The invention provides a process for the preparation of an olefinic product, comprising: (a) reacting an oxygenate feedstock, in a reaction zone in the presence of a molecular sieve catalyst, at a temperature from 350 to 1000° C., to produce a reaction effluent stream, comprising at least oxygenate, olefin, water and acidic by-products; (b) cooling the reaction effluent stream by means of an indirect heat exchange to a temperature greater than the dew point temperature of reaction effluent stream; (c) further rapidly cooling the reaction effluent stream to a temperature lower than the dew point temperature of the reaction effluent stream by direct injection of an aqueous liquid into the reaction effluent stream, to form a first quench effluent stream; and (d) separating the first quench effluent stream into a first liquid quench effluent stream and a first gaseous quench effluent stream, comprising the olefinic product.

Improved alkylation catalysts, alkylation methods, and methods of making alkylation catalysts are described. The alkylation method comprises reaction over a solid acid, zeolite-based catalyst and can be conducted for relatively long periods at steady state conditions. The alkylation catalyst comprises a crystalline zeolite structure, a Si/Al molar ratio of 20 or less, less than 0.5 weight percent alkali metals, and further having a characteristic catalyst life property. Some catalysts may contain rare earth elements in the range of 10 to 35 wt %. One method of making a catalyst includes a calcination step following exchange of the rare earth element(s) conducted at a temperature of at least 575° C. to stabilize the resulting structure followed by an deammoniation treatment. An improved method of deammoniation uses low temperature oxidation.

Methods for the thermal olefination of a methane feedstream involving the thermal cracking of the methane feedstream at selected temperatures and pressures in the absence of a catalyst, steam or added oxygen. The methane feedstream contains greater than 85 wt % methane, and the thermal cracking produces an effluent stream containing greater than 20 wt % ethylene. Thermal cracking is optionally performed at less than 1,100° C., and in some embodiments at 850-900° C. The methane feedstream optionally contains greater than 95 wt % methane and produces an effluent stream containing greater than 30 wt % olefins. Methane in the effluent stream may be recycled to the methane feedstream.

The present invention relates to a process for the production of high value chemicals, preferably including at least ethylene and propylene, by steam cracking a mixture of non-cyclic paraffin stream (A) comprising at least 90% of components having at least 12 carbon atoms, with either a mixture of hydrocarbons having from 3 to 4 carbon atoms or a mixture of hydrocarbons comprising at least 90% of components having a boiling point ranging from 15° C. to 200° C.

Embodiments disclosed relate to a debutanizer with a dividing wall. The configuration of the debutanizer includes having a feed section, a top section, a bottom section, and a draw-off section. The debutanizer produces a C4s product, a C5s product and a natural gasoline (NG) product from a C4+s feed. The dividing wall is configured such that an upper portion of the dividing wall is positioned off-set from a vertical centerline and a lower portion of the dividing wall is positioned along the vertical centerline of the debutanizer. A process of use of the debutanizer is also disclosed. A natural gas liquids (NGL) system that includes parallel debutanizers, each with a dividing wall, and a process of use of such system, is also disclosed.

The present invention provides an integrated process for the preparation of olefins, which process comprises the steps of: (a) reacting an oxygenate and/or olefinic feed in a reactor to form an effluent which comprises olefins; (b) fractionating at least part of the effluent into two olefinic product fractions; (c) subjecting a hydrocarbon feedstock in a reactor to a steam cracking process to form an effluent which comprises olefins including butadiene; (d) combining at least part of the first olefinic product fraction as obtained in step (b) and at least part of the second effluent which comprises olefins as obtained in step (c) to form a combined olefinic product stream comprising at least ethylene, propylene and butadiene; and (e) separating at least part of the combined olefinic product stream as obtained in step (d) to form a fraction comprising ethylene and/or propylene and a fraction that comprises butadiene.

Systems and methods for integrated production of aromatics and other chemicals are described. Systems and methods may include a process for producing benzene, methanol, butanals, dimethyl ethers, olefins and other chemicals that includes providing methane to a first reactor to produce a first product stream comprising benzene and hydrogen; recovering benzene and mixing the first product stream with a carbon dioxide and/or steam feed stream; providing the combined benzene depleted first product stream and carbon dioxide and/or steam feed stream to a second reactor to produce a second product stream comprising synthesis gas, water and unconverted methane and carbon dioxide; and providing the synthesis gas to a third reactor to produce a third product stream comprising methanol, butanals, and other chemicals.

Systems, processes, and catalysts are disclosed for obtaining fuels and fuel blends containing selected ratios of open-chain and closed-chain fuel-range hydrocarbons suitable for production of alternate fuels including gasolines, jet fuels, and diesel fuels. Fuel-range hydrocarbons may be derived from ethylene-containing feedstocks and ethanol-containing feedstocks.

In an embodiment, a process of making a catalyst can comprise contacting a zeolite with an aluminum solution comprising an aluminum compound at a pH of 2 to 6; calcining the zeolite to form the catalyst; wherein the catalyst comprises 0.1 to 5 wt % aluminum based on the total weight of the catalyst excluding any binder or extrusion aide. In an embodiment, a process of aromatizing methane can comprise aromatizing a feed comprising methane in the presence of the catalyst under aromatization conditions.

The present invention provides a process to prepare a composite ionic liquid, the process at least comprising the steps: (a) mixing an ammonium salt and a solid aluminium salt to obtain a first mixture; (b) stirring under heating the first mixture of step (a); (c) adding to the first mixture of step (b) one or more solid metal salts to obtain a second mixture, wherein the metal salts are selected from halides, sulfates, or nitrates of aluminium, gallium, copper, iron, zinc, nickel, cobalt, molybdenum and platinum; (d) stirring under heating the second mixture of step (c); (e) adding to the second mixture of step (d) a hydrocarbon to obtain a third mixture; (f) stirring under heating the third mixture of step (e) until the solids of the aluminium salt of step (a), and the solids of the metal salts of step (c) disappear and the mixture is converted into a composite ionic liquid; and (g) cooling the composite ionic liquid of step (f).