Abstract:
A reactor comprising at least one contact surface made from, coated with, or impregnated by a catalyst, wherein the contact surface comprises a sintered metal or a ceramic, and wherein the reactor is configured to subject a reactant stream to shear. A system for carrying out a heterogeneously catalyzed reaction, the system comprising a reactor as described above and a pump configured for delivering reactants to the at least one reactor. A method for carrying out a heterogeneously-catalyzed reaction by introducing reactants into a reactor comprising at least one contact surface made from, coated with, or impregnated by a catalyst under conditions which promote production of a desired product, wherein the contact surface comprises a sintered metal or a ceramic, and forming a dispersion of reactants within the reactor, wherein the dispersion comprises droplets or gas bubbles of reactant with an average diameter of less than about 5 μm.
Abstract:
Herein disclosed is a method of producing value-added product from light gases, the method comprising: (a) providing light gases comprising at least one compound selected from the group consisting of C1-C6 compounds and combinations thereof; (b) intimately mixing the light gases with a liquid carrier in a high shear device to form a dispersion of gas in the liquid carrier, wherein the dispersion is supersaturated with the light gases and comprises gas bubbles at least some of which have a mean diameter of less than or equal to about 5 micron(s); (c) allowing the value-added product to form and utilizing vacuum to extract unreacted light gases from the liquid carrier; (d) extracting the value-added product; wherein the value-added product comprises at least one component selected from the group consisting of higher hydrocarbons, hydrogen, olefins, alcohols, aldehydes, and ketones. A system for producing value-added product from light gases is also disclosed.
Abstract:
Herein disclosed is a method for producing a predispersed wax product comprising: operating a high shear device having at least one rotor/stator, configurable for a shear rate of at least 20,000 s−1; introducing wax and a carrier liquid into said high shear device; and forming a dispersion of wax in a carrier liquid, wherein the wax comprises globules with an average diameter less than 5 mm.
Abstract:
A method for producing acetic anhydride that includes operating a high shear device at a shear rate of greater than about 20,000 s−1, wherein the high shear device is configured with a rotor and a stator; forming in the high shear device an emulsion having a liquid catalyst dispersed in an acetic acid solution; introducing the emulsion into a reactor at conditions suitable for the production of ketene; and reacting at least some ketene with acetic acid to produce acetic anhydride.
Abstract:
In this disclosure, a method is described wherein the method comprises mixing a therapeutic gas or a therapeutic liquid or a combination thereof and a liquid carrier in a high shear device to produce a dispersion; and administering the produced dispersion intravenously to a patient; wherein the produced dispersion contains nanobubbles of the therapeutic gas or droplets of the therapeutic liquid with a mean diameter of less than about 1.5 μm. In this disclosure, a system is also described wherein the system comprises a therapeutic gas source or a therapeutic liquid source or a combination thereof; a liquid carrier source; a high shear device (HSD) having an inlet, an outlet, at least one rotor, and at least one stator separated by a shear gap; and a pump configured to control the flow rate and residence time of a fluid passing through the high shear device.
Abstract:
A system for converting a first substance into a second substance, the system including a mixing reactor configured to provide a reactant mixture comprising a first reactant, a second reactant, and a solvent; and a high shear device fluidly connected to the mixing reactor, wherein the high shear device comprises at least one rotor/stator set comprising a rotor and a complementarily-shaped stator symmetrically positioned about an axis of rotation and separated by a shear gap, wherein the shear gap is in the range of from about 10 microns to about 250 microns; and a motor configured for rotating the rotor about the axis of rotation, whereby energy can be transferred from the rotor to the reactants thereby inducing reactions between the first reactant and the second reactant to form a product.
Abstract:
A method of removing sulfur from sour oil by subjecting sour oil having a first sulfur content to high shear in the presence of at least one desulfurizing agent to produce a high shear treated stream, wherein the at least one desulfurizing agent is selected from the group consisting of bases and inorganic salts, and separating both a sulfur-rich product and a sweetened oil product from the high shear-treated stream, wherein the sulfur-rich product comprises elemental sulfur and wherein the sweetened oil product has a second sulfur content that is less than the first sulfur content. A system for reducing the sulfur content of sour oil via at least one high shear device comprising at least one rotor and at least one complementarily-shaped stator, and at least one separation device configured to separate a sulfur-rich product and sweetened oil from the high shear-treated stream.
Abstract:
In this disclosure, methods and systems for drug delivery utilizing high shear are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method comprises (1) subjecting a therapeutic fluid containing a drug to high shear; and (2) obtaining a processed therapeutic fluid, wherein the processed therapeutic fluid contains the drug in nano-size. In an embodiment, a method comprises (1) subjecting a drug carrier and a therapeutic fluid containing a drug to high shear; and (2) obtaining a processed therapeutic fluid, wherein the processed therapeutic fluid contains the drug carrier loaded with the drug. In an embodiment, a method comprises (1) applying high shear to a drug carrier and a therapeutic fluid containing a drug; (2) obtaining a processed therapeutic fluid, wherein the processed therapeutic fluid contains the drug-loaded carrier; and (3) modifying the drug-loaded carrier with a targeting moiety to obtain a modified drug-loaded carrier.
Abstract:
Herein disclosed is a system for producing an organic, the system including at least one high shear mixing device having at least one rotor and at least one stator separated by a shear gap, wherein the shear gap is the minimum distance between the at least one rotor and the at least one stator; a pump configured for delivering a fluid stream comprising liquid medium and light gas to the at least one high shear mixing device, wherein the at least one high shear mixing device is configured to form a dispersion of the light gas in the liquid medium; and a reactor comprising at least one inlet and at least one outlet, wherein the at least one inlet of the reactor is fluidly connected to the at least one high shear mixing device, and wherein the at least one outlet is configured for extracting the organic therefrom.
Abstract:
Herein disclosed is a method for thermal cracking or steam cracking of hydrocarbons comprising: supersaturating a hydrocarbonaceous liquid or slurry stream in a high shear device with a gas stream comprising steam or hydrogen and optionally one or more C1-C6 hydrocarbons to form a supersaturated dispersion; and introducing the supersaturated dispersion into a thermal cracking or steam cracking reactor to generate a product stream. In some embodiments, the method further comprises contacting the supersaturated dispersion with a cracking catalyst in a slurry, a fluidized catalyst bed, or a fixed catalyst bed. In some embodiments, the cracking catalyst is mixed with the hydrocarbonaceous liquid or slurry stream and the gas stream in the high shear device. Herein also disclosed is a system for thermal cracking or steam cracking of hydrocarbons.