Process for converting a hydrocarbon to an oxygenate or a nitrile
First Claim
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1. A process for converting a hydrocarbon reactant to a product, the process comprising:
- (A) flowing a reactant composition comprising the hydrocarbon reactant, and oxygen or a source of oxygen, and optionally ammonia, in a microchannel reactor in contact with a catalyst to convert the hydrocarbon reactant to the product, the product comprising an oxygenate or a nitrile, the oxygen or source of oxygen being added to the hydrocarbon reactant, and optionally ammonia, using staged addition wherein oxygen or a source of oxygen is added to the hydrocarbon reactant, and optionally ammonia, at various points in the microchannel reactor, the hydrocarbon reactant undergoing an exothermic reaction in the microchannel reactor;
(B) transferring heat from the microchannel reactor to a heat exchanger during step (A); and
(C) quenching the product from step (A).
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Abstract
This invention relates to a process for converting a hydrocarbon reactant to a product comprising an oxygenate or a nitrile, the process comprising: (A) flowing a reactant composition comprising the hydrocarbon reactant, and oxygen or a source of oxygen, and optionally ammonia, through a microchannel reactor in contact with a catalyst to convert the hydrocarbon reactant to the product, the hydrocarbon reactant undergoing an exothermic reaction in the microchannel reactor; (B) transferring heat from the microchannel reactor to a heat exchanger during step (A); and (C) quenching the product from step (A).
148 Citations
91 Claims
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1. A process for converting a hydrocarbon reactant to a product, the process comprising:
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(A) flowing a reactant composition comprising the hydrocarbon reactant, and oxygen or a source of oxygen, and optionally ammonia, in a microchannel reactor in contact with a catalyst to convert the hydrocarbon reactant to the product, the product comprising an oxygenate or a nitrile, the oxygen or source of oxygen being added to the hydrocarbon reactant, and optionally ammonia, using staged addition wherein oxygen or a source of oxygen is added to the hydrocarbon reactant, and optionally ammonia, at various points in the microchannel reactor, the hydrocarbon reactant undergoing an exothermic reaction in the microchannel reactor; (B) transferring heat from the microchannel reactor to a heat exchanger during step (A); and (C) quenching the product from step (A). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
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82. A process for converting a hydrocarbon reactant to a product, the process comprising:
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(A) flowing a reactant composition comprising the hydrocarbon reactant, and oxygen or a source of oxygen, and optionally ammonia, in a microchannel reactor in contact with a catalyst to convert the hydrocarbon reactant to the product, the product comprising an oxygenate or a nitrile;
the hydrocarbon reactant undergoing an exothermic reaction in the microchannel reactor;
the microchannel reactor comprising a plurality of process microchannels containing the catalyst, each of the process microchannels having an entrance, an exit and an elongated section extending between the entrance and the exit, each of the process microchannels further comprising at least one additional entrance in the elongated section, the hydrocarbon reactant and optionally ammonia flowing through the entrance into the process microchannels, the oxygen or source of oxygen entering the process microchannels through the at least one additional entrance and contacting the hydrocarbon reactant and optionally ammonia in the process microchannels;(B) transferring heat from the microchannel reactor to a heat exchanger during step (A), the heat exchanger comprising heat exchange channels, the heat exchange channels being adjacent to the process microchannels; and (C) quenching the product from step (A).
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83. A process for converting a hydrocarbon reactant to a product, the process comprising:
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(A) flowing a reactant composition comprising the hydrocarbon reactant, and oxygen or a source of oxygen in a microchannel reactor in contact with a catalyst to convert the hydrocarbon reactant to the product, the product comprising an oxygenate, the oxygen or source of oxygen being in the form of a gas, the hydrocarbon reactant undergoing an exothermic reaction in the microchannel reactor, the microchannel reactor comprising a plurality of process microchannels containing the catalyst, the hydrocarbon reactant flowing in the process microchannels, the oxygen or source of oxygen entering the process microchannels at different points along the length of the process microchannels; (B) transferring heat from the microchannel reactor to a heat exchanger during step (A), the heat exchanger comprising heat exchange microchannels in thermal contact with the process microchannels; and (C) quenching the product from step (A).
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84. A process for converting a hydrocarbon reactant to a product, the process comprising:
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(A) flowing a reactant composition comprising the hydrocarbon reactant, and oxygen or a source of oxygen, and ammonia, in a microchannel reactor in contact with a catalyst to convert the hydrocarbon reactant to the product, the product comprising a nitrile, the oxygen or source of oxygen being in the form of a gas, the hydrocarbon reactant undergoing an exothermic reaction in the microchannel reactor, the microchannel reactor comprising a plurality of process microchannels containing the catalyst, the hydrocarbon reactant and ammonia flowing in the process microchannels, the oxygen or source of oxygen being added to the hydrocarbon reactant and ammonia at different points along the length of the process microchannels; (B) transferring heat from the microchannel reactor to a heat exchanger during step (A), the heat exchanger comprising heat exchange microchannels in thermal contact with the process microchannels; and (C) quenching the product from step (A).
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85. A process for converting a hydrocarbon reactant to a product, the process comprising:
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(A) flowing a reactant composition comprising the hydrocarbon reactant, and oxygen or a source of oxygen, and optionally ammonia, in a microchannel reactor in contact with a catalyst to convert the hydrocarbon reactant to the product, the product comprising an oxygenate or a nitrile, the microchannel reactor comprising at least one process microchannel, the catalyst being in the process microchannel, the oxygen or source of oxygen being mixed with the hydrocarbon reactant and optionally ammonia in the process microchannel, the hydrocarbon reactant undergoing an exothermic reaction in the process microchannel; (B) transferring heat from the process microchannel to a heat exchanger during (A); and (C) quenching the product formed in (A) by reducing the temperature of the product by up to about 950°
C. within a period of up to about 500 milliseconds.
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86. A process for converting a hydrocarbon reactant to a product, the process comprising:
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(A) flowing a reactant composition comprising the hydrocarbon reactant, and oxygen or a source of oxygen, and optionally ammonia, in a microchannel reactor in contact with a catalyst to convert the hydrocarbon reactant to the product, the product comprising an oxygenate or a nitrile, the microchannel reactor comprising at least one process microchannel, the catalyst being in the process microchannel, the oxygen or source of oxygen being mixed with the hydrocarbon reactant and optionally ammonia in the process microchannel, the hydrocarbon reactant undergoing an exothermic reaction in the process microchannel; (B) transferring heat from the process microchannel to a heat exchanger during (A); and (C) quenching the product formed in (A) by flowing the product through a quenching apparatus having a dimension equal to or below the quench diameter of the reaction.
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87. A process for converting a hydrocarbon reactant to a product, the process comprising:
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(A) flowing a reactant composition comprising the hydrocarbon reactant, and oxygen or a source of oxygen, and optionally ammonia, in a microchannel reactor in contact with a catalyst to convert the hydrocarbon reactant to the product, the product comprising an oxygenate or a nitrile, the microchannel reactor comprising at least one process microchannel, the catalyst being in the process microchannel, the hydrocarbon reactant undergoing an exothermic reaction in the process microchannel; and (B) transferring heat from the process microchannel to a heat exchanger during (A), the heat exchanger comprising at least one heat exchange channel in thermal contact with the process microchannel, a heat exchange fluid in the heat exchange channel undergoing phase change in the heat exchange channel.
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88. A process for converting a hydrocarbon reactant to a product, the process comprising:
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(A) flowing a reactant composition comprising the hydrocarbon reactant, and oxygen or a source of oxygen, and optionally ammonia, in a microchannel reactor in contact with a catalyst to convert the hydrocarbon reactant to the product, the product comprising an oxygenate or a nitrile, the microchannel reactor comprising at least one process microchannel, the catalyst being in the process microchannel, the hydrocarbon reactant undergoing an exothermic reaction in the process microchannel; and (B) transferring heat from the process microchannel to a heat exchanger during (A), the heat exchanger comprising at least one heat exchange channel in thermal contact with the process microchannel, an endothermic reaction being conducted in the heat exchange channel.
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89. A process for converting a hydrocarbon reactant to a product, the process comprising:
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(A) flowing a reactant composition comprising the hydrocarbon reactant, and oxygen or a source of oxygen, and optionally ammonia, in a microchannel reactor in contact with a catalyst to convert the hydrocarbon reactant to the product, the product comprising an oxygenate or a nitrile, the microchannel reactor comprising at least one process microchannel, the catalyst being in the process microchannel, the hydrocarbon reactant undergoing an exothermic reaction in the process microchannel; (B) transferring heat from the process microchannel to a heat exchanger during (A) to maintain the temperature of the reactant composition at the entrance to the process microchannel within about 200°
C. of the temperature of the product exiting the process microchannel, the heat exchanger comprising a heat exchange fluid which undergoes a phase change or an endothermic reaction.
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90. A process for converting a hydrocarbon reactant to a product, the process comprising:
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(A) flowing a reactant composition comprising the hydrocarbon reactant, and oxygen or a source of oxygen, and optionally ammonia, in a microchannel reactor in contact with a catalyst to convert the hydrocarbon reactant to the product, the product comprising an oxygenate or a nitrile, the microchannel reactor comprising at least one process microchannel, the catalyst being in the process microchannel, the oxygen or source of oxygen flowing into the process microchannel to contact the hydrocarbon reactant and optionally ammonia at various points along the length of the process microchannel, the hydrocarbon reactant undergoing an exothermic reaction in the process microchannel; and (B) transferring heat from the process microchannel to a heat exchanger during (A).
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91. A process for converting a hydrocarbon reactant to a product, the process comprising:
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(A) flowing a reactant composition comprising the hydrocarbon reactant, and oxygen or a source of oxygen, and optionally ammonia, in a microchannel reactor in contact with a catalyst to convert the hydrocarbon reactant to the product, the product comprising an oxygenate or a nitrile, the microchannel reactor comprising at least one process microchannel, the catalyst being in the process microchannel, the oxygen or source of oxygen being mixed with the hydrocarbon reactant and optionally ammonia in the process microchannel, the hydrocarbon reactant undergoing an exothermic reaction in the process microchannel; and (B) transferring heat from the process microchannel to a heat exchanger during (A).
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Specification