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US 9,815,919 B2Granted
Hydrocarbon conversion process
AssigneeExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
InventorsPaul F. Keusenkothen, Frank Hershkowitz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to a process for converting hydrocarbons into products containing aldehydes and/or alcohols. The invention also relates to producing olefins from the aldehyde and alcohol, to polymerizing the olefins, and to equipment useful for these processes.
Claims8
A hydrocarbon conversion process, comprising:
- (a) providing a first mixture comprising hydrocarbon and oxygenate wherein the hydrocarbon is natural gas and the oxygenate is air;
- (b) exposing the first mixture to a temperature ≧1.4×103° C. at a total pressure ≧0.1 bar absolute under high-severity thermal pyrolysis conditions in a first region to produce a second mixture, the second mixture comprising molecular hydrogen, carbon monoxide, ≧1.0 wt. % ethylene, and ≧1.0 wt. % of acetylene based on the weight of the second mixture, the second mixture having an acetylene:ethylene molar ratio in the range of 0.5 to 20.0 and a carbon monoxide:C2 unsaturates molar ratio in the range of 0.15 to 2.0;
- (c) transferring the second mixture away from the first region;
- (d) providing a fourth mixture comprising fuel and oxidant, and at least partially oxidizing the fourth mixture in a second region to produce a fifth mixture comprising water and/or carbon dioxide, the first and second regions being at least partially coextensive and the oxidizing being conducted at a different time than the exposing;
- (e) transferring the fifth mixture away from the second region;
- (f) separating from the second mixture (i) a third mixture having a CO:C2 unsaturates ratio in the range of 0.15 to 2.0 and comprising molecular hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, and ≧1.0 wt. % ethylene based on the weight of the third mixture and (ii) a composition comprising >90.0 wt. % of the second mixture's acetylene based on the weight of the second mixture's acetylene;
- (g) hydroformylating at least a portion of the third mixture to produce a product comprising ≧1.01 wt. % propanal and/or 1.0 wt. % propanol based on the weight of the product;
- and
- (h) converting at least a portion of the composition to one or more of ethylene, ethylene glycol, acetic acid, acrylic acid, benzene, toluene, or xylene, styrene, or butadiene;
- wherein:
- (i) steps (a)-(e) are conducted in sequence continuously or semi-continuously;
- and/or
- (ii) heat is provided to the coextensive portion of the first region, at least a portion of the heat being derived from the oxidizing of step (d).
10 more elements
A hydrocarbon conversion process, comprising:
- (a) providing a first mixture comprising hydrocarbon and oxygenate, wherein the hydrocarbon is natural gas and the oxygenate is air;
- (b) exposing the first mixture to a temperature ≧1.40×103° C. at a total pressure ≧0.1 bar absolute under high-severity thermal pyrolysis conditions in a first region to produce a second mixture, the second mixture comprising molecular hydrogen, carbon monoxide, ≧1.0 wt. % ethylene, and ≧1.0 wt. % of acetylene based on the weight of the second mixture, the second mixture having an acetylene:ethylene molar ratio in the range of 0.5 to 20.0 and a carbon monoxide:C2 unsaturates molar ratio in the range of 0.10 to 2.0;
- (c) transferring the second mixture away from the first region, dividing the second mixture into first and second portions, and deriving a third mixture from the first portion;
- the third mixture (i) comprising carbon monoxide and ≧1.0 wt. % of acetylene based on the weight of the third mixture and (ii) having a CO:C2 unsaturates molar ratio in the range of 0.15 to 2.0 and a molecular hydrogen:acetylene molar ratio ≧0.75;
- (d) providing a fourth mixture comprising fuel and oxidant, and at least partially oxidizing the fourth mixture in a second region to heat the first region and to produce a fifth mixture comprising water and/or carbon dioxide, the first and second regions being at least partially coextensive and the oxidizing being conducted at a different time than the exposing;
- (e) transferring the fifth mixture away from the second region;
- (f) hydroformylating at least a portion of the third mixture to form a first product comprising ≧1.0 wt. % of propanal and/or ≧1.0 wt. % propanol based on the weight of the product;
- and
- (g) converting at least a portion of the second portion to form a second product comprising ≧2.0 wt. % ethylene and ≦1.0 wt. % C3+ unsaturates based on the weight of the second product.
6 more elements
A hydrocarbon conversion process, comprising:
- converting a first mixture to a second mixture, the first mixture having a first STP enthalpy Hi and comprising hydrocarbon and oxygenate and the second mixture having a carbon monoxide:C2 unsaturates molar ratio ≧0.50 and a second STP enthalpy Ho;
- wherein (a) the second mixture comprises carbon monoxide, ethylene, and ≧1.0 wt. % of acetylene based on the weight of the second mixture;
- (b) the second mixture has (i) a CO:C2 unsaturates molar ratio in the range of 0.1 to 2.0, and (ii) a molecular hydrogen:acetylene molar ratio ≧0.75;
- and (c) Ho-Hi≧0.0 kcal per mole of hydrocarbon in the first mixture;
- wherein the converting is carried out by exposing the first mixture to a temperature ≧1.4×103° C. at a total pressure ≧0.1 bar absolute under high-severity thermal pyrolysis conditions in a first region to produce the second mixture;
- and then catalytically converting at least a portion of the second mixture to form a product comprising ≧1.0 wt. % of propanal and/or propanol based on the weight of the product.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.