts of sulfur and a group 13 metal. The CMS membrane may be made by pyrolyzing a precursor polymer devoid of sulfur in which the precursor polymer has had a group 13 metal incorporated into it, wherein the metal is in a reduced state. The pyrolyzing for the precursor having the group 13 metal incorporated into it is performed in a nonoxidizing atmosphere and at a heating rate and temperature such that the metal in a reduced state (e.g., covalently bonded to carbon or nitrogen or in the metal state).

A carbon molecular sieve (CMS) membrane having improved separation characteristics for separating olefins from their corresponding paraffins is comprised of carbon with at most trace amounts of sulfur and a group 13 metal. The CMS membrane may be made by pyrolyzing a precursor polymer devoid of sulfur in which the precursor polymer has had a group 13 metal incorporated into it, wherein the metal is in a reduced state. The pyrolyzing for the precursor having the group 13 metal incorporated into it is performed in a nonoxidizing atmosphere and at a heating rate and temperature such that the metal in a reduced state (e.g., covalently bonded to carbon or nitrogen or in the metal state).

Methods for cracking a hydrocarbon feed stream include contacting a hydrocarbon feed stream with a catalyst system in a catalytic cracking unit having a flowing gas stream to obtain a cracking product containing light olefins. The catalyst system includes at least a base catalyst. The base catalyst includes a pentasil zeolite. The pentasil zeolite includes from 0.01% to 5% by mass lithium atoms, as calculated on an oxide basis, based on the total mass of the pentasil zeolite. The flowing gas stream comprises hydrogen and, optionally, at least one additional carrier gas.

Methods for cracking a hydrocarbon feed stream include contacting a hydrocarbon feed stream with a catalyst system in a catalytic cracking unit having a flowing gas stream to obtain a cracking product containing light olefins. The catalyst system includes at least a base catalyst. The base catalyst includes a pentasil zeolite. The pentasil zeolite includes from 0.01% to 5% by mass lithium atoms, as calculated on an oxide basis, based on the total mass of the pentasil zeolite. The flowing gas stream comprises hydrogen and, optionally, at least one additional carrier gas.

A process increases the concentration of non normal paraffins in a feed stream comprising separating a naphtha feed stream into a normal paraffin rich stream and a non-normal paraffin rich stream. The non-normal paraffin rich stream is isomerized over an isomerization catalyst to convert non-normal paraffins to normal paraffins, hydrocrack C5+ hydrocarbon to C2-C4 paraffins and produce an isomerization effluent stream. The isomerization effluent stream is separated into a C3− off gas, C4 rich stream and C5+ stream that is recycled to the naphtha feed stream. A depentanizer column may be positioned to either remove C6+ from the naphtha feed stream or from a bottoms stream from a stabilizer column. The amount of C2-C4 paraffins that are provided is increased from about 55% to as much as 77% and even more with further modifications including operating at higher temperatures or increasing the volume of catalyst.

A process increases the concentration of non normal paraffins in a feed stream comprising separating a naphtha feed stream into a normal paraffin rich stream and a non-normal paraffin rich stream. The non-normal paraffin rich stream is isomerized over an isomerization catalyst to convert non-normal paraffins to normal paraffins, hydrocrack C5+ hydrocarbon to C2-C4 paraffins and produce an isomerization effluent stream. The isomerization effluent stream is separated into a C3− off gas, C4 rich stream and C5+ stream that is recycled to the naphtha feed stream. A depentanizer column may be positioned to either remove C6+ from the naphtha feed stream or from a bottoms stream from a stabilizer column. The amount of C2-C4 paraffins that are provided is increased from about 55% to as much as 77% and even more with further modifications including operating at higher temperatures or increasing the volume of catalyst.

A process for producing methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) comprising introducing a butane feed stream (n-butane, i-butane) and hydrogen to a hydrogenolysis reactor comprising a hydrogenolysis catalyst to produce a hydrogenolysis product stream comprising hydrogen, methane, ethane, propane, i-butane, and optionally n-butane; separating the hydrogenolysis product stream into a first hydrogen-containing stream, an optional methane stream, a C.sub.2 to C.sub.3 gas stream (ethane, propane), and a butane stream (i-butane, optionally n-butane); feeding the butane stream to a dehydrogenation reactor to produce a dehydrogenation product stream, wherein the dehydrogenation reactor comprises a dehydrogenation catalyst, and wherein the dehydrogenation product stream comprises hydrogen, i-butane, and isobutylene; and feeding the dehydrogenation product stream and methanol to an etherification unit to produce an unreacted methanol stream, an unreacted isobutylene stream, and an MTBE stream.