Abb Lummus Global Inc.

Lummus Technology Inc.

Catalytic Distillation Technologies

James M Hildreth

Ronald M Venner

Kerman Dukandar

Kerman Nariman Dukandar

Sanjeev Ram

Ajay Gami

Amit Kelkar

Frederick Bondy

Apostol Gradinaru

A process for producing propylene is provided which includes directing an ethylene stream from an ethylene reaction zone to a propylene reaction zone; directing a butene stream to the propylene reaction zone; reacting the ethylene stream with the butene stream in the propylene reaction zone to produce a propylene reaction stream; and subjecting the propylene reaction stream to a recovery operation to recover propylene. A processes is also provided for producing an alkylaromatic by directing an ethylene stream from a propylene reaction zone to an alkylaromatic reaction zone; directing an aromatic stream to the alkylaromatic reaction zone; reacting the ethylene stream with the aromatic stream in the alkylaromatic reaction zone to produce an alkylaromatic reaction stream; and subjecting the alkylaromatic reaction stream to a recovery operation to recover alkylaromatics. A process for producing propylene and an alkylaromatic is also provided.

Process for production of propylene and ethylbenzene from dilute ethylene streams

An improvement in a process for the production of ethylbenzene from a dilute ethylene stream wherein an ethylene-containing stream derived from a cracking process is directed to an ethylene fractionator for separation of ethylene and ethane. The improvement includes providing the dilute ethylene stream by liquefying and separating out a portion of the ethylene-containing stream prior to directing the remainder of the ethylene-containing stream to the ethylene fractionator and/or by drawing off a side stream from the ethylene fractionator; and, directing the dilute ethylene stream as a feed to an alkylator for alkylation with benzene to produce ethylbenzene.

Process for production of ethylbenzene from dilute ethylene streams

A method is provided herein for the extraction of phenol from a waste water stream. The method is used in conjunction with a process for producing acetone and phenol from cumene. The method for extracting phenol from waste water includes contacting in a countercurrent mode a phenol-containing waste water stream with a hydrocarbon stream derived from a bottoms stream from the acetone finishing column to produce a dephenolated waste water stream and a phenol-containing hydrocarbon stream. The phenol-containing hydrocarbon stream is preferably washed with an aqueous caustic solution to provide a hydrocarbon stream, which is then conveyed to the alpha-methylstyrene recovery system. Preferably the hydrocarbon stream derived from the bottoms stream of the acetone finishing column is water washed prior to contacting the phenol-containing waste water stream.

Extraction of phenol from wastewater

Liquid-liquid extraction is used for the removal of phenolics from wastewater streams using an ether extractant which has a high partition coefficient and a low solubility in water such as methyl tertiary-butyl ether. The resulting phenolics-ether mixture may be separated by distillation or by the use of an aqueous solution of an alkali metal hydroxide to form a phenate in an aqueous phase and the ether in an organic phase followed by phase separation. Any ether dissolved in the wastewater is removed by distillation or the solubility of the ether in the wastewater is retarded by adding an aqueous alkali salt solution. In the distillation embodiment, an environmentally acceptable wastewater is readily obtained. In the salt treatment embodiment, the wastewater is suitable for treatment in the overall plant complex associated with the phenol/acetone plant.

Phenolic wastewater treatment with ethers for removal and recovery of

A process for the removal of .alpha.-methyl styrene from admixtures with cumene by hydrogenation in a catalytic distillation hydrogenation to selectively hydrogenate the side chains and produce cumene is disclosed. The crude cumene may be the byproduct of the cumene oxidation to produce phenol. The crude cumene also contains acetone, benzene, ethyl benzene and high and low boiling carbonyls, which are either removed simultaneously with the hydrogenation/distillation or removed first followed by the selective catalytic distillation hydrogenation.

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Wyckoff, NJ, United States of America

James M Hildreth