Isomerization process
AssigneeUop LLC
InventorsManoj Kumar, Avijit Basu, Valentina Di Mauro
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hydrocarbon isomerization system for an iC4 feed stream that provides for removal of C3s from an isomerization reactor feed stream by the addition of a depropanizer column to remove C3s from the reactor effluent stream after it has passed through a stabilizer column. This configuration prevents a buildup of C3s in the system and provides significant savings by reducing the size of the chloride treaters that are used to remove chlorides from off gas, increasing chlorides recovered to the hydrocarbon feed stream for use in combination with the isomerization catalyst. Significant utility savings are provided as well as a reduction in the amount of perchloroethane (PERC) and adsorbent that are required.
Claims14
A process for isomerizing a hydrocarbon feed stream comprising at least one of C4 to C7 hydrocarbons, wherein the process comprises:
- drying the hydrocarbon feed stream to provide a dried hydrocarbon feed stream;
- absorbing chlorides from a gaseous stream with the dried hydrocarbon feed stream in an absorber column to provide a chloride rich hydrocarbon feed stream and a chloride lean vapor;
- isomerizing the chloride rich hydrocarbon feed stream in the presence of an isomerization catalyst and hydrogen in an isomerization reactor under isomerization conditions to produce an isomerized stream;
- stabilizing the isomerized stream in a stabilizer unit to provide a stabilizer off-gas stream comprising C2− hydrocarbon, H2 and chlorides, and a liquid isomerate stream;
- sending said liquid isomerate stream to a depropanizer column to produce a C4+ product stream and a C3 vapor stream;
- and
- sending a first portion of the stabilizer off-gas stream as the gaseous stream to the absorber column to provide an absorber overhead stream comprising the chloride lean vapor and an absorber bottoms stream comprising the chloride rich hydrocarbon feed stream.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.