Selective hydrogenation using a flow index

{
  "publication_number": "US9914676B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Selective hydrogenation using a flow index",
  "abstract": "A process includes hydrogenating, in a reaction zone, a highly unsaturated hydrocarbon received from a hydrocarbon stream to yield a product having an unsaturated hydrocarbon, the hydrogenating step occurring in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst which has a selectivity for conversion of the highly unsaturated hydrocarbon to the unsaturated hydrocarbon of about 90 mol % or greater based on the moles of the highly unsaturated hydrocarbon which are converted to the product, the hydrogenating step occurring in a reaction zone under conditions which include a flow index (I F) in a range of about 0.09 to about 35, wherein the I F is defined as: I F = F × [CO] V, wherein F is the flow rate of the hydrocarbon stream into the reaction zone in units of kg/h, [CO] is the concentration of carbon monoxide in the hydrocarbon stream in units of mol %, and V is the volume of the reaction zone in units of ft 3.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A system comprising: a hydrocarbon stream comprising a highly unsaturated hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide; and a reaction zone receiving the hydrocarbon stream, wherein the reaction zone contains at least one hydrogenation catalyst, wherein the highly unsaturated hydrocarbon is hydrogenated in the reaction zone to yield a product comprising an unsaturated hydrocarbon, wherein the at least one hydrogenation catalyst has a selectivity for conversion of the highly unsaturated hydrocarbon to the unsaturated hydrocarbon of about 90 mol % or greater based on the moles of the highly unsaturated hydrocarbon which are converted to the product, wherein the reaction zone comprises a flow index (I F) in a range of about 0.09 to about 35, wherein the I F is defined as: I f = F × [CO] V, wherein F is the flow rate of the hydrocarbon stream into the reaction zone in units of kg/h, [CO] is the concentration of carbon monoxide in the hydrocarbon stream in units of mol %, and V is the volume of the portion of the reaction zone in units of ft 3; a tube in a furnace fluidly connected to and upstream of the reaction zone; a cracked gas stream comprising the highly unsaturated hydrocarbon, a saturated hydrocarbon, and carbon monoxide flowing from the tube; and a fractionation zone comprising a deethanizer or a depropanizer fluidly connected to and upstream of the reaction zone, wherein the fractionation zone fractionates the cracked gas stream into an overhead product and a bottoms product, wherein the overhead product comprises the highly unsaturated hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, and about 90 mol % or greater of the saturated hydrocarbon contained in the cracked gas stream, wherein the overhead product flows to the reaction zone from the fractionation zone via the hydrocarbon stream.",
    "2. The system of claim 1, wherein the selectivity is defined as: where S is the selectivity in mol %, UH(p) is moles of the unsaturated hydrocarbon in the S = 100 × (UH ⁡ (p) - UH ⁡ (f) HUH ⁡ (f) - HUH ⁡ (p)) product, UH(f) is moles of the unsaturated hydrocarbon in the hydrocarbon stream, HUH(f) is the moles of highly unsaturated hydrocarbon in the hydrocarbon stream, and HUH(p) is the moles of the highly unsaturated hydrocarbon in the product.",
    "3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the tube is made of a co-production metal.",
    "4. The system of claim 3, further comprising: wherein the co-production metal comprises chromed steel, aluminized steel, or both.",
    "5. The system of claim 4, wherein: i) the chromed steel is a steel coated with chromium; ii) the aluminized steel is a steel coated with aluminum; iii) the chromed steel is an alloy comprising chromium and a steel; iv) the aluminized steel is an alloy comprising aluminum and a steel; or v) combinations thereof.",
    "6. The system of claim 1, wherein the [CO] in the reaction zone is from about 0.0001 mol % to about 0.15 mol %.",
    "7. The system of claim 1, wherein the reaction zone comprises a first stage and a second stage, wherein the first stage, the second stage, or both contains the at least one hydrogenation catalyst.",
    "8. The system of claim 7, wherein: i) the first stage of the reaction zone is a first reactor, wherein the second stage of the reaction zone is a second reactor; or ii) the first stage of the reaction zone and the second stage of the reaction zone are contained in a common vessel.",
    "9. The system of claim 1, wherein the highly unsaturated hydrocarbon comprises acetylene, wherein the unsaturated hydrocarbon comprises ethylene.",
    "10. The system of claim 1, wherein the highly unsaturated hydrocarbon comprises methylacetylene, propadiene, or both; and wherein the unsaturated hydrocarbon comprises propylene.",
    "11. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydrogenation catalyst comprises palladium, an inorganic support, and optionally, an organophosphorus compound.",
    "12. The system of claim 11, wherein the hydrogenation catalyst further comprises Group 1B metals, Group 1B metal compounds, silver compounds, fluorine, fluoride compounds, sulfur, sulfur compounds, alkali metals, alkali metal compounds, alkaline earth metals, alkaline earth metal compounds, iodine, iodide compounds, or combinations thereof.",
    "13. The system of claim 11, wherein the inorganic support has a surface area of from about 2 m 2 /g to about 100 m 2 /g, and greater than about 90 wt. % of the palladium is concentrated near a periphery of the inorganic support.",
    "14. The system of claim 11, wherein the organophosphorus compound of the hydrogenation catalyst is; i) present in an amount of from about 0.005 wt. % to about 5 wt. % based on the total weight of the hydrogenation catalyst; ii) represented by a general formula (R) x (OR′) y P═O, wherein x and y are integers ranging from 0 to 3 and x plus y equals 3, wherein each R is hydrogen, a hydrocarbyl group, or combinations thereof; and wherein each R′ is a hydrocarbyl group; iii) a product of an organophosphorus compound precursor represented by the general formula of (R) x (OR′) y P, wherein x and y are integers ranging from 0 to 3 and x plus y equals 3, wherein each R is hydrogen, a hydrocarbyl group, or combinations thereof; and wherein each R′ is a hydrocarbyl group; iv) a phosphine oxide, a phosphate, a phosphinate, a phosphonate, a phosphine, phosphite, a phosphinite, a phosphonite, or combinations thereof; or v) combinations thereof.",
    "15. A system comprising: a furnace comprising at least one tube comprising a co-production metal; a cracked gas stream comprising a highly unsaturated hydrocarbon, a saturated hydrocarbon, and carbon monoxide flowing from the at least one tube; a fractionation zone comprising a deethanizer or a depropanizer, wherein the fractionation zone fractionates the cracked gas stream into an overhead product and a bottoms product, wherein the overhead product comprises the highly unsaturated hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, and about 90 mol % or greater of the saturated hydrocarbon contained in the cracked gas stream; a hydrocarbon stream comprising the overhead product flowing from the fractionation zone; and a reaction zone receiving the hydrocarbon stream, wherein the reaction zone comprises at least one hydrogenation catalyst, wherein, in the reaction zone, the highly unsaturated hydrocarbon is hydrogenated to yield a product comprising an unsaturated hydrocarbon in the reaction zone, wherein the reaction zone comprises a flow index (I F) in a range of about 0.09 to about 35, wherein the I F is defined as: I f = F × [CO] V, wherein F is the flow rate of the hydrocarbon stream into the reaction zone in units of kg/h, [CO] is the concentration of carbon monoxide in the hydrocarbon stream in units of mol %, and V is the volume of the portion of the reaction zone in units of ft 3.",
    "16. The system of claim 15, wherein the co-production metal comprises chromed steel, aluminized steel, or both.",
    "17. The system of claim 16, wherein: i) the chromed steel is a steel coated with chromium; ii) the aluminized steel is a steel coated with aluminum; iii) the chromed steel is an alloy comprising chromium and a steel; iv) the aluminized steel is an alloy comprising aluminum and a steel; or v) combinations thereof.",
    "18. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one hydrogenation catalyst has a selectivity for conversion of the highly unsaturated hydrocarbon to the unsaturated hydrocarbon of about 90 mol % or greater based on the moles of the highly unsaturated hydrocarbon which are converted to the product, wherein the selectivity is defined as: S = 100 × (UH ⁡ (p) - UH ⁡ (f) HUH ⁡ (f) - HUH ⁡ (p)) where S is the selectivity in mol %, UH(p) is moles of the unsaturated hydrocarbon in the product, UH(f) is moles of the unsaturated hydrocarbon in the hydrocarbon stream, HUH(f) is the moles of highly unsaturated hydrocarbon in the hydrocarbon stream, and HUH(p) is the moles of the highly unsaturated hydrocarbon in the product.",
    "19. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one hydrogenation catalyst comprises palladium, an inorganic support, and optionally, an organophosphorus compound.",
    "20. The system of claim 19, wherein the organophosphorus compound of the hydrogenation catalyst is: i) present in an amount of from about 0.005 wt. % to about 5 wt. % based on the total weight of the hydrogenation catalyst; ii) represented by a general formula (R) x (OR′) y P═O, wherein x and y are integers ranging from 0 to 3 and x plus y equals 3, wherein each R is hydrogen, a hydrocarbyl group, or combinations thereof; and wherein each R′ is a hydrocarbyl group; iii) a product of an organophosphorus compound precursor represented by the general formula of (R) x (OR′) y P, wherein x and y are integers ranging from 0 to 3 and x plus y equals 3, wherein each R is hydrogen, a hydrocarbyl group, or combinations thereof; and wherein each R′ is a hydrocarbyl group; iv) a phosphine oxide, a phosphate, a phosphinate, a phosphonate, a phosphine, a phosphite, a phosphinite, a phosphonite, or combinations thereof; or v) combinations thereof.",
    "21. The system of claim 15, wherein the [CO] in the reaction zone is from about 0.0001 mol % to about 0.15 mol %."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "Not applicable.\n\nThe present disclosure relates to the production of an unsaturated hydrocarbon, and more particularly to a hydrogenation of compounds using highly selective catalyst.\n\nUnsaturated hydrocarbons such as ethylene and propylene are often employed as feedstocks in preparing value added chemicals and polymers. Unsaturated hydrocarbons can be produced by pyrolysis or cracking of hydrocarbons including hydrocarbons derived from coal, oil, gas, synthetic crude, naphthas, natural gas liquids, raffinate, refinery gases, ethane, propane, butane, and the like. Unsaturated hydrocarbons products produced in these manners usually contain highly unsaturated hydrocarbons such as acetylenes and diolefins that adversely affect the production of subsequent chemicals and polymers. Thus, to form an unsaturated hydrocarbon product such as a polymer grade monoolefin, the amount of acetylenes and diolefins in the monoolefin stream is typically reduced. One technique commonly used to reduce the amount of acetylenes and diolefins in an unsaturated hydrocarbon stream primarily comprising monoolefins involves hydrogenating the acetylenes and diolefins to monoolefins. This process is selective in that hydrogenation of a monoolefin and a highly unsaturated hydrocarbon to the saturated hydrocarbon is minimized. For example, the hydrogenation of ethylene or acetylene to ethane is minimized.\n\nOne challenge to the selective hydrogenation process is the potential for a runaway reaction which is uncontrolled hydrogenation of ethylene to ethane. One methodology to minimize runaway reactions is to use a highly selective hydrogenation catalyst.",
  "cpc": [
    "C07C 5/09",
    "B01J 19/24",
    "B01J 19/245",
    "B01J 2219/00306",
    "B01J 2219/24",
    "B65G 1/045",
    "B65G 1/0492",
    "B65G 1/065",
    "B65G 1/10",
    "B65G 1/127",
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    "C10G 45/32",
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    "C10G 70/02",
    "C10G 9/00",
    "Y10S 901/01"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B01J 19/00",
    "B01J 19/24",
    "C07C 4/00",
    "C07C 4/02",
    "C07C 4/04",
    "C07C 5/00",
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    "C07C 5/03",
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    "C07C 5/09",
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    "C10G 70/00",
    "C10G 70/02",
    "C10G 9/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "CHEVRON PHILLIPS CHEMICAL CO LP"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "BERGMEISTER III JOSEPH",
    "CHEUNG TIN-TACK PETER",
    "HONG ZONGXUAN",
    "ODI TIMOTHY O",
    "NOLIDIN CHARLES D",
    "GONZALES THOMAS J",
    "NILL JENNIFER L",
    "DOCKTER DAVID W"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2017-08-08",
  "publication_date": "2018-03-13",
  "grant_date": "2018-03-13",
  "priority_date": "2015-11-16",
  "application_number": "US-201715671597-A",
  "family_id": "57392078",
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}