US 10,865,353 B2Granted

Maximizing high-value chemicals from mixed plastic using different steam-cracker configurations

AssigneeSabic Global Technologies B.V.

InventorsKrishna Kumar Ramamurthy, Nicolas Goyheneix, Ravichander Narayanaswamy, Lara Galan-Sanchez

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Abstract

A process for producing olefins and aromatics comprising converting plastics to a hydrocarbon product comprising a gas phase and a liquid phase in a pyrolysis unit; separating the hydrocarbon product into a hydrocarbon gas stream comprising the gas phase and a hydrocarbon liquid stream comprising the liquid phase; feeding the hydrocarbon gas stream to a gas steam cracker to produce a gas steam cracker product comprising olefins, wherein an olefins amount in the gas steam cracker product is greater than in the hydrocarbon gas stream; separating the hydrocarbon liquid stream into a first fraction (b.p.<300° C.) and a second fraction (b.p>300° C.); feeding the first fraction to a liquid steam cracker to produce a liquid steam cracker product comprising olefins and aromatics, wherein an olefins amount in the liquid steam cracker product is greater than in the first fraction; and recycling the second fraction to the pyrolysis unit.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A process for producing olefins and aromatic hydrocarbons from mixed plastics, the process comprising the steps of:

(a) converting mixed plastics to a hydrocarbon product in a pyrolysis unit, wherein the hydrocarbon product comprises a gas phase and a liquid phase;
(b) separating at least a portion of the hydrocarbon product into a hydrocarbon gas stream and a hydrocarbon liquid stream, wherein the hydrocarbon gas stream comprises at least a portion of the gas phase of the hydrocarbon product, and wherein the hydrocarbon liquid stream comprises at least a portion of the liquid phase of the hydrocarbon product;
(c) feeding at least a portion of the hydrocarbon gas stream to a gas steam cracker to produce a gas steam cracker product stream, wherein the gas steam cracker product stream comprises olefins, and wherein an amount of olefins in the gas steam cracker product stream is greater than an amount of olefins in the hydrocarbon gas stream;
(d) separating at least a portion of the hydrocarbon liquid stream into a first fraction of the hydrocarbon liquid stream and a second fraction of the hydrocarbon liquid stream, wherein the first fraction of the hydrocarbon liquid stream is characterized by a boiling point of less than about 300° C., and wherein the second fraction of the hydrocarbon liquid stream is characterized by a boiling point of equal to or greater than about 300° C.;
(e) feeding at least a portion of the first fraction of the hydrocarbon liquid stream to a liquid steam cracker to produce a liquid steam cracker product stream, wherein the liquid steam cracker product stream comprises olefins and aromatic hydrocarbons, and wherein an amount of olefins in the liquid steam cracker product stream is greater than an amount of olefins in the first fraction of the hydrocarbon liquid stream;
and
(f) recycling at least a portion of the second fraction of the hydrocarbon liquid stream to the pyrolysis unit.

4 more elements

A process for producing olefins and aromatic hydrocarbons from mixed plastics, the process comprising the steps of:

(a) converting mixed plastics to a hydrocarbon product in a pyrolysis unit, wherein the hydrocarbon product comprises a gas phase and a liquid phase;
(b) separating the hydrocarbon product into a hydrocarbon gas stream and a hydrocarbon liquid stream, wherein the hydrocarbon gas stream comprises at least a portion of the gas phase of the hydrocarbon product, and wherein the hydrocarbon liquid stream comprises at least a portion of the liquid phase of the hydrocarbon product;
(c) feeding at least a portion of the hydrocarbon gas stream to a gas steam cracker to produce a gas steam cracker product stream, wherein the gas steam cracker product stream comprises olefins, and wherein an amount of olefins in the gas steam cracker product stream is greater than an amount of olefins in the hydrocarbon gas stream;
(d) separating at least a portion of the hydrocarbon liquid stream into a first fraction of the hydrocarbon liquid stream and a second fraction of the hydrocarbon liquid stream, wherein the first fraction of the hydrocarbon liquid stream is characterized by a boiling point of less than about 300° C., and wherein the second fraction of the hydrocarbon liquid stream is characterized by a boiling point of equal to or greater than about 300° C.;
(e) conveying at least a portion of the first fraction of the hydrocarbon liquid stream and hydrogen to a hydroprocessing unit to produce a treated hydrocarbon liquid stream and a hydroprocessing unit gas product stream, wherein the treated hydrocarbon liquid stream is characterized by a boiling point of less than about 300° C., wherein the treated hydrocarbon liquid stream is characterized by a chloride amount of less than about 10 ppmw chloride, based on the total weight of the treated hydrocarbon liquid stream, and wherein the treated hydrocarbon liquid stream is characterized by an olefin content of less than about 1 wt. % olefins, based on the total weight of the treated hydrocarbon liquid stream;
(f) feeding at least a portion of the treated hydrocarbon liquid stream to a liquid steam cracker to produce a liquid steam cracker product stream, wherein the liquid steam cracker product stream comprises olefins and aromatic hydrocarbons, and wherein an amount of olefins in the liquid steam cracker product stream is greater than an amount of olefins in the hydrocarbon liquid stream;
and
(g) recycling at least a portion of the second fraction of the hydrocarbon liquid stream to the pyrolysis unit.

5 more elements

A process for producing olefins and aromatic hydrocarbons from mixed plastics, the process comprising the steps of:

(a) converting mixed plastics to a hydrocarbon product in a pyrolysis unit, wherein the hydrocarbon product comprises a gas phase and a liquid phase;
(b) separating the hydrocarbon product into a hydrocarbon gas stream and a hydrocarbon liquid stream, wherein the hydrocarbon gas stream comprises at least a portion of the gas phase of the hydrocarbon product, wherein the hydrocarbon gas stream comprises olefins and saturated hydrocarbons, and wherein the hydrocarbon liquid stream comprises at least a portion of the liquid phase of the hydrocarbon product;
(c) introducing at least a portion of the hydrocarbon gas stream to a first separating unit to produce a first saturated hydrocarbons gas stream and a first olefin gas stream, wherein the first olefin gas stream comprises at least a portion of the olefins of the hydrocarbon gas stream, wherein the first saturated hydrocarbons gas stream comprises at least a portion of the saturated hydrocarbons of the hydrocarbon gas stream, and wherein the first saturated hydrocarbons gas stream is characterized by an olefin content of less than about 1 wt. % olefins, based on the total weight of the first saturated hydrocarbons gas stream;
(d) feeding at least a portion of the first saturated hydrocarbons gas stream to a gas steam cracker to produce a gas steam cracker product stream, wherein an amount of olefins in the gas steam cracker product stream is greater than an amount of olefins in the first saturated hydrocarbon gas stream;
(e) conveying at least a portion of the hydrocarbon liquid stream and hydrogen to a hydroprocessing unit to produce a treated hydrocarbon liquid stream and a hydroprocessing unit gas product stream, wherein the treated hydrocarbon liquid stream is characterized by a chloride amount of less than about 10 ppmw chloride, based on the total weight of the treated hydrocarbon liquid stream, and wherein the treated hydrocarbon liquid stream is characterized by an olefin content of less than about 1 wt. % olefins, based on the total weight of the treated hydrocarbon liquid stream;
(f) separating at least a portion of the treated hydrocarbon liquid stream into a first fraction of the treated hydrocarbon liquid stream and a second fraction of the treated hydrocarbon liquid stream, wherein the first fraction of the treated hydrocarbon liquid stream is characterized by a boiling point of less than about 430° C., and wherein the second fraction of the treated hydrocarbon liquid stream is characterized by a boiling point of equal to or greater than about 430° C.;
(g) feeding at least a portion of the first fraction of the treated hydrocarbon liquid stream to a liquid steam cracker to produce a liquid steam cracker product stream, wherein an amount of olefins in the liquid steam cracker product stream is greater than an amount of olefins in the first fraction of the treated hydrocarbon liquid stream;
(h) feeding at least a portion of the hydroprocessing unit gas product stream to the first separating unit and/or the gas steam cracker;
(i) introducing at least a portion of the gas steam cracker product stream, at least a portion of the liquid steam cracker product stream, at least a portion of the first olefin gas stream, or combinations thereof to a second separating unit to produce a second olefin gas stream, a second saturated hydrocarbons gas stream, a C6-C8 aromatics stream, a C9+ aromatics stream, and a non-aromatic heavies stream;
wherein the second olefin gas stream comprises ethylene, propylene, butylene, butadiene, or combinations thereof;
wherein the second saturated hydrocarbons gas stream comprises methane, ethane, propane, butanes, hydrogen, or combinations thereof;
wherein the C6-C8 aromatics stream comprises C6-C8 aromatic hydrocarbons, benzene, toluene, xylenes, ethylbenzene, or combinations thereof;
wherein the C9+ aromatics stream comprises C9+ aromatic hydrocarbons;
and wherein the non-aromatic heavies stream comprises C5+ hydrocarbons other than C6+ aromatic hydrocarbons;
(j) recycling at least a portion of the second saturated hydrocarbons gas stream to the gas steam cracker;
(k) recycling at least a portion of the non-aromatic heavies stream and at least a portion of the C9+ aromatics stream to the hydroprocessing unit;
and
(l) recycling at least a portion of the second fraction of the treated hydrocarbon liquid stream to the pyrolysis unit.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/323,710Filed 4 Oct 2017 · us provisional application
Priority: 11 Oct 2016
Published: US 2019/0177626 A113 Jun 2019
Granted: 15 Dec 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

C10G 69/06
Plural serial stages only: including at least one step of thermal cracking in the absence of hydrogen
C10G 1/002
Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal: in…
C10G 1/10
Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal: from…
C10G 9/36
By direct contact with inert preheated fluids, e.g. with molten metals or salts: with heated gases or vapours

Family

Application62/406,722Us provisional application · filed 11 Oct 2016
US 2019/0177626 A1Pre-grant publication · published 13 Jun 2019
US 10,927,315 B2Related patent
US 10,865,353 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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