Systems and methods for reforming a heavy aromatic stream
AssigneeVirent, Inc.
InventorsPaul G. Blommel, Matthew Van Straten, Brice Dally
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Abstract
Processes, catalysts, and reactor systems for reforming heavy aromatic compounds (C11+) into C6-8 aromatic compounds are disclosed. Also disclosed are processes, catalysts, and reactor systems for producing aromatic compounds and liquid fuels from oxygenated hydrocarbons, such as carbohydrates, sugars, sugar alcohols, sugar degradation products, and the like.
Claims13
A process for producing and separating aromatic hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon feed stream, the hydrocarbon feed stream comprising a plurality of non-aromatic hydrocarbons and aromatic hydrocarbons, wherein the non-aromatic hydrocarbons comprise a paraffin, an olefin, a naphthene, or a combination thereof, and wherein the aromatic hydrocarbons comprise an aryl, a fused aryl, a polycylic compound, or a combination thereof, the process comprising:
- (i) fractionating, using a series of distillation columns, the hydrocarbon feed stream to separate an aromatics product stream and a heavy hydrocarbon stream from the hydrocarbon feed stream, wherein the aromatics product stream comprises a C6 aromatic, a C7 aromatic, a C8 aromatic, or a combination thereof, and wherein the heavy hydrocarbon stream comprises C11+ compounds;
- (ii) contacting the heavy hydrocarbon stream with a hydrogenation catalyst in the presence of hydrogen to produce a hydrogenated C11+ stream;
- and
- (iii) contacting the hydrogenated C11+ stream with at least one conversion catalyst to dealkylate at least a portion of the C11+ compounds to generate a reformate stream, wherein the reformate stream is fed to the series of distillation columns of step (i).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.