Deep Saturation Catalysts for Hydrotreating Whole Crudes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current processes for producing petrochemicals from crude oil and heavy hydrocarbon streams face challenges such as operational issues due to high-boiling compounds forming coke, increased capital costs, and low profitability from selling removed high-boiling compounds as low-value fuel oil. Additionally, converting vacuum residue without significant formation of heavy polynuclear aromatics (HPNAs) is a longstanding challenge.
Innovation Solution
A process involving the separation of crude oil into light, medium, and high boiling fractions, followed by solvent deasphalting of the high boiling fraction to produce deasphalted oil and pitch. The medium and deasphalted oil fractions are then destructively hydrogenated to produce a hydrotreated effluent, which is fed, along with the light boiling fraction, into a steam cracker to convert hydrocarbons into light olefins and pyrolysis oil.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high-boiling compounds are removed before sending to steam cracker, then operational issues from coke formation are reduced, but capital cost increases and profitability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes high-boiling compounds (asphaltenes and resins) from the crude oil feedstock before it enters the steam cracker. This is achieved through a dedicated removal process that separates these problematic components, preventing them from causing coke formation in the cracker while allowing the remaining feed to be processed efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary treatment of the crude oil by removing high-boiling compounds before the main cracking process. This pre-processing step prepares the feedstock in advance, ensuring that when the oil enters the steam cracker, it is already free from components that would cause operational problems, thereby eliminating the need for complex downstream handling.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If high-boiling compounds are removed before steam cracking, then coke formation is reduced, but profitability decreases due to low-value fuel oil sales
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the processing parameters and conditions to convert high-boiling compounds into valuable petrochemical products rather than removing them for fuel oil sales. By adjusting the cracking conditions and catalyst usage, the process transforms what would be waste materials into high-value olefins and aromatics, fundamentally changing the economic outcome.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful high-boiling compounds (asphaltenes and resins) that cause coke formation into beneficial petrochemical products. Instead of viewing these components as problems to be discarded, the process utilizes them as feedstock for producing valuable olefins and aromatics, turning a liability into an asset and improving overall profitability.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If vacuum residue is converted without significant formation of HPNAs, then steam cracker furnace performance is maintained, but conversion efficiency is challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary treatment process between the vacuum residue and the steam cracker. This intermediate step uses specific catalysts and processing conditions to transform the vacuum residue in a controlled manner, preventing the formation of HPNAs while maximizing conversion to desirable products. The intermediary process acts as a buffer that decouples the residue conversion from direct cracking.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes in the form of specific catalyst selection and processing conditions to control the conversion pathway of vacuum residue. By adjusting temperature, pressure, and catalyst type, the process directs the conversion reactions away from HPNA formation pathways and toward pathways that produce light olefins and aromatics, thereby maintaining furnace performance while achieving high conversion efficiency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This process efficiently converts whole crudes and heavy hydrocarbon streams into high-value petrochemicals such as olefins and aromatics, minimizing the formation of coke and HPNAs, thereby reducing operational issues and increasing profitability by maximizing petrochemical yields.
Implementation Method 1
The medium and deasphalted oil fractions are then destructively hydrogenated to produce a hydrotreated effluent
Implementation Method 2
feeding the hydrotreated effluent and the light boiling fraction into a steam cracker to convert hydrocarbons therein into one or more light olefins and a pyrolysis oil
Data Source
AI summary
Processes herein may be used to thermally crack various hydrocarbon feeds, and may eliminate the refinery altogether while making the crude to chemicals process very flexible in terms of crude. In embodiments herein, crude is progressively separated into at least light and heavy fractions. Depending on the quality of the light and heavy fractions, these are routed to one of three upgrading operations, including a fixed bed hydroconversion unit, a fluidized catalytic conversion unit, or a residue hydrocracking unit that may utilize an ebullated bed reactor. Products from the upgrading operations may be used as feed to a steam cracker.