Marcus Eugene Ledoux
Engineering at Lazy K Ave, Baton Rouge, LA

6348136, Feb 19, 2002

Feb 29, 2000

09/514492

Marcus E. Ledoux - Baton Rouge LA
Kelli E. Prince - Baton Rouge LA
Adrian M. Jacobsen - Baton Rouge LA

Fina Technology, Inc. - Houston TX

B01D 332

203 9, 202154, 202173, 203 8, 203 90, 203 78, 203 80, 203DIG 9, 585805, 585806, 585807, 585 5

The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for the distillation of a readily polymerizable vinyl aromatic compound employing a polymerization inhibitor. The vinyl aromatic compound is subjected to distillation in at least one fractionation column having at least one reboiler for maintaining the bottoms of said column at a proper temperature. The reboiler includes a heating section and a vapor phase section. The bottoms fraction from the fractionation column is cycled to the reboiler and subjected to heat to vaporize at least a portion of the bottoms fraction to form a vapor phase in the vapor section, A slip stream of the bottoms fraction is introduced to the vapor phase section of the reboiler. The slipstream contains polymerization inhibitor that had been added to the process at the fractionation column. The invention reduces fouling at the reboilers.

6762335, Jul 13, 2004

Feb 29, 2000

09/515314

Kelli E. Prince - Baton Rouge LA
Marcus E. Ledoux - Baton Rouge LA
Honn Tudor - Baton Rouge LA
L. Mark Gremillion - Baton Rouge LA

Fina Technology, Inc. - Houston TX

C07C 532

585440, 585921, 585922, 422218, 422220

The present invention discloses a process and apparatus for improving the catalyst life and efficiency in a gas flow catalyst bed reactor assembly. The reactor comprises an outer reaction vessel, an inner displacement cylinder, and an annular catalyst bed surrounding the displacement cylinder having a top half and a bottom half. Fluid flow improvement is achieved by adding at least one baffle to the top half of the displacement cylinder to improve uniformity of fluid flow in the reaction vessel and across the catalyst bed. Also disclosed is a process for improving fluid flow uniformity in a gas phase reactor comprising an outer reaction vessel, an inner displacement vessel having a top half and a bottom half and a reaction outer surface and an inert inner space, and an annular catalyst bed. The process comprises conducting fluid flow simulations using actual reactor conditions. During simulation, baffles are added on the outer reaction surface of the displacement reactor to improve simulated fluid flow.

2008005, Mar 6, 2008

Sep 5, 2006

11/515539

James Merrill - Katy TX, US
Marcus Ledoux - Baton Rouge LA, US

Fina Technology, Inc. - Houston TX

C07C 2/68

585467

Alkylation systems and methods of minimizing alkylation catalyst regeneration are discussed herein. The alkylation systems generally include a preliminary alkylation system adapted to receive an input stream including an alkyl aromatic hydrocarbon and contact the input stream with a first preliminary alkylation catalyst disposed therein to form a first output stream. The first preliminary alkylation catalyst generally includes a Y zeolite. The systems further include a first alkylation system adapted to receive the first output stream and contact the first output stream with a first alkylation catalyst disposed therein and an alkylating agent to form a second output stream.

7459132, Dec 2, 2008

Apr 1, 2004

10/816297

Kelli E. Prince - Baton Rouge LA, US
Marcus E. Ledoux - Baton Rouge LA, US
Honn Tudor - Baton Rouge LA, US
L. Mark Gremillion - Baton Rouge LA, US

Fina Technology, Inc. - Houston TX

B01J 8/02, C07C 5/32

422220, 422180, 422181, 422228

The present invention discloses a process and apparatus for improving the catalyst life and efficiency in a gas flow catalyst bed reactor assembly. The reactor comprises an outer reaction vessel, an inner displacement cylinder, and an annular catalyst bed surrounding the displacement cylinder having a top half and a bottom half. Fluid flow improvement is achieved by adding at least one baffle to the top half of the displacement cylinder to improve uniformity of fluid flow in the reaction vessel and across the catalyst bed. Also disclosed is a process for improving fluid flow uniformity in a gas phase reactor comprising an outer reaction vessel, an inner displacement vessel having a top half and a bottom half and a reaction outer surface and an inert inner space, and an annular catalyst bed. The process comprises conducting fluid flow simulations using actual reactor conditions. During simulation, baffles are added on the outer reaction surface of the displacement reactor to improve simulated fluid flow.

2006018, Aug 17, 2006

Feb 15, 2005

11/058849

Marcus Ledoux - Baton Rouge LA, US
Jim Butler - League City TX, US
Jim Merrill - Katy TX, US
Clint Persick - Denham Springs LA, US
Ashley Rabalais - Prairieville LA, US

C07C 2/64, B01J 8/02

585444000, 422211000, 422219000

Methods and systems for extending the life of a dehydrogenation catalyst are described herein. For example, one embodiment includes providing a reaction vessel loaded with a dehydrogenation catalyst with a feedstream via a conduit in operable communication with the reaction vessel. The feedstream may include an alkyl aromatic hydrocarbon and the dehydrogenation catalyst may be adapted to convert the alkyl aromatic hydrocarbon to a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon. The feedstream may be contacted with an aqueous catalyst life extender, wherein the aqueous catalyst life extender enters the conduit at a linear velocity sufficient to prevent vaporization of the catalyst life extender in the conduit prior to contact with the feedstream.

8426662, Apr 23, 2013

Jan 5, 2012

13/344390

James T. Merrill - Katy TX, US
Marcus Ledoux - Baton Rouge LA, US

Fina Technology, Inc. - Houston TX

C07C 2/66

585467, 585448, 585449

Alkylation systems and methods of minimizing alkylation catalyst regeneration are discussed herein. The alkylation systems generally include a preliminary alkylation system adapted to receive an input stream including an alkyl aromatic hydrocarbon and contact the input stream with a first preliminary alkylation catalyst disposed therein to form a first output stream. The first preliminary alkylation catalyst generally includes a Y zeolite. The systems further include a first alkylation system adapted to receive the first output stream and contact the first output stream with a first alkylation catalyst disposed therein and an alkylating agent to form a second output stream.

7981377, Jul 19, 2011

Nov 6, 2007

11/982961

James Merrill - Morgan TX, US
Thomas Parenteau - Houston TX, US
Marcus Ledoux - Baton Rouge LA, US
Mark Gremillion - Baton Rouge LA, US

Fina Technology, Inc. - Houston TX

B01J 8/02, B01J 8/04, B01J 19/26

422218, 422636, 422637, 585440, 585441

Dehydrogenation of a reactor system of one or more vertically oriented flow reactors equipped with a system for introducing a catalyst extender into the inlet of the reactor. A vertically oriented radial flow reactor comprises inner and outer reactor tubes having perforated wall members extending longitudily of the reactor and defining an annulus containing a dehydrogenation catalyst. A supply line to the reactor is equipped with a rotation vane. An injection nozzle comprising a coaxial flow tube extends into the supply line downstream of the vane. The coaxial flow tube has an interior chamber and an annular chamber surrounding the interior chamber and extending into the supply line along with the interior chamber. The interior chamber is connected to a catalyst extender source and the annular chamber is connected to a source of a carrier gas which is effective to disperse the extender within feedstock flowing into the reactor.

2006019, Aug 31, 2006

Feb 24, 2006

11/361817

James Butler - League City TX, US
Marcus Ledoux - Baton Rouge LA, US
Michael Betbeze - Baton Rouge LA, US

Fina Technology, Inc. - Houston TX

C07C 2/64

585444000

Methods and processes for reducing alkylation catalyst poisoning are described herein. Such methods generally include contacting ethylbenzene with a dehydrogenation catalyst to form a dehydrogenation output stream within a dehydrogenation system and passing at least a portion of the dehydrogenation output stream to an alkylation system, wherein the at least a portion of the dehydrogenation output stream contacts an alkylation catalyst. The at least a portion of the dehydrogenation output stream includes a level of impurities resulting from offtest and wherein the level of impurities is sufficiently low to result in essentially no observed effect on the alkylation catalyst life in comparison with an alkylation system feed absent offtest.

2006019, Aug 31, 2006

Jan 7, 2006

11/326666

James Butler - League City TX, US
Jim Merrill - Katy TX, US
Marcus Ledoux - Baton Rouge LA, US
Michael Betbeze - Baton Rouge LA, US

Fina Technology, Inc. - Houston TX

C07C 2/00

585323000

Alkylation processes are described herein. The alkylation process generally includes contacting an input stream including benzene with an alkylation catalyst and an alkylating agent to form an alkylation output stream including ethylbenzene. The alkylation process further includes contacting at least a portion of the alkylation output stream with a transalkylation catalyst and a benzene source to form a transalkylation output stream, wherein the benzene source is selected to minimize the amount of alkylation catalyst poisons contacting the alkylation catalyst.

8134036, Mar 13, 2012

Mar 13, 2008

12/047873

Joseph E. Pelati - Houston TX, US
James R. Butler - League City TX, US
Marcus Ledoux - Baton Rouge LA, US

Fina Technology Inc - Houston TX

C07C 2/66, C07C 6/12

585467, 585475, 585324

A method for the liquid-phase alkylation of an aromatic substrate is disclosed. A reaction zone has at least one catalyst bed containing a first catalyst modified by the inclusion of a rare earth metal ion.