PROCESS AND APPARATUS EMPLOYING MICROCHANNEL PROCESS TECHNOLOGY

摘要

This invention relates to a process for conducting a hydrocracking or a hydrotreating process in a microchannel reactor. This invention also relates to a process and apparatus for flowing a vapor and liquid into a plurality of microchannels in a microchannel processing unit.

主权项

1. A process, comprising: flowing reactants comprising a hydrocarbon reactant and hydrogen in a process microchannel in contact with a catalyst to form one or more products, the hydrocarbon reactant comprising a liquid; and removing the product from the process microchannel; wherein:
(a) the hydrocarbon reactant comprises a hydrocarbon with a first hydrocarbon chain length, the hydrocarbon reactant being converted to two or more hydrocarbon products, the hydrocarbon products having chain lengths that are shorter than the first hydrocarbon chain length; or (b) the hydrocarbon reactant comprises one or more heteroatoms bonded to the hydrocarbon reactant and at least one of the heteroatoms reacts with the hydrogen to form a heteroatom containing compound, the product comprising a hydrocarbon product characterized by the absence of heteroatoms or a reduced heteroatom content as compared to the hydrocarbon reactant; wherein one or more reactants are in the form of a gas and the gas flows in the process microchannel at a superficial velocity of at least about 0.01 meters per second.