TatorayTM

Aromatics
Aromatics

Application
The Tatoray process is used to selectively convert toluene, C9 aromatics (A9) and C10 aromatics (A10) into more valuable benzene and xylenes. In a modern aromatics complex, this process is integrated between the aromatics fractionation and xylene recovery sections of the plant. Toluene is fed to the Tatoray process unit rather than being blended into the gasoline pool or sold for solvent applications. Incorporating a Tatoray unit into an aromatics complex can more than double the yield of para-xylene from a given naphtha feedstock. To maximize the production of para-xylene from the complex, A9 and A10 by-product can be fed with toluene to the Tatoray unit. The availability of additional methyl groups from the A9 and A10 shifts the chemical equilibrium from benzene production to xylenes production. In recent years, the demand for para-xylene has outstripped the supply of mixed xylenes contained in reformate. The Tatoray process therefore provides an ideal way to produce additional mixed xylenes from low-value toluene and heavy aromatics.

Tatoray Process
Feed Surge Drum Heater Reactor Separator Stripper Purge Gas to Isomar Unit
Fuel Gas

Toluene from Toluene Column C9 Aromatics from A9 Column Overhead Liquid Toluene from Parex Unit

Recycle Gas Product

groups are highly stable at reaction conditions and are therefore essentially conserved in the reaction. Most of the hydrogen consumption can therefore be attributed to the cracking of nonaromatic impurities in the feed to the Tatoray unit and the dealkylation of C2- C4 from the A9+. UOPs TA-20TM catalyst has demonstrated higher activity and higher stability than to its predecessor TA-5TM. The stability of TA-20 is nearly an order of magnitude higher, which results in improved on-stream efficiency and a reduction in regeneration frequency. Commercial performance of this catalyst has been outstanding.

Process chemistry
The two major reactions in the Tatoray process are disproportionation and transalklyation. The conversion of toluene into benzene and xylenes is called toluene disproportionation. Transalklyation is the conversion of a mixture of toluene and A9/A10 into xylenes and benzene. The Tatoray process is designed to function at a much higher level of conversion per pass than other toluene disproportionation processes. With a typical 50:50 feedstock ratio of toluene and C9+ aromatics, the overall conversion is approximately 50% per pass. This high conversion level minimizes the amount of unconverted feed that must be recycled back through the BT fractionation section of the complex which reduces the size of the benzene and toluene columns, the size of the Tatoray process unit, and the utility consumption of all of these units. The Tatoray process reactions are conducted in a hydrogen atmosphere to minimize coke formation on the catalyst. Since there is negligible ring destruction in the Tatoray process, there is very little hydrogen consumption due to the primary reactions. In addition, the methyl

Process description
The Tatoray process uses a flow scheme consisting of a fixed-bed reactor and a product separation section. The fresh feed to the Tatoray unit is combined with hydrogenrich recycle gas, preheated by exchange with the hot reactor effluent, and vaporized in a fired heater where it is raised to reaction temperature. The hot feed vapor goes to the reactor, where it is sent down-flow over a fixed bed of catalyst. The reactor effluent is cooled by exchange with the combined feed, mixed with make-up gas to replace the small amount of hydrogen consumed in the reactor, and then sent to a product separator. Hydrogen-rich gas is taken off the top of the separator and recycled back to the reactor. A small portion of the recycle gas is purged to remove accumulated light ends from the recycle gas loop. Liquid from the bottom of the separator is sent to a stripper column. The C5 overhead from the stripper is cooled and separated into gas and liquid products. The stripper overhead

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gas is exported to the fuel gas system. The overhead liquid is typically recycled back to the benzene column so that any benzene in this stream may be recovered as a product stream, along with the benzene from the ED SulfolaneTM.

Economics
The investment cost and utility consumption for a typical Tatoray unit is shown below. The basis for this case is a unit processing 1680 KMTA (34,800 BPD) of a feed consisting of 50 wt-% toluene and 50 wt-% A9+. The investment cost is limited to the Tatoray unit and stripper column and does not include further downstream product fractionation. Estimated Erected Cost, US MM$ 27 (2006 US Gulf coast basis, Inside battery limits only) Utility Consumption Electric power, kW Cooling water, m3/h Fuel fired, mmkcal/hr *
* does not include fuel credit for light ends

Features and benefits

Ability to handle wide range of feedstocks - A Tatoray unit is capable of processing feedstocks ranging from 100 wt-% toluene to 100 wt-% A9+. The ability to process A9+ makes more feedstock available for xylenes production and dramatically shifts the selectivity of the unit away from benzene. More PX from naphtha by adding a Tatoray unit An aromatics complex without a Tatoray unit can produce approximately 200,000 MTA of para-xylene from 25,000 BPSD of Light Arabian naphtha. If an A7 Tatoray unit (toluene feed only) is added to the complex, the same amount of naphtha can produce 280,000 MTA of para-xylene, a 40% increase. When an A7/A9+ Tatoray process unit is added to the complex, the endpoint of the naphtha is increased from 300 to 360F (149C to 182C) in order to maximize the amount of A9+ precursors in the feed. The heavier naphtha will produce approximately 420,000 MTA para-xylene an increase of 110% over the base complex. Xylenes produced are low in EB - The Tatoray process produces petrochemical grade benzene and xylene products. TA-20 shows a high yield of xylenes which contain an equilibrium distribution of xylene isomers and is very low in ethyl benzene (EB). This low EB concentration makes the xylenes produced by the Tatoray process valuable as feedstock to either a ParexTM unit or a para-xylene crystallization unit. Highly stable catalyst - The excellent stability of TA-20 has allowed operation at higher conversion and space velocity, while maintaining long cycle lengths. This translates to higher on-stream times and capital utilization.

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Commercial experience
As of 2006, UOP has licensed a total of 48 Tatoray units. 42 of these units are in operation and the rest are in various stages of design and construction. Feedstocks range from 100 wt-% toluene to a mixture of 30 wt-% toluene and 70 wt-% A9+. Design feed rates range from 92 to 2700 KMTA ( 2000 to 59,000 BPD).

For more information

Tatoray technology services are available upon request. For more information, contact your local UOP representative or our Des Plaines sales office: e-mail: info@uop.com fax: +1-847-391-2253 phone: +1-847-391-2000

UOP LLC 25 East Algonquin Road Des Plaines, IL 60017-5017 U.S.A. www.uop.com

2006 UOP LLC. All rights reserved. The information in this document should not be construed as a representation for which UOP assumes legal responsibility, or an authorization or recommendation to practice a patented invention without a license. UOP 4680-17 1106AR0Ah