US 11,603,344 B2Granted

Selective hydrogenolysis integrated with MTBE production

AssigneeSabic Global Technologies B.V.

InventorsDustin Fickel, Scott Stevenson, MyatNoeZin Myint, Heng Shou

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Abstract

A process for producing methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) comprising introducing a butane feed stream (n-butane, i-butane) and hydrogen to a hydrogenolysis reactor comprising a hydrogenolysis catalyst to produce a hydrogenolysis product stream comprising hydrogen, methane, ethane, propane, i-butane, and optionally n-butane; separating the hydrogenolysis product stream into a first hydrogen-containing stream, an optional methane stream, a C2 to C3 gas stream (ethane, propane), and a butane stream (i-butane, optionally n-butane); feeding the butane stream to a dehydrogenation reactor to produce a dehydrogenation product stream, wherein the dehydrogenation reactor comprises a dehydrogenation catalyst, and wherein the dehydrogenation product stream comprises hydrogen, i-butane, and isobutylene; and feeding the dehydrogenation product stream and methanol to an etherification unit to produce an unreacted methanol stream, an unreacted isobutylene stream, and an MTBE stream.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A process comprising:

(a) introducing a butane feed stream and hydrogen to a hydrogenolysis reactor to produce a hydrogenolysis product stream, wherein the hydrogenolysis reactor comprises a hydrogenolysis catalyst, wherein the hydrogenolysis catalyst comprises Pt and Ir supported on ZSM-5, wherein the hydrogenolysis reactor is characterized by a temperature of from about 200° C. to about 330° C., wherein the butane feed stream comprises n-butane and i-butane, wherein the n-butane is present in the butane feed stream in an amount of equal to or greater than about 50 mol %, wherein the hydrogenolysis reactor is characterized by an i-butane conversion of less than about 25%, wherein the hydrogenolysis reactor is characterized by a n-butane conversion of equal to or greater than about 90%, and wherein the hydrogenolysis product stream comprises hydrogen, methane, ethane, propane, i-butane, and optionally n-butane;
(b) separating at least a portion of the hydrogenolysis product stream in a first separation unit into a first hydrogen-containing stream, an optional methane stream, a C2 to C3 gas stream, and a butane stream, wherein the C2 to C3 gas stream comprises ethane and propane, and wherein the butane stream comprises i-butane and optionally n-butane;
and
(c) feeding at least a portion of the butane stream to a dehydrogenation reactor to produce a dehydrogenation product stream, wherein the dehydrogenation reactor comprises a dehydrogenation catalyst, and wherein the dehydrogenation product stream comprises hydrogen, i-butane, and isobutylene.

1 more element

A process for producing methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) comprising:

(a) introducing a butane feed stream and hydrogen to a hydrogenolysis reactor to produce a hydrogenolysis product stream, wherein the hydrogenolysis reactor comprises a hydrogenolysis bimetallic supported catalyst, wherein the hydrogenolysis bimetallic supported catalyst comprises Pt and Ir supported on ZSM-5, wherein the hydrogenolysis reactor is characterized by a temperature of less than about 330° C., wherein the hydrogenolysis reactor is characterized by an i-butane conversion of less than about 25%, wherein the hydrogenolysis reactor is characterized by a n-butane conversion of equal to or greater than about 90%, wherein the butane feed stream comprises n-butane and i-butane, wherein the butane feed stream is characterized by a mole ratio of n-butane to i-butane of equal to or greater than about 1:1, and wherein the hydrogenolysis product stream comprises hydrogen, methane, ethane, propane, and i-butane;
(b) separating at least a portion of the hydrogenolysis product stream in a first separation unit into a first hydrogen-containing stream, an optional methane stream, a C2 to C3 gas stream, and a first i-butane stream, wherein the C2 to C3 gas stream comprises ethane and propane;
(c) feeding at least a portion of the first i-butane stream to a dehydrogenation reactor to produce a dehydrogenation product stream, wherein the dehydrogenation reactor comprises a dehydrogenation catalyst, and wherein the dehydrogenation product stream comprises hydrogen, i-butane, and isobutylene;
(d) separating at least a portion of the dehydrogenation product stream in a second separation unit into a second hydrogen-containing stream, a second i-butane stream, and an isobutylene stream;
(e) feeding at least a portion of the isobutylene stream and methanol to an etherification unit to produce an unreacted methanol stream, an unreacted isobutylene stream, and an MTBE stream;
and
(f) recycling at least a portion of the unreacted methanol stream and/or at least a portion of the unreacted isobutylene stream to the etherification unit.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/262,287Filed 17 Sep 2019 · us provisional application
Priority: 19 Sep 2018
Published: US 2021/0269381 A12 Sep 2021
Granted: 14 Mar 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

C07C 41/06
By addition of compounds to unsaturated compounds: by addition of organic compounds only
B01J 29/44
Containing iron group metals, noble metals or copper: noble metals
C07C 4/10
By splitting-off an aliphatic or cycloaliphatic part from the molecule: from acyclic hydrocarbons
C07C 2529/44
Containing iron group metals, noble metals or copper: noble metals