Two-step process for production of RON-enhanced mixed butanols and diisobutenes
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorsKareemuddin M. Shaik, Wei Xu, Thamer Mohammed, Hassan Babiker, Gautam Tavanappa Kalghatgi
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Abstract
A two-step process for the oligomerization and hydration of a mixed butenes feed is provided and is implemented in a two-stage system. The two-step process yields a product consisting of diisobutenes (DIBs) and mixed butanols. The DIBs are produced via the selective oligomerization of isobutene in a first stage and the mixed butanols are produced via the hydration, in a second stage, of mixed butenes that remain unreacted in the first stage.
Claims21
A method for preparing a gasoline composition, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a fuel grade gasoline;
- providing an octane enhancing composition comprising an oligomerized and hydrated hydrocarbon product stream formed by a process that includes the steps of:
- introducing a hydrocarbon feed that comprises mixed butenes including isobutene and n-butenes into a first reactor vessel under reaction conditions that are operable to oligomerize isobutene into diisobutenes;
- contacting the hydrocarbon feed with an oligomerization catalyst within the first reactor vessel, the oligomerization catalyst being of a type that selectively oligomerizes the isobutene into diisobutenes;
- separating the diisobutenes from unreacted butenes to form a diisobutene stream;
- introducing the unreacted butenes into a second reactor vessel in the presence of water and under reaction conditions that operable to hydrate the unreacted butenes including the unreacted n-butenes and any unreacted isobutene;
- contacting the unreacted butenes with a hydration catalyst within the second reactor vessel to hydrate the unreacted butenes to form a mixed butanols stream;
- and
- combining the diisobutene stream and mixed butanols stream to form the product stream;
- and
- combining the fuel grade gasoline and octane enhancing composition to form the gasoline composition.
A method for preparing a gasoline composition, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a fuel grade gasoline;
- providing an octane enhancing composition comprising an oligomerized and hydrated hydrocarbon product stream formed by a process that includes the steps of:
- introducing a hydrocarbon feed that comprises mixed butenes including isobutene and n-butenes into a first reactor vessel under reaction conditions that are operable to oligomerize the butenes;
- contacting the hydrocarbon feed with an oligomerization catalyst within the first reactor vessel, the oligomerization catalyst being of a type that selectively oligomerizes isobutene into diisobutenes;
- separating the diisobutenes from unreacted butenes to form a diisobutene stream, wherein the step of separating the diisobutenes from the unreacted butenes comprises the step of:
- introducing the diisobutenes and the unreacted butenes from the first reactor vessel into a low pressure separator that is configured to separate the diisobutenes from the unreacted butenes including unreacted n-butenes and any unreacted isobutene;
- introducing the unreacted butenes into a second reactor vessel in the presence of water and under reaction conditions that operable to hydrate the unreacted butenes including the unreacted n-butenes and any unreacted isobutene;
- contacting the unreacted butenes with a hydration catalyst within the second reactor vessel to hydrate the unreacted butenes to form a mixed butanols stream;
- and
- combining the diisobutene stream and mixed butanols stream to form a product stream;
- and
- combining the fuel grade gasoline and octane enhancing composition to form the gasoline composition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.