Institut Francais du Petrole is offering three new processing technologies for license, including one for isomerizing normal C4 olefins to isobutylene.
The latter process, called ISO 4, provides an economically attractive way for refiners and ethylene manufacturers to convert fluid cat cracker and steam cracker C4 cuts to methyl tertiary butyl ether, says IFP.
ISO-4
In ISO 4 units, the catalyst moves continuously down the reactor bed. When it reaches the bottom, it is removed from the reactor, regenerated, and returned to the top of the bed, all continuously. With a constant flow of fresh catalyst, operations can run several years without shutdown for catalyst regeneration, IFP claims.
The ISO 4 catalyst is the same type as that used in IFP's Octanizing process (OGJ, June 8, p. 54).
The low attrition rate and thorough, continuous regeneration cycle of the Octanizing catalyst result in long service life.
IFP estimates that a refinery producing about 1,370 b/d of MTBE from FCC C4s could increase MTBE production to 2,160 b/d using ISO 4 at an investment cost of $23 million.
C5/C6 ISOMERIZATION
IFP is also ready to commercialize a new process called Ipsorb for the complete isomerization of C5/C6 streams.
Ipsorb combines an improved process for separating C5/C6 normal and isomeric paraffins with an isomerization reaction system.
Ipsorb consists essentially of a fresh feed deisopentanizer column, isomerization reactor, isomerate stabilizer, and molecular sieve adsorption system. The mole sieve system removes by cyclic adsorption unconverted normal paraffins, which are then desorbed and recycled to the deisopentanizer. The isom system can be any available design using any catalyst with recycle hydrogen, or Ibsorb Z, or without recycle hydrogen, Ibsorb A. IFP says Ipsorb A undercuts capital and operating costs of the closest competitor by more than 25% and Ipsorb Z cuts capital costs by 10% at about equivalent operating costs.
BENZENE REDUCTION
IFP says its new Hydroisomerization process reduces gasoline benzene without octane loss. Benzene restrictions will be included in new gasoline formulas developed a result of the 1990 U.S. Clean Air Act Amendments.
This two step process first hydrogenates a benzene rich cut from light reformate to produce cyclohexane, then isomerizes the cyclohexane to methylcyclopentane. The pentane and hexane in the reformate are also isomerized to higher octane compounds.
The process employs a two catalyst system, using a hydrogenation catalyst for its high selectivity, low cost, and noncracking attributes, and a zeolite based isomerization catalyst. The zeolite catalyst's operating temperature is about the same as the hydrogenation step, which simplifies equipment and thus trims investment, says IFP. Both catalysts are resistant to small amounts of chlorine, sulfur, and other contaminants. Moderate reaction conditions enable long cycles and catalyst life.
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