# US 11,306,042 B2 · Processes for an improvement to gasoline octane for long-chain paraffin feed streams

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- Number: US 11,306,042 B2
- Document ID: US11306042B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/157,142
- Filed: 2021-01-25
- Published: 2021-08-12
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2018-01-08
- Assignees: Swift Fuels, LLC
- Applicants: Swift Fuels, LLC
- Inventors: Chris D'Acosta; Jeffery Miller; Robert Hoch
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11306042B2

## CPC

- C07C 4/06: Catalytic processes {(C07C4/025 takes precedence)}
- C10G 11/05: Crystalline alumino-silicates, e.g. molecular sieves
- C10G 47/16: Crystalline alumino-silicate carriers
- C10G 51/026: {only catalytic cracking steps}
- C10G 63/04: including at least one cracking step
- C10G 69/04: including at least one step of catalytic cracking in the absence of hydrogen
- C10G 69/08: including at least one step of reforming naphtha
- C10L 1/04: essentially based on blends of hydrocarbons
- C07C 2529/48: containing arsenic, antimony, bismuth, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, polonium, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, manganese, technetium or rhenium
- C10G 2300/1085: Solid paraffins
- C10G 2300/301: Boiling range
- C10G 2300/305: Octane number, e.g. motor octane number [MON], research octane number [RON]
- C10L 10/10: for improving the octane number
- C10L 2290/141: of additive or catalyst
- C07C: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
- 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
- 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

Methods for making higher-octane fuel components from a feed stream of C8+ paraffins, including catalytically cracking the C8+ paraffins using a Zeolite catalyst to produce a reaction product of mid-chain paraffins and olefins and short-chain paraffins and olefins. The reaction product comprises liquid phase paraffins having an increased Octane Value over the feed stream paraffins. The reaction product further comprises a gas phase of short-chain paraffins which are separated from the liquid phase. In embodiments, the short chain olefins are hydrogenated to form mid-chain paraffins and a gas phase containing short-chain paraffins.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for making a higher-octane fuel component from a feed stream containing C8+paraffins, comprising:
catalytically cracking C8+paraffins in the feed stream using a hydrogenation-metal-impregnated Zeolite catalyst at a temperature below 370° C., a pressure below 250 psig, and a flow rate of 1.5 to 3 WHSV and converting the C8+ paraffins to a reaction product comprising first C5-7 paraffins, first C4- paraffins, and C5-7 and C4- olefins converted from the C8+ paraffins,
the C5-7 olefins and the C4- olefins being hydrogenated in the presence of the hydrogenation-metal-impregnated Zeolite catalyst to form second C5-7 paraffins and second C4- paraffins, respectively.
the reaction product comprising a liquid phase containing product first and second C5-7 paraffins and a gas phase containing product first and second C4- paraffins;
the liquid phase paraffins having an Octane Value that is at least 1 Octane Value higher than the Octane Value of the paraffins in the feed stream; and
separating the liquid phase from the gas phase.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 in which the C8+ paraffins in the feedstream comprise C8-13 paraffins.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 in which the C8+ paraffins in the feedstream comprise C8-13 n-paraffins.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 which further includes addition of hydrogen to the feed stream prior to the catalytic cracking.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 in which the feed stream further includes aromatic hydrocarbons.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 in which the catalytic cracking is performed under operating conditions in which less than 5% of the aromatics are saturated.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 in which the feed stream comprises an output stream downstream of a catalytic reformer or a catalytic cracker.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7 which further includes addition of hydrogen to the feed stream prior to the catalytic cracking.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7 in which the catalytic cracking is performed without hydrogen other than that present in the output stream to reduce conversion of alkyl-aromatics to benzene and/or reduce coking.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 in which the feed stream comprises a complete reformate stream.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 in which the liquid phase further comprises C8+ paraffins.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 which further comprises pretreating the feed stream prior to catalytic cracking, the pretreating being selected from the group consisting of thermal separation, slit stream, distillation and sulfur-reduction.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12 in which the pretreating is selected from the group consisting of thermal separation to provide a feed stream cut above 95° C., thermal separation to provide a feed stream cut above 115° C., thermal separation to provide a feedstream cut above 140° C., and thermal separation to provide a feedstream cut above 159° C.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13 in which the pretreating comprises thermal separation to provide a feed stream cut above 95° C.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13 in which the pretreating comprises thermal separation to provide a feed stream cut above 115° C.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13 in which the pretreating comprises thermal separation to provide a feedstream cut above 140° C.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13 in which the pretreating comprises thermal separation to provide a feedstream cut above 159° C.