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US 12,145,908 B2Granted
Hydrocarbon extraction and/or separation processes utilizing a membrane separator
AssigneeExxonMobil Engineering & Technology Company
InventorsTodd E. Detjen, Chong-Jhoo Wang, Robert G. Tinger
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Abstract
A membrane separator comprising a membrane is used to separate various streams in processes for separating aromatic hydrocarbons from non-aromatic hydrocarbons. Such streams can be a lean-solvent stream, a rich-solvent stream, or a hydrocarbon stream comprising both aromatic and non-aromatic hydrocarbons. The membrane separator is advantageously used in combination with an extraction sub-system including a liquid-liquid distillation column and/or an extraction distillation column.
Claims19
A process for extracting aromatic hydrocarbons from a mixture feed comprising aromatic hydrocarbons and non-aromatic hydrocarbons, the process comprising:
- (A-1) feeding the mixture feed into an extraction column;
- (A-2) receiving a first lean-solvent stream comprising a polar solvent at a concentration of c(ps) wt %, and heavy components at a total concentration of c(hcom) wt %;
- based on the total weight of the first lean-solvent stream, where 75≤c(ps)≤99.99, wherein heavy components comprise one or more components being present in the first lean-solvent stream different from the polar solvent;
- (A-3) wherein the receiving comprises feeding the first lean-solvent stream into a membrane separator, wherein the membrane separator comprises a vessel having a first volume, a second volume, and a membrane between the first volume and the second volume;
- the first volume is separated from the second volume by the membrane;
- the membrane is more permeable to the polar solvent than to the heavy components;
- and the first lean-solvent stream is fed into the first volume;
- (A-4) obtaining a retentate stream exiting the first volume of the membrane separator, wherein the retentate steam is rich in the heavy components relative to the first lean-solvent stream;
- (A-5) obtaining a permeate stream exiting the second volume of the membrane separator, wherein the permeate stream is depleted in the heavy components relative to the first lean-solvent stream;
- (A-6) feeding at least a portion of the permeate stream into the extraction column, wherein the permeate stream facilitates extraction of the aromatic hydrocarbons from the mixture feed;
- (A-7) phase separating at least a portion of the retentate stream to obtain a heavy components stream and a solvent stream saturated with heavy components;
- and
- (A-8) feeding at least a portion of the solvent stream saturated with heavy components to the extraction column.
10 more elements
A process for extracting aromatic hydrocarbons from a mixture feed comprising aromatic hydrocarbons and non-aromatic hydrocarbons, the process comprising:
- (A-1) feeding the mixture feed into an extraction column;
- (A-2) receiving a first lean-solvent stream comprising a polar solvent at a concentration of c(ps) wt %, and heavy components at a total concentration of c(hcom) wt %, based on the total weight of the lean-solvent stream, wherein heavy components comprise one or more components being present in the first lean-solvent stream different from the polar solvent;
- (A-3) wherein the receiving comprises feeding the first lean-solvent stream into a membrane separator, wherein the membrane separator comprises a vessel having a first volume, a second volume, and a membrane between the first volume and the second volume;
- the first volume is separated from the second volume by the membrane;
- the membrane is more permeable to the polar solvent than to the heavy components;
- and the first lean-solvent stream is fed into the first volume;
- (A-4) obtaining a retentate stream exiting the first volume of the membrane separator, wherein the retentate steam is rich in the heavy components relative to the first lean-solvent stream;
- (A-5) obtaining a permeate stream exiting the second volume of the membrane separator, wherein the permeate stream is depleted in the heavy components relative to the first lean-solvent stream;
- (A-6) feeding at least a portion of the permeate stream into the extraction column, wherein the permeate stream facilitates extraction of the aromatic hydrocarbons from the mixture feed;
- (A-7) phase separating at least a portion of the retentate stream to obtain a heavy components stream and a solvent stream saturated with heavy components;
- and
- (A-8) feeding at least a portion of the solvent stream saturated with heavy components to the extraction column;
- (A-9) feeding a second lean-solvent stream comprising the polar solvent into the extraction column,
- wherein in a given time period, the first lean-solvent stream comprises the polar solvent at a total weight of W1, the second lean-solvent stream comprises the polar solvent at a total weight of W2, and 0.5%≤W1/(W1+W2)*100%≤10%.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.