# US 11,028,329 B1 · Producing C6-C8 aromatics from FCC heavy naphtha

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- Number: US 11,028,329 B1
- Document ID: US11028329B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 16/845,549
- Filed: 2020-04-10
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2020-04-10
- Assignees: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
- Applicants: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
- Inventors: Yufeng He; Abdullah Al Ghazal; Qi Xu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11028329B1

## CPC

- C10G 55/06: including at least one catalytic cracking step
- C10G 63/04: including at least one cracking step
- B01J 8/1827: {the fluidising gas being a reactant}
- B01J 8/24: according to "fluidised-bed" technique (B01J8/20 takes precedence)
- B01J 19/245: {placed in series}
- C10G 11/18: according to the "fluidised-bed" technique
- C10G 21/02: with two or more solvents, which are introduced or withdrawn separately
- C10G 51/026: {only catalytic cracking steps}
- C10G 61/02: plural serial stages only
- C10G 67/0445: {The hydrotreatment being a hydrocracking}
- C10G 69/04: including at least one step of catalytic cracking in the absence of hydrogen
- C10L 1/06: for spark ignition
- B01J 2219/0004: Processes in series
- C10G 2300/1044: Heavy gasoline or naphtha having a boiling range of about 100 - 180 °C
- C10G 2400/02: Gasoline
- C10G 2400/30: Aromatics
- C10L 2200/0423: Gasoline
- C10L 2270/023: for gasoline engines
- C10G: CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION (cracking to hydrogen or synthesis gas C01B; cracking or pyrolysis of hydrocarbon gases to individual hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof of definite or specified constitution C07C; cracking to cokes C10B); RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- C10L: FUELS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NATURAL GAS; SYNTHETIC NATURAL GAS OBTAINED BY PROCESSES NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C10G OR C10K; LIQUIFIED PETROLEUM GAS; USE OF ADDITIVES TO FUELS OR FIRES; FIRE-LIGHTERS

## Abstract

A method of forming C6-C8 aromatics may include selectively dealkylating a Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) heavy cut naphtha that has at least C9+ aromatics to selectively crack C2+ alkyl chains from the C9+ aromatics, thereby forming the C6-C8 aromatics. The selectively de-alkylated heavy cut naphtha is then combined with a FCC middle cut naphtha, and aromatics including the C6-C8 aromatics are separated from the combined stream. A system for forming C6-C8 aromatics may include a fluid catalytic cracking unit for producing a FCC heavy cut naphtha comprising at least C9+ aromatics; a de-alkylation reactor for selectively cracking C2+ alkyl chains from the C9+ aromatics, thereby forming the C6-C8 aromatics; and an aromatic extraction unit for extracting at least a portion of the C6-C8 aromatics.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of forming C6-C8 aromatics, comprising:
selectively de-alkylating a Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) heavy cut naphtha (HCN),
wherein at least 90 vol % of the FCC HCN is C9+,
wherein the FCC HCN comprises at least C9+ aromatics, to selectively crack C2+ alkyl chains from the C9+ aromatics, thereby forming the C6-C8 aromatics;
combining the selectively de-alkylated heavy cut naphtha with a FCC middle cut naphtha (MCN); and
separating aromatics including the C6-C8 aromatics from the combined stream.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
trans-alkylating separated aromatics.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, sending a raffinate remaining after separating the aromatics from the combined stream to a gasoline pool.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein reforming a raffinate remaining after separating the aromatics from the combined stream.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising: combining a light portion of a FCC light cycle oil with the FCC heavy cut naphtha prior to the selective de-alkylation.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method according to claim 5, wherein the FCC light cycle oil comprises C10+ aromatics, C10+ olefins, C10+ paraffins, and C10+ naphthenes.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the FCC heavy cut naphtha comprises C9+ olefins, C9+ paraffins, C9+ naphthenes, and C9+ aromatics.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the FCC heavy cut naphtha has an initial cut above 100° C. and an end cut below 240° C.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the FCC heavy cut naphtha has an initial cut above 140° C. and an end cut below 180° C.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the de-alkylation is performed at a temperature ranging from 200-540° C., a pressure ranging from 10-50 bar, a liquid hourly space velocity ranging from 1-20 h−1, and a hydrogen to feed ratio ranging from 0-20.

### Claim 11

A system for forming C6-C8 aromatics, comprising:
a fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit for producing a FCC heavy cut naphtha (HCN) comprising at least C9+ aromatics, wherein at least 90 vol % of the FCC HCN is C9+;
a de-alkylation reactor configured to receive the at least 90 vol % FCC HCN that is C9+ for selectively cracking C2+ alkyl chains from the C9+ aromatics, thereby forming the C6-C8 aromatics; and
an aromatic extraction unit configured to receive the C6-C8 aromatics for extracting at least a portion of the C6-C8 aromatics.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system according to claim 11, further comprising a trans-alkylation unit for converting meta-xylene and ortho-xylene into para-xylene.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the trans-alkylation unit receives aromatics from the aromatics extraction unit.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The system according to claim 11, wherein the aromatic extraction unit also receives an FCC middle cut naphtha feed from the fluid catalytic cracking unit.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The system according to claim 11, wherein the FCC heavy cut naphtha comprises 0-10 vol. % paraffin, 0-10 vol. % naphthenes, 0-30 vol. % olefins, and 50-90 vol. % aromatics.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The system according to claim 11, wherein the C9+ aromatics in the FCC heavy cut naphtha comprises 20-75 wt % C9 aromatics, 20-75 wt % C10 aromatics and 5-20 wt % C11 aromatics.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The system according to claim 11, wherein the selective de-alkylation reactor also receives an FCC light cut oil.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The system according to claim 11, wherein the FCC light cycle oil comprises 0-10 vol. % paraffin, 0-10 vol. % naphthenes, 0-20 vol. % olefins, and 60-95 vol. % aromatics.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The system according to claim 18, wherein the aromatics in the FCC light cycle oil comprise 0-5 wt % C9 aromatics, 0-10 wt % C10 aromatics, 0-30 wt % C11 aromatics, 0-30 wt % C12 aromatics, 0-30 wt % C13 aromatics, and 0-20 wt % C14+ aromatics.