Process for pyrolysis of hydrocarbons

Claim 1

AN SINGLE-PASS CRACKING METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF MIXTURES OF ACETYLENE AND ETHYLENE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF (1) FORMING A FEED STOCK STREAM COMPRISING PRINCIPALLY AT LEAST ONE LOWER PARAFFINIC HYDROCARBON HIGHER THAN METHANE, (2) INTRODUCING INTO A COMBUSTION ZONE COMPONENTS COMPRISING A FUEL AND A COMBUSTION SUPPORTING GAS, THE COMPONENTS INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE PREHEATED GASEOUS STREAM AND THE COMPONENTS CONTAINING NOT SUBSTANTIALLY MORE THAN A STOICHIOMETRIC AMOUNT OF OXYGEN BASED ON THE FUEL CONTENT, (3) FORMING A GASEOUS HOT COMBUSTION PRODUCTS MIXTURE IN THE COMBUSTION ZONE OUT OF CONTACT WITH THE FEED STOCK STREAM BY COMBUSTION OF THE FUEL IN THE PRESENCE OF ALL OTHER OF THE COMPONENTS, (4) DISCHARGING THE HOT COMBUSTION PRODUCTS MIXTURE IN THE FORM OF A STREAM OF GASES ISSUING FROM THE COMBUSTION ZONE AT A VELOCITY OF AN ORDER LESS THAN THE SPEED OF SOUND AND IN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 200 FEET PER MINUTE TO THE SPEED OF SOUND ONTO A MIXING ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY THE INITIAL COMBUSTION PRODUCTS MIXTURE FORMATION TEMPERATURE AND WHICH IS AT LEAST AS HIGH AS ABOUT 1800*C., (5) FORMING A MIXTURE OF FEED STOCK AND COMBUSTION PRODUCTS MIXTURE BY INTRODUCING SAID FEED STOCK STREAM, AT A TEMPERATURE AT LEAST ABOUT 1100*C. LOWER THAN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE COMBUSTION PRODUCTS MIXTURE STREAM ENTERING THE MIXING ZONE, INTO THE MIXING ZONE IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE COM BUSTION PRODUCTS MIXTURE STREAM, (6) EFFECTING SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE CONVERSION OF THE FEED STOCK INTO CRACKED GASES COMPRISING ONLY MINOE QUANTITIES OF MULTI-CARBON HYDROCARBONS OTHER THAN ACETYLENE AND ETHYLENE BY IMMEDIATELY DISCHARGING THE MIXTURE OF FEED STOCK AND COMBUSTION PRODUCTS MIXTURE FROM THE MIXING ZONE INTO A REACTION COMPLETION ZONE WHILE MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE MIXITURE IN THE REACTION COMPLETION ZONE WITHIN A RANGE OF ABOUT 800*C. TO ABOUT 1500*C. BY CONTROLLING THE TEMPERATURES AND VOLUMES OF THE STREAMS OF COMBUSTION PRODUCTS AND FEED STOCK, (7) MAINTAINING THE MIXING ZONE AND THE REACTION COMPLETION ZONE SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF FREE OXYGEN OTHER THAN OXYGEN ORIGINATING FROM THE DISSOCIATION OF CARBON OXIDES IN THE COMBUSTION PRODUCTS MIXTURE, (8) QUENCHING THE CRACKED GASES BY CHILLING WITHIN LESS FROM ONE SECOND AFTER MIXTURE OF THE COMBUSTION PRODUCTS WITH THE FEED STOCK, AND (9) RECOVERING AT LEAST ACETYLENE FROM THE THUS CRACKED AND QUENCHED GASES.