US 9,174,891 B2Granted

Detergent alkylation process for controlling alkylation exotherm with paraffins

AssigneeUop LLC

InventorsDebarshi Majumder, Stephen W. Sohn

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Abstract

The process of producing an alkylbenzene compound from the alkylation of an aromatic compound with an acyclic monoolefin is an exothermic process. A process for maintaining a relatively constant temperature improves the process and allows for controlling the yields. The process includes recycling a compound through the reactor that is relatively inert, but will moderate the exotherm, while maintaining the 2-phenyl content of the final alkylbenzene product.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A process for the formation of an alkylaryl compound, comprising:

passing an aromatic compound to an alkylation zone, wherein the alkylation zone comprises at least two alkylation beds, a first alkylation bed and a second alkylation bed, and the aromatic compound is passed to the first alkylation bed;
splitting a feedstream comprising olefins and paraffins into at least a first portion and a second portion;
passing a feedstream the first portion comprising olefins and paraffins to the first alkylation bed, to generate a first intermediate process stream comprising alkylaryl compounds;
passing the first intermediate process stream and the second portion to the second alkylation bed to generate a first process stream;
adding additional paraffins comprising paraffins having a different carbon number and different carbon number range from the olefins to the alkylation zone to bring the paraffin content to at least 70% by weight of the feedstream;
passing the first process stream to first fractionation unit to generate a first fractionation stream comprising a low purity aromatics stream from a side stream from the rectification section of the first fractionation unit, a first bottoms stream comprising alkylaryl compounds;
and an overhead stream comprising high purity aromatics stream;
passing the bottoms stream to a second fractionation unit to generate a second overhead comprising paraffins, and a second bottoms stream comprising alkylaryl compounds;
passing the first fractionation stream to the alkylation zone;
passing a portion of the second overhead stream to the alkylation zone;
passing the high purity aromatics stream to an alkylation reactor in regeneration mode,
thereby creating a regeneration effluent stream;
splitting the regeneration effluent stream into a first portion and a second portion;
passing the first portion to the first fractionation column;
passing the second portion to a transalkylation reactor;
passing the second bottoms stream from the second fractionation column to an LAB column to generate an LAB overhead stream comprising LABs, and an LAB bottoms stream comprising heavies;
passing a portion of the LAB bottoms stream to the transalkylation reactor to create a transalkylation effluent stream comprising mono-alkylaromatic compounds;
and
passing the transalkylation effluent stream to the first fractionation unit.

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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A process for the formation of an alkylaryl compound, comprising:

passing an aromatic compound to an alkylation zone, wherein the alkylation zone comprises at least two alkylation beds, a first alkylation bed and a second alkylation bed, and the aromatic compound is passed to the first alkylation bed;
splitting a feedstream comprising olefins and paraffins into at least a first portion and a second portion;
passing a feedstream the first portion comprising olefins and paraffins to the first alkylation bed, to generate a first intermediate process stream comprising alkylaryl compounds;
passing the first intermediate process stream and the second portion to the second alkylation bed to generate a first process stream;
adding additional paraffins comprising paraffins having a different carbon number and different carbon number range from the olefins to the alkylation zone to bring the paraffin content to at least 70% by weight of the feedstream;
passing the first process stream to first fractionation unit to generate a first fractionation stream comprising a low purity aromatics stream from a side stream from the rectification section of the first fractionation unit, a first bottoms stream comprising alkylaryl compounds;
and an overhead stream comprising high purity aromatics stream;
passing the bottoms stream to a second fractionation unit to generate a second overhead comprising paraffins, and a second bottoms stream comprising alkylaryl compounds;
passing the first fractionation stream to the alkylation zone;
passing a portion of the second overhead stream to the alkylation zone;
passing the high purity aromatics stream to an alkylation reactor in regeneration mode,
thereby creating a regeneration effluent stream;
splitting the regeneration effluent stream into a first portion and a second portion;
passing the first portion to the first fractionation column;
passing the second portion to a transalkylation reactor;
passing the second bottoms stream from the second fractionation column to an LAB column to generate an LAB overhead stream comprising LABs, and an LAB bottoms stream comprising heavies;
passing a portion of the LAB bottoms stream to the transalkylation reactor to create a transalkylation effluent stream comprising mono-alkylaromatic compounds;
and
passing the transalkylation effluent stream to the first fractionation unit.

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