Sasol Technology Proprietary Limited

Sasol Technology (Pty) Limited

Denise Louisette Venter

Kevin Blann

Matthew James Overett

Trevor David Phillips

Stephen John Evans

Richard Neil Walsh

Nicolaus Ladislaus Stark

Craig McGregor

Palesa Nongodlwana

Kenny Tenza

Natasha Brigman

Tyrone McKnight

Braam Van Dyk

John Marriott

Bavanethan Pillay

Hendrik Johannes Van Der Westhuizen

Ronél Combrink

André´ Peter Steynberg

A process () for oligomerising a hydrocarbon to form at least one co-monomer product () includes feeding a hydrocarbon reactant and organic liquid diluent solvent () into an oligomerisation reactor (). The organic liquid diluent solvent has a normal boiling point below the normal boiling point of 1-hexene but above &#x2212;20&#xb0; C., or the organic diluent solvent is in the form of a solvent admixture with at least 70% by mass of the solvent admixture constituting organic diluent solvents having a normal boiling point below the normal boiling point of 1-hexene but above &#x2212;20&#xb0; C. The oligomerisation reactor () holds at least one co-monomer product formed in the oligomerisation reactor admixed with a catalyst system () introduced into the oligomerisation reactor (). The catalyst system () includes a catalyst dissolved in at least one catalyst solvent. At least a portion of the hydrocarbon reactant is oligomerised in the reactor () to form co-monomer product and polymeric by-product as part of a liquid product, which is withdrawn. When there is only one catalyst solvent and only one organic liquid diluent solvent, the catalyst solvent and the organic liquid diluent solvent are not the same solvent. When there is more than one catalyst solvent or more than one organic liquid diluent solvent, at least one of the catalyst solvents is not also used as organic liquid diluent solvent or at least one of the organic liquid diluent solvents is not also used at the catalyst solvent. The mass ratio of all organic liquid diluent solvent introduced into the oligomerisation reactor to all catalyst solvent introduced into the oligomerisation reactor over a selected time period is between 15:1 and 4500:1.

Process for oligomerising a hydrocarbon to form at least one co-monomer product

A process () to separate a multi-component hydrocarbon stream () comprising ethylene, at least one polymer and other components includes flashing the multi-component hydrocarbon stream in a first flash stage () from an elevated pressure of more than 30 bar(a) and an elevated temperature in the range of 150&#xb0; C. to 135&#xb0; C. to a flash pressure in the range of 10 bar(a) to 30 bar(a), producing a first ethylene-containing vapor overheads product () at a pressure in the range of 10 bar(a) to 30 bar(a) and a first flash stage bottoms product () which includes some ethylene, the at least one polymer and some of the other components. The flash pressure and the elevated temperature of the multi-component hydrocarbon stream () are selected such that the first flash stage bottoms product () has a concentration of the at least one polymer of less than 5% by mass to render the viscosity of the first flash stage bottoms product () at the temperature of the first flash stage bottoms product () in the first flash stage () at less than 1000 cP at a shear of 1 per second. At least a portion of the first flash stage bottoms product () is heated to a temperature in excess of 150&#xb0; C. to form a heated first flash stage bottoms product (). A recycle portion () of the heated first flash stage bottoms product () is combined with the multi-component hydrocarbon stream (), which is at a temperature less than 150&#xb0; C. before combination with the recycle portion (), thereby to heat the multi-component hydrocarbon stream () to the elevated temperature in the range of 150&#xb0; C. to 185&#xb0; C. At least a portion () of the first flash stage bottoms product and the first ethylene-containing vapor overheads product () are withdrawn from the first flash stage ().

Separation of components from a multi-component hydrocarbon stream

A process () for at least partially removing hydrogen cyanide from synthesis gas includes feeding a synthesis gas () containing hydrogen cyanide to a gas-liquid contacting stage () and, in the gas-liquid contacting stage (), contacting the synthesis gas with an aqueous washing solution () comprising at least one dissolved metal salt, with metal cations of the metal salt being capable of forming metal cyanide complexes and/or metal cyanide precipitates, and weak acid anions of the metal salt serving to buffer the pH of the washing solution in a range between 6 and 10. Hydrogen cyanide is washed from the synthesis gas by the washing solution to form a treated synthesis gas () and a spent washing solution (). From time to time or continuously, at least a portion of the spent washing solution is withdrawn from the gas-liquid contacting stage. The treated synthesis gas () is also withdrawn from the gas-liquid contacting stage.

Removal of hydrogen cyanide from synthesis gas

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Vaalpark, South Africa

Denise Louisette Venter