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9

 

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After the furfural treatment of oil streams, the streams enter the Solvent Dewaxing Unit.
The purpose of this unit is to lower the pour point of the oil streams by removing the paraffinic
components which form waxy solids at low temperatures. Thus this unit makes oil suitable to be
used at low temperatures. The major processes involved are extraction, crystallisation and filtration.

THEORY:

First we add a solvent which has affinity for the non-paraffinic substances. This will extract
and dissolve the non paraffinic part of the oil stream. This solvent is called the 
Ã
. In this
case, 
 is the oil solvent. But along with non-paraffinic components some of the waxy
components may also dissolve. To reduce this dissolving of waxy components, we add another
chemical called 
. 

  acts as the Wax-Rejecter over here. After
addition of these solvents there are 2 phases, an oil-in-solvent phase & a wax-rich phase. But to
achieve this condition, temperature has to be maintained higher than a minimum temperature
called 

 ! . Below this temperature, the solvent starts losing its dissolving
power and the oil starts separating out producing a 3rd phase of original composition (wax & oil). An
increase in concentration of MEK causes a rise in Oil Miscibility Temperature and therefore it is
added in limited quantities. Then the solution is crystallised by chilling it to suitable temperature by
different effluents and then by "  

. Cooling of the streams causes the waxy
hydrocarbons to solidify and form wax crystals. These are then filtered in the #     
$
. The filter separates the wax crystals and oil solution. These streams are then sent to their
respective solvent recovery sections. The solvents are recycled back.

PROCESS:

The oil stream aŌer furfural/NMP treatment is pumped from storage to the Solvent
Dewaxing Unit (SDU) as two parallel streams at about 75 ȚC for IN to 85 Ț C for BS stocks. The
primary diluƟon solvent at 35 Ț C is added to both the streams by solvent pumps. Two feed
mix streams are then heated in Feed Mix/steam heater to a temperature well above the
slack wax congealing point in order to ensure that all the wax is in solution and no nucleus
exists to avoid abnormal crystals formation subsequently. Feed mix streams are then cooled
to a temperature just above the cloud point to ensure that crystallization will start only in
DP exchangers and then the streams are joined. The feed is divided into eight parallel train s.
Each train passes through 2 double Pipe (DP) scraped surface exchangers where it is cooled
by the cold filtrate. Then it passes through three DP chillers in series where liquid ammonia
is used as a coolant in the outer pipe. The chilling rate through 1s t DP chiller is controlled by
adjusting the back pressure controller on the refrigerant (ammonia) being vaporised in the
outer pipe. The temperature at the outlet of 2nd and 3rd DP chiller is controlled by
regulating flow of ammonia vaporising. Ammonia vapours from chillers go to the respective
knock-out drums located above each chiller. Any liquid ammonia present separates out and
is sent back to the chiller. The vapours are routed to the ammonia compressor where
ammonia liquid is produced again.
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The secondary dilution solvent, after being chilled by cold filtrate and then liquid ammonia,
is added to each train at the outlet of 1 st or 2nd DP chiller. All the feed mix trains join after
further chilling in 3 rd DP chiller and are routed to the Filter Feed Drum which ensures a
constant feed to the filter. The tertiary dilution solvent (which is cooler than the secondary
dilution solvent) is added to the combined chilled feed mix, before it goes to Filter Feed
Drum, as required for different feed stocks. The chilled feed mix, in the form of slurry of wax
crystals in oil and solvent, flows by gravity from the Filter Feed Drum which is blanketed
with inert gas, and is distributed to eleven parallel filtration trains. The filter feed flows to
the Vat section of each of the eleven     %
 which are also under inert gas
blanketing.
The filter drum carrying filter media is submerged and rotates in filter vat filled with the
chilled slurry of dewaxed oil solvent mixture contain ing suspended wax crystals. Vacuum
produced by the inert gas vacuum compressors draws the filtrate from the cake pick-up
zone of filter drum and deposits the wax crystals on the filter cloth. As the wax cake formed
on the filter cloth emerges from the liquid slurry, it is washed continuously by the cold
solvent at the filtering temperature. The cold wash solvent displaces the oil-solvent solution
which was originally present in the cake. After the cold wash zone, inert gas is drawn
through the filter cloth in order to dry the cake. The wax cake is then dislodged by blowing
the chilled inert gas from inside the filter cloth. A doctor blade gently removes the cake over
to a rotating scroll conveyor, which conveys it to the filter boot. A steam coil in the filter
boot heats up the wax mix so that it can be pumped in a liquid condition . It is sent to the

&
Ã
 Ã . The DWO mix filtrate and the inert gas after passing
through filter cloth are separated in $
 . The inert gas from filtrate receiver
flows to the inert gas knock out drum to eliminate any entertainment before it enters the
inert gas vacuum compressor.
The DWO mix stream gains some heat by heating the secondary dilution solvent first,
then in the DP exchangers (with feed) and finally with the dilution solvent again after which
it goes to Ã
 Ã .

Solvent Heating System

The Solvent, after exchanging heat with filtrate in heat exchangers, is chilled in
Solvent/Ammonia coolers. A part of this cold solvent is diverted as secondary dilution
solvent. Remaining solvent is further chilled to filtration temperature as per requirement. A
part of this is routed as tertiary solvent. The remaining solvent, after passing through cold
solvent Filters, in order to prevent choking of spray nozzles, goes for cold washing to eleven
rotary drum vacuum filters.

Solvent Recovery
The solvent present in the dewaxed oil mix filtrate is recovered in the solvent recovery
section. The DWO mix is heated and vaporised by th e overhead vapours from the DWO First
Flash column, Operating at 0.6 kg/cm2 pressure and DWO second Flash Column operating at
2.06 kg/cm2 pressure, condensing in shell sides of Filtrate Solvent Exchangers. The two
phase DWO mix feed enters the DWO First Flash Column having 4 valve trays. The overhead
vapours are used for feed preheating. The bottom liquid i s fed by DWO First Flash Column
Bottom pump to DWO second Flash column having 4 valve trays again. The feed to this
tower is heated and vaporised by medium pressure steam in Filtrate/Steam preheater. The
overhead vapours go for first flash feed preheating. The bottoms are fed directly to DWO
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Third Flash Column which also has 4 valve trays and operates at 0.4 kg/cm2. A provision is
kept to heat this column feed further using steam. The overhead solvent vapours go for
solvent drying whereas bottom liquid flows by gravity as feed to 16th tray of DWO stripper
having 19 valve trays. In DWO Stripper, superheated low pressure steam MP Stream is
introduced at the bottom to remove the remaining solvent from the dewaxed oil. The
solvent and water vapours from overhead go to settler drum. The ! ''
' 

from column bottom is pumped by DWO Product Pump for product cooling and routing to
storage.
The solvent from the settler is pumped into the Solvent Drying Column. In this column it is
dried with other vapour streams from the flash towers. The dry solvent from pump is added
as reflux to DWO second flash.

The slack wax mix from the filtration section is sent to slack wax recovery section in
order to recover Solvent from Wax mix. It is heated in wax mix preheater by MP steam at
about 64 ȚC. The wax mix then goes under back pressure control to settling tank which is
blanked with inert gas. The slack wax mix is then pumped by wax mix charge pumps. Before
being fed to wax mix first flash column, the wax mix discharge first exchanges heat with
vapours, then it passes through 2 heat exchangers where it exchanges heat with hot slack
wax product bottom and hot vapours and enters flash column at a temperature of 103-105
ȚC. Hot vapours from the flash tower top go to the solvent drying column where other
streams are dried too.
Liquid from bottom is pumped and further heated in the heat exchangers (where it
exchanges heat with DWO product stream going to storage and by MP steam under
temperature control) and enters another column. Overhead vapours from this go to solvent
drying column after exchanging heat or directly. Operating pressure of this column is 1.5
kg/cm2. Liquid from bottom of this column is fed to 3rd column at a temperature of about
165-170 0 C, after getting heated with MP steam. Overhead vapours from here go to solvent
drying column. Bottom Liquid is fed by gravity to slack wax stripper. In the stripper,
superheated steam is introduced below the bottom tray in order to remove the remaining
solvent from the slack wax. The solvent and water vapour leaving the top (along with
solvent and water vapour from DWO stripper) goes to heat exchanger to preheat 1st flash
column feed. From the bottom of the stripper, the ! '
&
is sent to storage after
preheating the column feed.
The products slack wax and dewaxed oil are then sent to the 
(' $
 and )(' $  for further processing.

Solvent Drying Section:

The solvent recovered from the flash column and strippers overhead from the
DWO, slack wax and foots oil solvent recovery sections are sent for solvent drying in
order to reduce the water content of the circulating solvent to about 0.2 wt% and also
to ensure a constant solvent composition. The DWO stripper, slack wax stripper and
foots oil stripper overhead vapour having substantial water vapour is first cooled by
cooling water. Solvent drying column and Azeotrope column overhead vapours are
cooled in
34E15 A/B/C and then joins cooled solvent/water vapours Ex -34E17b and
enters 34E15d from which the solvent/water is routed to solvent/water
separater (34B11) having inert gas blanketing.
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The water-rich phase and the solvent-rich phase seperation take place in
34-B-11 having a partition baffle. The solvent rich phase is withdrawn by
pumps 34P20 A/B and level control (of 34B11 solvent -rich phase) and is fed
to solvent drying column (34C10) on top tray as reflux. The drying column is
operated at @ 0.4 Kg/cm 2g.
The heat required for solvent drying is supplied by overhead vapours DWO,
slack wax and foots oil recovery section flash columns enterig 34C -10 at
different points.
For operational flexbility a thermosyphon type reboiler (34E30) using LP
steam as heating medium is also provided as additional heat source for
solvent drying.
The dry solvent is withdrawn from 34C10 bottom with pumps 34 -P 21 A/B
under level control (of 34 -C10). It is cooled to 30-400C finally in heat exchanger
34E17E (where it exchanges heat w ith DWO mix feed to 34C1) and then in coolers
34E17 A/C and is then sent to solvent receivers 34B8
and 34B9. Both these receivers are connected to provide adequate hold -up
volume.
The dry solvent from solvent receivers is circulated by pumps 34 P4/5/5R
for various dilutions, cake washing, reflux to flash columns, etc. A provision
is also kept to rout the hot solvent from 34P21 A/B for use at hot wash for
the filters after passing through hot solvent filters 34B18 A/B.
The water-rich phase in 34B11 is withdrawn by pumps 34-P-111/111R under
level control (of water-rich phase of 34B11) and is fed o azeoprope column
34C8 on top tray. The stripping steam (VB) enters below the bottom tray.
The overhead vapours from 34C8 go to 34E15 A/B/C/D. The solvent free
water leave the column from bottom under level control (of 34C8).
The fresh solvent make-up is continuelly added to 34B11 at controlled rate
by pump 34P22 which is a metering pump with stroke adjustment facility
and take suction from solvent receiver 34B10. The solvent is pumped from
offsite to 34B10 intermittently. A provision is also kept for continuous make
up to 34B11 from the offsite under flow control, if required,or fresh Solvent
make-up can be taken directly in B9/B8.