Fuels For The 21st Century

Fuel Sulfur Solutions Hydrogen Solutions MTBE Solutions Benzene Solutions

Making Premium Alkylate

with Your MTBE Unit
MTBE Solutions
As the future of MTBE remains uncertain, both producers
Meeting Growing Alkylate and users of MTBE are taking a closer look at alkylate.
Demand with Alkylene Alkylate is becoming recognized as the leading contender for
Technology MTBE replacement. From the gasoline producers point of
view, it has the ideal characteristics: It has high octane but no
aromatics, sulfur, or olefins, low vapor pressure and a wide
boiling range. From the MTBE producers point of view, it
has the significant advantage of requiring only a revamp of
an existing MTBE unit.

UOP offers four alkylation routes, three direct and one indi-
rect route to alkylate.

1. The Alkylene process for direct alkylation using a

solid catalyst to avoid the potential issues of a liquid
acid.
2. "Indirect alkylation," a new technology available as
UOP's InAlk process, produces alkylate via a differ-
ent chemistry.
3. Direct alkylation using hydrofluoric acid.
4. UOP also offers the Exxon Sulfuric Acid process for
direct alkylation.
 REFINING

Print This Tech Sheet

HF ALKYLATION PROCESS

INTRODUCTION
Alkylation is a key process in any modern refinery. The
UOP HF Alkylation Process
process reacts C3-C5 olefins with isobutane to produce a
high-octane, low-vapor-pressure, paraffinic blending
component that is ideal for producing clean-burning Cooling
Water
Saturate
Feed
gasoline.
Olefin
Feed Propane
UOP is the leading licensor of HF alkylation technology, n-C4
Product
Product
with over 100 units licensed around the world. Adding an
Recycle
alkylation unit to a refinery scheme offers several bene- i-C4

fits: Alkylate

J Improves gasoline quality by adding clean-burn-

Typical yields and alkylate properties for planning pur-
ing, mid-boiling-range isoparaffins.
poses are shown below. Actual yields and product prop-
J Reduces gasoline pool vapor pressure and olefin erties depend on the specific feedstock composition as
content by converting C4 and C5 olefin components well as on process design and operating conditions.
to alkylate.
J Recycles normal butane removed because of
gasoline RVP reduction back to the gasoline pool HF Alkylation Yields and Properties
via isomerization to isobutane and subsequent Primary Olefin Feed
alkylation. Feedstock C3= C 4= C5=
Yield Vol. per Vol. Olefin:
FEED TREATING AND Isobutane consumed 1.4 1.2 1.3
PRODUCT PROPERTIES C5+ alkylate produced 1.8 1.8 2.0
C5+ Alkylate Properties
Alkylation feedstocks are typically treated to remove
API 70.7 69.9 69.9
sulfur and water. In the case of MTBE and TAME raffi-
RON-C 91.0 96.0 90.0
nates, an oxygenate removal unit (ORU) may be desir-
MON-C 89.5 94.0 89.0
able. Selective hydrogenation of alkylation feed is
RVP 3.0 2.7 4.5
recommended to reduce acid regeneration requirements,
PSI(KPA) (20.7) (18.6) (3.10)
catalyst (acid) consumption, and increase alkylate
octane by isomerizing 1-butene to 2-butene.
PROCESS DESCRIPTION
Feed treating is particularly important when processing The alkylation reaction catalytically combines C3-C5
C5 olefins. The C5 stream is typically first treated in an olefins with isobutane to produce motor fuel alkylate.
extractive MeroxTM process unit to reduce the sulfur Alkylation takes place in the presence of HF catalyst
content to 50 ppm or less, and then in a Hls Selective under conditions selected to maximize alkylate yield
Hydrogenation (SHP) process unit to remove cyclopen- and quality. A general process flow diagram for the pro-
tadienes and linear diolefins. The treated stream can duction of motor fuel alkylate is shown in Figure 1.
then be alkylated together with conventional C3-C4 Actual designs are tailored to individual refinery needs.
olefin feedstocks. Design improvements have reduced unit acid inventory
to as low as 7-10 lb of HF acid per barrel of alkylate prod- UTILITIES AND CATALYST
uct. CONSUMPTION
The reactor system is carefully designed to ensure efficient Estimates of utilities and acid consumption for HF alkyla-
contacting and mixing of hydrocarbon feed with the acid tion units producing 10,000 BPSD (1120 T/D) of C5+
catalyst. Continuous removal of the heat of reaction in the alkylate from a C3-C4 feedstock are summarized below:
reaction zone reduces peak reaction temperatures and
Table 2
enhances product selectivity. Efficient heat transfer makes
effective use of the available cooling water supply. Acid Estimated Utilities and Catalyst
inventory in the reactor system is minimized by the com- Consumption
bination of high heat-transfer rates and lower overall acid
circulation. UOP also offers series-flow reactor systems Electric power 903 kW 903 kW
that maximize the internal isobutane-to-olefin ratio in LP (50 psig) steam 29.8 T/h 65.7 M lb/h
multi-reactor systems. The series-flow configuration bene- Condensate (29.8 T/h) (65.7 M lb/h)
fits the refiner by maximizing throughput and product Cooling water 3570 m3/h 15700 gpm
quality when the isobutane recycle quantity is fixed. Fuel fired 11.8 MM kcal/h 47.7 MM Btu/h
Acid consumption 0.51 T/d 47 lb/hr
Acid regeneration takes place in the acid regenerator or
Note: Condensate is exported.
via a patented internal acid regeneration method. Internal
regeneration allows the refiner to shut down the acid
regenerator, thereby realizing a utility savings as well as INVESTMENT COSTS
reducing acid consumption, and eliminating the task of The estimated investment cost for a UOP HF Alkylation
polymer disposal. process unit producing 10,000 BPSD (1120 T/d) of C5+
alkylate (excluding SHP) is as follows.
REVAMP OPPORTUNITIES
Unit revamps may be undertaken to process incremental Inside battery limits, estimated erected cost: US$ 28.2 MM.
olefin feedstock or specifically to process FCC C5 olefins.
Basis: U.S. Gulf Coast installation, 1st quarter, 1998
Many possible options are available to expand the capac-
ity of existing units or reduce potential hazards associated
with HF alkylation, including:
J Additional reactors FOR MORE INFORMATION
J Series-flow reactor configuration For more information, contact your UOP representative
J Settler design modification or UOP at:
J Fractionation upgrades
J Improved feed treating Phone: 847-391-2000
Fax: 847-391-2253
J Expanded regeneration capacity
J Acid inventory reduction
J Rapid acid transfer designs
UOP can assist refiners in a revamp analysis to determine
the most effective modifications to achieve the desired
objectives.

uop TM

1999 UOP LLC. All rights reserved

This information is not to be taken as a warranty or representation for which UOP
UOP L L C
assumes legal responsibility nor as permission or recommendation to practice any 25 East Algonquin Road
patented invention without a license. It is offered solely for your consideration. Des Plaines, IL 60017-5017
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