Bp Corporation North America Inc.

Diadema N Ventura

Larry C Satek

Michael J Foral

Processes using heterogeneous adsorbents are disclosed for purification of olefins such as are typically produced by thermal cracking of suitable hydrocarbon feedstocks, by providing a impure mixture comprising at least one olefin of from 2 to about 8 carbon atoms, acetylenic impurities having the same or similar carbon content in an amount of up to about 1 percent by volume base upon the total amount of olefin present and optionally saturated hydrocarbon gases; admixing a source of dihydrogen with the impure mixture to form a feedstream comprising a sub-stoichiometric amount of dihydrogen based upon conversion of the total amount of acetylenic impurities present to their olefinic analogs; and passing the feedstream through a particulate bed of adsorbent comprising predominantly a support material on which is dispersed at least one metallic element in the zero valent state, to effect, under conditions suitable for adsorption within the bed, selective adsorption and/or complexing of the contained acetylenic contaminants with the adsorbent, and thereby obtain purified olefinic product which contains less than about 1 part per million by volume of the acetylenic impurities. Thereafter the resulting bed of adsorbent is regenerated in the presence of a reducing gas containing dihydrogen to effect release of the contained acetylenic impurities from the adsorbent.

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Lisle, IL, United States of America

Diadema N Ventura