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US 9,315,741 B2Granted
Process for ultra low benzene reformate using catalytic distillation
AssigneeCatalytic Distillation Technologies
InventorsMontri Vichailak, Purvis K. Ho, Martinus J. Almering, Arvids Judzis, Jr., Willibrord A. Groten, Lawrence A. Smith, Jr., Yongqiang Xu
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Abstract
A process for reducing the concentration of benzene in a hydrocarbon stream, the process including: fractionating a reformate to form a benzene concentrate fraction comprising benzene and other C6 hydrocarbons, and a heavies fraction comprising C7+ hydrocarbons; and hydrogenating the benzene concentrate fraction to form a hydrocarbon fraction having a reduced benzene concentration.
Claims19
A process for reducing the concentration of benzene in a hydrocarbon stream, the process comprising:
- feeding a reformate comprising benzene, components lighter than benzene, and components heavier than benzene to a first distillation column;
- fractionating the reformate to form a fraction comprising benzene and other C6 hydrocarbons, and a heavies fraction comprising C7+ hydrocarbons;
- recovering the heavies fraction from the first distillation column as a first bottoms fraction;
- withdrawing the fraction comprising benzene from the first distillation column;
- feeding the fraction comprising benzene and hydrogen to a hydrogenation reactor comprising at least one reaction zone comprising a hydrogenation catalyst;
- contacting the benzene and hydrogen in the presence of the hydrogenation catalyst to
- recovering a fraction having a reduced benzene concentration,
- wherein the reformate further comprises acetylenes, dienes, and other catalyst poisons, the process further comprising passing the fraction comprising benzene through a guard bed to remove at least a portion of dienes, acetylenes, and other catalyst poisons prior to the feeding to a hydrogenation reactor;
- wherein the fractionating further comprises forming a fraction lighter than the benzene fraction and comprising at least one of C3, C4, and C5 hydrocarbons, the process further comprising:
- recovering the fraction lighter than the benzene fraction as an overheads liquid fraction;
- returning at least a portion of the overheads liquid fraction to the first distillation column as reflux;
- and
- further comprising returning the overheads liquid fraction to the first distillation column as a total reflux.
10 more elements
A process for reducing the concentration of benzene in a hydrocarbon stream, the process comprising:
- feeding hydrogen and a reformate comprising benzene, components lighter than benzene, and components heavier than benzene to a first catalytic distillation reactor system comprising at least one first reaction zone comprising a hydrogenation catalyst;
- concurrently in the first catalytic distillation reactor system:
- contacting the benzene and hydrogen in the first reaction zone to convert at least a portion of the benzene to cyclohexane;
- and
- fractionating the reformate to form a fraction comprising unreacted benzene and other C6 hydrocarbons, and a heavies fraction comprising C7+ hydrocarbons;
- recovering unreacted hydrogen and light hydrocarbons comprising at least one of C3, C4, and C5 hydrocarbons as an overheads fraction from the first catalytic distillation reactor system;
- condensing and separating the light hydrocarbons from the unreacted hydrogen;
- recovering the unreacted hydrogen;
- and
- returning the condensed light hydrocarbons to the first catalytic distillation reactor system as a total reflux;
- recovering the heavies fraction from the first catalytic distillation reactor system as a first bottoms fraction;
- withdrawing the fraction comprising unreacted benzene and other C6 hydrocarbons from the catalytic distillation reactor system as a side draw;
- feeding hydrogen and the fraction comprising benzene and other C6 hydrocarbons to a hydrogenation reactor comprising at least one second reaction zone comprising a hydrogenation catalyst;
- contacting the benzene and hydrogen in the second reaction zone to convert at least a portion of the benzene to cyclohexane;
- and
- recovering a hydrocarbon fraction having a reduced benzene concentration.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.