Catalytic Distillation Technologies

Lummus Technology Inc.

Chemical Research & Licensing Company

Willibrord A Groten

Peter Loezos

Gary G Podrebarac

Yongqiang Xu

Mario J Maraschino

Romain Lemoine

Lawrence A Smith, Jr

Gary R Gildert

John R Adams

Kerry L Rock

J Yong Ryu

Mitchell E Loescher

Liang Chen

Bryan Tomsula

Speros P Nemphos

Martinus Johannes Almering

Henry J Semerak

Clifford S Crossland

Perry Lew

Derwyn Booker

Dennis Hearn

Hugh M Putman

Christopher C Boyer

Arvids Judzis, Jr

Manoj Som

Montri Vichailak

Purvis K Ho

Ralph E Casas

Rodney D Chevalier

Producing C5 olefins from steam cracker C5 feeds may include reacting a mixed hydrocarbon stream comprising cyclopentadiene, C5 olefins, and C6+ hydrocarbons in a dimerization reactor where cyclopentadiene is dimerized to dicyclopentadiene. The dimerization reactor effluent may be separated into a fraction comprising the C6+ hydrocarbons and dicyclopentadiene and a second fraction comprising C5 olefins and C5 dienes. The second fraction, a saturated hydrocarbon diluent stream, and hydrogen may be fed to a catalytic distillation reactor system for concurrently separating linear C5 olefins from saturated hydrocarbon diluent, cyclic C5 olefins, and C5 dienes contained in the second fraction and selectively hydrogenating C5 dienes. An overhead distillate including the linear C5 olefins and a bottoms product including cyclic C5 olefins are recovered from the catalytic distillation reactor system. Other aspects of the C5 olefin systems and processes, including catalyst configurations and control schemes, are also described.

Producing C5 olefins from steam cracker C5 feeds

A catalytic distillation structure that may include a rigid framework having at least two grids with a plurality of horizontal fluid permeable tubes mounted to said grids to form a plurality of fluid pathways among the plurality of horizontal fluid permeable tubes. Additionally, each horizontal fluid permeable tubes may have a profile of a six-sided polygon. Further, the catalytic distillation structure may include a plurality of vertically plates or wires connecting vertically aligned tubes of the plurality of horizontal fluid permeable tubes. Furthermore, the plurality of vertically plates or wires connects from a corner of one vertically aligned tubes to a corner of an adjacent vertically aligned tube.

Structured packing for catalytic distillation

Producing C5 olefins from steam cracker C5 reeds may include reacting a mixed hydrocarbon stream comprising cyclopentadiene, C5 olefins, and C6+ hydrocarbons in a dimerization reactor where cyclopentadiene is dimerized to dicyclopentadiene. The dimerization reactor effluent may be separated into a traction comprising the C6+ hydrocarbons and dicyclopentadiene and a second fraction comprising C5 olefins and C5 dienes. The second fraction, a saturated hydrocarbon diluent stream, and hydrogen may be fed to a catalytic distillation reactor system for concurrently separating linear C5 olefins from saturated hydrocarbon diluent, cyclic C5 olefins, and C5 dienes contained in the second fraction and selectively hydrogenating C5 dienes. An overhead distillate including the linear C5 olefins and a bottoms product including cyclic C5 olefins are recovered from the catalytic distillation reactor system. Other aspects of the C5 olefin systems and processes, including catalyst configurations and control schemes, are also described.

Producing C5 olefins from steam cracker C5 feeds&#x2014;a process using a catalytic distillation reactor system

A process for reducing the concentration of benzene in a hydrocarbon stream, the process including: fractionating a reformate to form a benzene concentrate fraction comprising benzene and other Chydrocarbons, and a heavies fraction comprising Chydrocarbons; and hydrogenating the benzene concentrate fraction to form a hydrocarbon fraction having a reduced benzene concentration.

Process for ultra low benzene reformate using catalytic distillation

A process for the production of tertiary ethers, including: feeding a hydrocarbon stream comprising isoolefins and propionitrile to a distillation column reactor system containing at least one etherification reaction zone; feeding a Cto Cmonoalcohol or mixture thereof to the distillation column reactor; concurrently in the distillation column reactor system: reacting a portion of the isoolefins with a portion of the alcohols to form a tertiary ether; and separating the tertiary ether from unreacted isoolefins; withdrawing the tertiary ether and propionitrile from the distillation column reactor system as a bottoms; withdrawing the unreacted isoolefins from the distillation column reactor system as an overheads; and operating the distillation column reactor system such that the etherification reaction zone is substantially free of propionitrile.

Method of producing tertiary amyl ethyl ether

A process for reacting a first component with itself or a second component to produce a third component in which a first material comprising a first component or said first component and a second component is fed to divided wall column having a catalytic distillation structure in at least one of the separate vertical sections of the divided wall column where concurrently: (1) a first component alone or with a second component is contacted with a catalytic distillation structure in a distillation reaction zone thereby catalytically reacting at least a portion of the first component with itself or with the second component to form a product and (2) a first mixture comprising the first component and the product or the first component, the second component and the product; and withdrawing the product from the distillation column reactor; while within the column concurrently with the catalytic reaction and fractionation a second mixture is fractionated, which contains the first component and the product or first and second components (if a second component is present) and the product in a parallel and separate distillation non reaction zone to fractionate the product and withdrawing the product from said distillation non reaction zone. For example, tertiary amyl methyl ether may be prepared by reacting methanol with isoamylene in a Cstream utilizing a distillation column reactor wherein the distillation column reactor comprises one side of a divided wall column. On one side the product, tertiary amyl methyl ether, is separated from the unreacted methanol and C's and on the other side the remaining isoamylenes are reacted with methanol and a separation of the tertiary amyl methyl ether and C's from the methanol/Cazeotrope is effected.

Process and apparatus for catalytic distillations

A process for concurrently fractionating and treating a full range naphtha stream. The full boiling range naphtha stream is first subjected to simultaneous thioetherification and splitting into a light boiling range naphtha, an intermediate boiling range naphtha and a heavy boiling range naphtha. The intermediate boiling range naphtha containing thiophene and thiophene boiling range mercaptans is passed on to a polishing hydrodesulfurization reactor where a low sulfur, low olefin gas oil is concurrently fed to the polishing reactor to insure that a liquid phase is present.

Process for the selective desulfurization of a mid range gasoline cut

A process for removing acetylenic compounds using unsulfided metallic nickel or unsulfided metallic nickel modified with metallic Mo, Re, Bi or mixtures in which the catalyst is used alone or is used in combination with other acetylenic selective catalysts. The unsulfided metallic nickel catalyst or modified catalyst must be the first catalyst to contact the hydrocarbon stream.

Selective hydrogenation of acetylenes

A process for the production of low benzene content gasoline is disclosed wherein a full boiling range naphtha is fractionated to produce a light naphtha, a medium naphtha and a heavy naphtha. The benzene is contained in the medium naphtha and this stream is subjected to hydrogenation to convert the benzene to cyclohexane which may be isomerized to improve the octane. The valuable olefins are removed in the light naphtha and the valuable heavier aromatics (toluene and xylenes) are removed in the heavy naphtha. In a preferred embodiment all of the reactions are carried out in distillation column reactors.

Process for the production of low benzene gasoline

A light cracked naphtha is treated to convert mercaptans to sulfides and saturate dienes and then subjected to destructive hydrodesulfurization (HDS) to convert the organic sulfur compounds to hydrogen sulfide. The recombinant mercaptans formed by reaction of hydrogen sulfide and olefins at the outlet of the HDS are generally heavier than the light cracked naphtha is fractionated in admixture with a heavy cracked naphtha. A low sulfur content light cracked naphtha is produced as an overheads and the major portion of the mercaptans leave with heavy cracked naphtha as bottoms. It also advantageous to pass the heavy cracked naphtha through the HDS in admixture with the light cracked naphtha, since the recombinant mercaptans formed with the heavy cracked naphtha olefins (which displace some of the lower mercaptans which would form the light cracked naphtha olefins) will be even higher boiling and easier to separate by fractionation.

Process for the treatment of light naphtha hydrocarbon streams

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Pasadena, TX, United States of America

Willibrord A Groten