Patent ID: 7220341

Claim:
A process for controlling plug flow characteristics of solid catalyst particles in a gas-solids reactor, the process comprising the steps of: a) flowing solid catalyst particles and gas between opposing conductive surfaces in a gas-solids reactor, wherein the solid catalyst particles are silicoaluminophosphate molecular sieve catalyst particles; and b) controlling electrical charges between the flowing solid catalyst particles and the opposing conductive surfaces in the gas-solids reactor to move the solid catalyst particles away from at least one of the opposing conductive surfaces, wherein the gas is an oxygenate and the oxygenate is flowed with the solid catalyst particles, the solid catalyst particles and gas are flowed at a weight hourly space velocity of 2 hr −1 to 5000 hr −1 , and the solid catalyst particles and gas are flowed at a gas superficial velocity of at least 2 meters per second to achieve the plus flow characteristics in the gas-solids reactor.