Patent ID: 9676623
Date: 2017-06-13
CPC Classifications: B01J,C01B,Y02P

Claim:
1. A process for conducting simultaneous endothermic and exothermic reactions in a microchannel reactor, the microchannel reactor comprising a process layer comprising a plurality of process microchannels and a heat exchange layer, the process microchannels containing a catalyst, the process including a start-up procedure comprising: (A) increasing the temperature in the process layer from ambient temperature to an intermediate temperature; (B) starting the flow of a first process reactant in the process microchannels, the first process reactant comprising steam; (C) flowing a second process reactant in the process microchannels, the second process reactant comprising a hydrocarbon; (D) activating the catalyst by contacting the catalyst with the second process reactant; and (E) increasing the temperature in the process layer to a desired operating temperature; wherein steps (A), (B), (C), (D) and (E) are conducted sequentially with the exception that step (B) is conducted prior to or concurrently with step (C); and wherein the catalyst is not activated prior to step (A).