Matthew C Wagner

US Patent:

6442536, Aug 27, 2002

Filed:

Jan 18, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/487385

Inventors:

Amer Wahid Akhras - Mahwah NJ
Matthew Lincoln Wagner - Buffalo NY

Assignee:

Praxair Technology, Inc. - Danbury CT

International Classification:

G06F 1518

US Classification:

706 21, 706 15

Abstract:

This invention is directed to a method for predicting the flammability of complex mixtures using critical variables of structural groups comprising training data from the critical variables of each structural groups, the critical variables comprising compositional and thermochemical data from each of the structural groups to produce a neural network model; testing the trained data from the neural network model; and validating the trained and tested data from the neural network to accurately predict the flammability limit of an analogous complex mixture having similar structural groups.

US Patent:

6469163, Oct 22, 2002

Filed:

Dec 24, 1998

Appl. No.:

09/221209

Inventors:

Diego Fernandez Echegaray - Salvador, BR
Antonio Augusto M. Velloso - Salvador, BR
Matthew Lincoln Wagner - White Plains NY

Assignee:

Praxair Technology Inc. - Danbury CT

International Classification:

C07D20104

US Classification:

540535, 423400, 423405, 540536

Abstract:

An improvement in the conventional process for the production of caprolactam. The process involves: (a) reacting air with ammonia gas in an ammonia conversion zone to produce nitric oxide; (b) oxidizing a portion of the nitric oxide to nitrogen dioxide to produce an NO -rich process gas stream; (c) reacting the NO -rich stream with ammonium carbonate in a nitriting zone to produce ammonium nitrite; (d) reducing the ammonium nitrite to hydroxylamine diammonium sulfate; (e) hydrolyzing the hydroxylamine diammonium sulfate to hydroxylamine sulfate; (f) oximating the hydroxylamine sulfate with cyclohexanone to produce cyclohexanone oxime; and (g) converting the cyclohexanone oxime to caprolactam. The process is improved by adding supplemental oxygen downstream of the ammonia conversion zone to increase the quantity and rate of formation of nitrogen dioxide in the NO -rich process gas stream.

US Patent:

6471937, Oct 29, 2002

Filed:

Sep 4, 1998

Appl. No.:

09/148779

Inventors:

John Erling Anderson - Somers NY
Matthew Lincoln Wagner - White Plains NY
Christopher Brian Leger - Houston TX

Assignee:

Praxair Technology, Inc. - Danbury CT

International Classification:

C01B 3118

US Classification:

423659, 4234182, 4234491, 423613, 48197 R

Abstract:

The invention comprises a reactor having a source of a first hot reactant gas, a mixing chamber in which said first hot reactant gas mixes with a second reactant gas to form a reactant gas mixture, but wherein substantially no reaction takes place and a reaction zone wherein said mixture undergoes vapor phase reaction. A process for using the reactor is also disclosed.

US Patent:

6613949, Sep 2, 2003

Filed:

Mar 10, 1997

Appl. No.:

08/814185

Inventors:

Matthew Lincoln Wagner - White Plains NY
Donald Walter Welsh Kirkwood - Oakville, CA
Kazuo Kiyonaga - Honolulu HI

Assignee:

Praxair Technology, Inc. - Danbury CT

International Classification:

C07C 15393

US Classification:

585407, 549259, 585412, 585417, 585469, 558319, 560338, 518703, 518707

Abstract:

This invention is directed towards an improved process for the selective gas phase oxidation of a organic reactant using a metal oxide redox catalyst, wherein the organic reactant and air feeds are at a substantially continuous level, the improvement comprising adding a fluctuating flow of oxygen at alternating relatively high and relatively low levels. The invention also teaches means by which a gas may be provided to a reaction process on a fluctuating basis.

US Patent:

63334119, Dec 25, 2001

Filed:

Dec 24, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/221211

Inventors:

Diego Fernandez Echegaray - Salvador, Bahia, BR
Antonio Augusto M. Velloso - Salvador, Bahia, BR
Matthew Lincoln Wagner - White Plains NY

Assignee:

Praxair Technology, Inc. - Danbury CT

International Classification:

C07D20104

US Classification:

540535

Abstract:

A method for production of caprolactam. The method involves: (a) reacting air with ammonia gas in an ammonia conversion zone to produce nitric oxide; (b) oxidizing at least a portion of the nitric oxide to nitrogen dioxide to produce an NO. sub. x -rich process gas stream; (c) reactively absorbing the NO. sub. x -rich gas stream with phosphoric acid containing solution in an absorption zone to form nitrate ions; (d) contacting the nitrate ions with air in a degassing zone to produce a nitrate-rich aqueous process stream; (e) reducing the nitrate-rich aqueous stream with hydrogen in the presence of phosphoric acid to produce hydroxylammonium phosphate; (f) oximating the hydroxylammonium phosphate with cyclohexanone to produce cyclohexanone oxime; and (g) converting the cyclohexanone oxime to caprolactam. According to the invention, supplemental oxygen is added downstream of the ammonia conversion zone to increase the quantity and rate of formation of nitrogen dioxide in the NO. sub. x -rich process gas stream.

US Patent:

58012656, Sep 1, 1998

Filed:

Aug 24, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/519011

Inventors:

Matthew Lincoln Wagner - White Plains NY
Thomas John Bergman - Clarence Center NY

Assignee:

Praxair Technology, Inc. - Danbury CT

International Classification:

C07C12014

US Classification:

558320

Abstract:

A system provides an oxygen-bearing gas and a gaseous reactant stream to a fluidized bed reactor. A sparger causes an entraining of the oxygen bearing gas into the reactant gas stream. A feed line couples the sparger to the reactor's fluidized bed and introduces the reactant gas stream and entrained oxygen-bearing gas directly into contact with the fluidized bed. A controller controls both the amount of oxygen-bearing gas and the gaseous reactant so that, at the point of feed injection, the fluidized bed catalyst does not experience an oxygen deficiency. To assure safety, the reactant content of the combined feed and oxygen stream is maintained above an upper flammability limit, preferably with a safety margin of at least 25%. In one embodiment, the system enables the production of acrylonitriles from a feed stream comprising ammonia, propylene and oxygen.

US Patent:

56463057, Jul 8, 1997

Filed:

Dec 27, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/579109

Inventors:

Matthew Lincoln Wagner - White Plains NY
Donald Walter Welsh Kirkwood - Oakville, CA
Kazuo Kiyonaga - Honolulu HI

Assignee:

Praxair Technology, Inc. - Danbury CT

International Classification:

C07D30760
C07B 3300

US Classification:

549259

Abstract:

This invention is directed towards an improved process for the selective gas phase oxidation of a organic reactant using a metal oxide redox catalyst, wherein the organic reactant and air feeds are at a substantially continuous level, the improvement comprising adding a fluctuating flow of oxygen at alternating relatively high and relatively low levels. The invention also teaches means by which a gas may be provided to a reaction process on a fluctuating basis.

US Patent:

61654353, Dec 26, 2000

Filed:

Dec 24, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/220818

Inventors:

Diego Fernandez Echegaray - Salvador, BR
Antonio Augusto M. Velloso - Salvador, BR
Matthew Lincoln Wagner - White Plains NY

Assignee:

Praxair Technology, Inc. - Danbury CT

International Classification:

C01B 2140

US Classification:

423392

Abstract:

A process is described for producing nitric acid involving oxidizing ammonia gas to form dinitrogen tetroxide gas, reacting the dinitrogen tetroxide with water in an absorption zone to form aqueous nitric acid and nitric oxide gas, removing a nitric acid/nitric oxide stream from the absorption zone and feeding the stream into a nitric acid bleaching zone, removing impurities from the nitric acid in the bleaching zone to form nitric acid product and adding supplemental oxygen gas to one or more of the reaction streams to increase nitric acid production and or strength. The improvement involves injecting the supplemental oxygen into a nitric acid-containing process stream to form a gas bubble/liquid mixture in the stream, the mixture forming a fine dispersion of gas bubbles having diameters of less than about 0. 1 mm. According to the invention, increased interfacial surface is created between the gas bubbles and the liquid mixture to facilitate removal of impurities from the liquid phase and shifting of the reaction.