C4 feedstock preprocessing for MTBE units and crackers
AssigneeSabic Global Technologies B.V.
InventorsVijay Dinkar Bodas, Mohammed Bismillah Ansari
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Abstract
Systems and methods for processing a C3 and C4 hydrocarbon mixture have been disclosed. The C3 and C4 hydrocarbon mixture is separated to remove propane from C4 hydrocarbons. The resulting C4 hydrocarbons are then processed in an isomerization unit to produce additional isobutane. The isobutane of the isomerization unit effluent is dehydrogenated in a dehydrogenation unit to produce isobutene. The resulting isobutene is reacted with an alkanol to produce an alkyl tert-butyl ether.
Claims20
A method of processing a hydrocarbon mixture, the method comprising:
- separating a hydrocarbon mixture comprising propane, n-butane, and/or isobutane to produce (1) a C3 stream comprising primarily propane, and (2) a C4 stream comprising n-butane and/or isobutane;
- steam cracking the propane of the C3 stream under reaction conditions sufficient to produce at least one olefin selected from propylene or ethylene;
- processing at least a portion of the C4 stream under isomerization conditions sufficient to isomerize n-butane of the C4 stream to produce an isomerization unit effluent comprising isobutane;
- and
- cracking at least a portion of the C4 stream in a mixed butane cracker to produce propylene, ethylene, and/or benzene;
- wherein the dehydrogenation unit effluent comprises 35 to 60 wt. % isobutene.
A method of processing hydrocarbon mixtures, the method comprising:
- separating a first hydrocarbon mixture comprising propane, n-butane, and/or isobutane to produce (1) a first C3 stream comprising primarily propane, and (2) a first C4 stream comprising n-butane and/or isobutane;
- separating a second hydrocarbon mixture comprising propane, n-butane, and/or isobutane to produce (a) a second C3 stream comprising primarily propane, and (b) a second C4 stream comprising n-butane and/or isobutane;
- steam cracking the propane of the first C3 stream and the second C3 stream under reaction conditions sufficient to produce propylene;
- cracking the n-butane and/or isobutane of the second C4 stream to produce propylene, ethylene and/or benzene;
- processing at least a portion of the first C4 stream under isomerization conditions sufficient to isomerize n-butane of the first C4 stream to produce an isomerization unit effluent comprising isobutane;
- dehydrogenating the isobutane of the isomerization unit effluent in a dehydrogenation unit to produce isobutene in a dehydrogenation unit effluent;
- and
- reacting, in an etherification unit, the isobutene of the dehydrogenation unit effluent with an alkynol in the presence of a catalyst under reaction conditions sufficient to produce an alkyl tert-butyl ether in an etherification unit effluent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.