UPGRADING LIGHT NAPHTAS FOR INCREASED OLEFINS PRODUCTION

• Main Authors: GONZALEZ, JOSE CASTOR, MAZURELLE, JEAN, VERMEIREN, WALTER
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 29.02.2012
• Subjects: CHEMISTRY; CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; METALLURGY; MINERAL WAXES; PEAT; PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVEHYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, ORGASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE

The present invention is a process to upgrade light naphthas comprising branched paraffins and their use as a feedstock in a steam cracking unit, said light naphthas consisting essentially of 90 to 100% by weight of hydrocarbons having at least 5 and up to 8 carbon atoms, said process comprising, a) providing an isomerization zone recovered from the gasoline unit of an oil refinery, b) providing a separation zone capable to treat an hydrocarbon stream comprising branched paraffins and normal paraffins to produce a first hydrocarbon stream having a reduced branched paraffins content and an enhanced normal paraffins content and a second hydrocarbon stream having an enhanced branched paraffins content and a reduced normal paraffins content, c) sending the light naphtha to the isomerization zone and operating said zone at conditions effective to produce a light naphtha having a reduced branched paraffins content and an enhanced normal paraffins content, d) sending the withdrawn light naphtha from step c) to the separation zone to recover a first and a second hydrocarbon streams, e) sending the first hydrocarbon stream recovered from step d) to the steam cracking unit, f) recycling at least a part of the second hydrocarbon stream recovered from step d) at the inlet of the isomerization zone, or c) sending the light naphtha to the separation zone to recover a first and a second hydrocarbon streams, d) sending the second hydrocarbon stream recovered from step c) to the isomerization zone and operating said zone at conditions effective to produce a light naphtha having a reduced branched paraffins content and an enhanced normal paraffins content, e) mixing the outlet stream of step d) with the first hydrocarbon stream recovered from step c) and sending said mixed stream to the steam cracking unit. or c) sending the light naphtha to the separation zone to recover a first and a second hydrocarbon streams, d) sending the first hydrocarbon stream recovered from step c) to the steam cracking unit, e) sending at least a part of the second hydrocarbon stream recovered from step d) to the isomerization zone and operating said zone at conditions effective to produce a light naphtha having a reduced branched paraffins content and an enhanced normal paraffins content, f) recycling the outlet stream from step e) to the inlet of the separation zone.