Hydrocarbon conversion process
AssigneeUop LLC
InventorDennis J. Ward
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Alkylaromatic hydrocarbons are produced in a process which comprises concentrating a feed aromatic hydrocarbon into a sidecut stream removed from a fractionation column. A feed acyclic olefin is then admixed with the aromatic hydrocarbon and passed through an alkylation reaction zone operated at optimum alkylation conditions. The reaction zone effluent is returned to the fractionation column to recover the product and to recycle untreated feed aromatics. This technique can be applied to hydrocarbon conversion processes in general to obtain benefits of catalytic distillation while operating the reaction zone at conditions not suitable for catalytic distillation. Hydrogen and other light gases are preferably separated from the reaction zone effluent by cooling and vapor-liquid separation external to the column.
Claims18
A process for the production of a product chemical compound by the reaction of a more volatile first and second feed chemical compound which comprises the steps:
- (a) passing a first feed stream comprising the first feed compound into a fractionation zone operated under conditions which result in the separation of compounds present in the fractionation zone into an overhead vapor stream comprising the first feed compound, and a bottoms stream which comprises the product chemical compound;
- (b) withdrawing a sidecut stream from the fractionation zone at a first intermediate point separated from each functional end of the fractionation zone by contacting material capable of providing at least two theoretical stages of separation, with said sidecut stream comprising said first feed compound;
- (c) passing said sidecut stream and a second feed stream comprising the second feed compound into a catalytic reaction zone operated at conditions which promote the reaction of the first and second feed compounds to form the product compound and thereby producing a reaction zone effluent stream comprising the product compound and the first feed compound;
- (d) passing the reaction zone effluent stream into the fractionation zone at a second intermediate point;
- and,
- (e) recovering a net bottoms stream comprising the product compound from the fractionation zone.
A hydrocarbon conversion process which comprises the steps:
- (a) passing a first feed stream comprising a feed hydrocarbon into a fractionation zone operated under conditions which result in the separation of entering hydrocarbons into an overhead vapor stream, which is rich in the feed hydrocarbon, and a bottoms stream which is rich in a product compound;
- (b) withdrawing a sidecut stream from the fractionation zone at a first intermediate point separated from each functional end of the fractionation zone by contacting material capable of providing at least two theoretical stages of separation, with said sidecut stream comprising said feed hydrocarbon;
- (c) passing said sidecut stream and a hydrogen-rich gas stream into a catalytic reaction zone operated at conversion promoting conditions and thereby producing a mixed-phase reaction zone effluent stream comprising the product hydrocarbon and the feed aromatic hydrocarbon;
- (d) separating the mixed-phase reaction zone effluent stream into liquid and vapor-phase portions and recycling at least a fraction of said vapor-phase portion to the reaction zone;
- (e) passing the liquid-phase portion of the reaction zone effluent stream into the fractionation zone at a second intermediate point;
- and,
- (e) recovering a net bottoms product stream comprising the product hydrocarbon from the fractionation zone.
A process for the alkylation of aromatic hydrocarbons which comprises the steps:
- (a) passing a first feed stream comprising an aromatic feed hydrocarbon into an upper end of a fractionation zone operated under conditions which result in the separation of entering hydrocarbons into an overhead vapor stream comprising the aromatic feed hydrocarbon and any C.sub.6 -minus hydrocarbons which enter the fractionation zone, and a bottoms stream which comprises a product alkylaromatic hydrocarbon;
- (b) withdrawing a sidecut stream from the fractionation zone at a first intermediate point separated from each functional end of the fractionation zone by contacting material capable of providing at least two theoretical stages of separation, with said sidecut stream comprising said feed aromatic hydrocarbon;
- (c) passing said sidecut stream and a second feed stream comprising a C.sub.2 -C.sub.5 olefinic hydrocarbon into a catalytic reaction zone operated at alkylation promoting conditions and thereby producing an alkylation zone effluent stream comprising the product alkylaromatic hydrocarbon and the feed aromatic hydrocarbon;
- (d) passing the alkylation zone effluent stream into the fractionation zone at a second intermediate point located below said first intermediate point;
- and,
- (e) recovering a net bottoms stream comprising the alkylaromatic product hydrocarbon from the fractionation zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.