Process for adsorber regeneration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10940427-B2
Application number	US-201415517848-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2014
Priority date	Oct 9, 2014
Publication date	Mar 9, 2021
Grant date	Mar 9, 2021

Abstract

Disclosed is a process for the regeneration of an adsorber. For the regeneration a liquid stream (S2) is applied which is obtained by hydrogenation of a stream (S1) comprising at least one alkane and least one olefin. The stream (S2) comprises one alkane and a reduced amount of at least one olefin compared to the amount in the stream (S1). Then the stream (S2) is converted from the liquid into the gaseous phase and the adsorber is regenerated by contact with the gaseous stream (S2).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for regenerating an adsorber, the process comprising:
a) hydrogenating a stream (S 1 ) comprising an alkane and an olefin to obtain a liquid stream (S 2 ) comprising the alkane and a reduced amount of the olefin compared to an amount of the olefin in the stream (S 1 ), wherein
i) the stream (S 1 ) comprises at least 96 wt-% of butane and not more than 4 wt-% of butene;
ii) the amount of olefins comprising more than one olefinic double bond in the stream (S 1 ) is lower than 500 wt-ppm;
iii) the liquid stream (S 2 ) comprises not more than 1000 wt-ppm of the olefin; and
iv) the liquid stream (S 2 ) comprises at least 99 wt-% of the butane;
b) convening the liquid stream (S 2 ) into a gaseous stream (S 2 );
c) contacting the adsorber with the gaseous stream (S 2 ) at a temperature in a range of from 230 to 270° C. in order to regenerate the adsorber; and
d) subsequent to the contacting c), condensing an outflow obtained from the adsorber, wherein the outflow obtained from the adsorber comprises the gaseous stream (S 2 ) and impurities removed from the adsorber.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the stream (S 1 ) comprises the alkane and the olefin in a total of at least 99 wt-%.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the adsorber comprises an adsorbent comprising aluminum oxide, or the adsorber adsorbs compounds comprising oxygen or sulfur out of organic compositions.

4. The process of claim 3 , wherein the adsorber adsorbs ethers, alcohols, thiols, thioethers, sulfoxides, ketones, aldehydes, or mixtures thereof.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the converting b) of the liquid stream (S 2 ) to the gaseous stream (S 2 ) occurs by lowering the pressure of the liquid stream (S 2 ), or by heating the liquid stream (S 2 ).

6. The process of claim 5 , wherein the converting b) of the liquid stream (S 2 ) to the gaseous stream (S 2 ) occurs within at least one evaporator, within at least one superheater, or within at least one flash vessel.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the contacting c) of the adsorber with the gaseous stream (S 2 ) occurs by passing the gaseous stream (S 2 ) through a device comprising the adsorber.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein, prior to the contacting c), a draining step is carried out, and
wherein an organic composition which was passed through the adsorber during its operation mode is at least partially removed.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the contacting c) comprises:
c1) heating the adsorber by contacting the adsorber with a first portion of the gaseous stream (S 2 ), wherein at least a portion of the first portion of the gaseous stream (S 2 ) is condensed within the adsorber;
c2) heating the adsorber by contacting the adsorber with a second portion of the gaseous stream (S 2 ) up to a temperature in a range of from 230 to 270° C. without any condensation of the second portion of the gaseous stream (S 2 ) within the adsorber, wherein the condensed portion of step c1) is re-vaporized to a gaseous state;
c3) regenerating the adsorber at a temperature ranging from 230 to 270° C. by contacting the adsorber with the second portion of the gaseous stream (S 2 );
c4) cooling the adsorber, by contacting the adsorber with a third portion of the gaseous stream (S 2 ) to a temperature in a range of from 80 to 120° C.; and
c5) cooling the adsorber by contacting the adsorber with the liquid stream (S 2 ) obtained in the hydrogenating a) to a temperature below 80° C.

10. The process of claim 9 , wherein, prior to the contacting c), a draining step is carried out, and
wherein an organic composition which was passed through the adsorber during its operation mode is at least partially removed.

11. The process of claim 10 , wherein a condensate, obtained in the heating c1), comprises the liquid stream (S 2 ) and a residue of the organic composition which was not removed from the adsorber during the draining step, and the condensate is optionally collected in a device to pass collected condensate through the adsorber during the operation mode of the adsorber.

12. The process of claim 10 , wherein:
a flow direction of the first portion of the gaseous stream (S 2 ) during the contacting with the adsorber in the heating c1), a flow direction of the second portion of the gaseous stream (S 2 ) during the heating c2), or the regenerating c3), is opposite to a flow direction of the organic composition passed through the adsorber during the operation mode of the adsorber; or
the third portion of the gaseous stream (S 2 ) in the cooling c4), or the liquid stream (S 2 ) in the cooling c5), have the same flow direction during the contacting with the adsorber as a flow direction of the organic composition passed through the adsorber during the operation mode of the adsorber.

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein:
i) a heating rate of the adsorber does not exceed 60° C./h;
ii) a temperature of the gaseous stream (S 2 ) is not more than 100° C. higher than a temperature of the adsorber; or
iii) a temperature of the gaseous stream (S 2 ), or optionally a temperature of the liquid stream (S 2 ), is not more than 100° C. lower than the temperature of the adsorber.

14. The process of claim 1 ,
comprising:
after regeneration of the adsorber by the contacting c), subjecting the adsorber to an operation mode by feeding the adsorber with an organic composition to be purified.

15. The process of claim 1 , wherein the adsorber to be regenerated in the contacting c) is part of an assembly comprising further adsorber.

16. The process of claim 15 , wherein the further adsorber is subjected to an operation mode during regeneration of the adsorber, or the adsorber and the further adsorber are identical in form and operation mode.

17. The process of claim 1 , wherein the stream (S 1 ) originates from an organic composition which has been earlier purified with the adsorber or which has been earlier purified with a further adsorber during an operation mode of the respective adsorber.

18. The process of claim 1 , wherein the contacting c) increases an amount of oxygen-comprising compounds in an outflow relative to an inflow.

19. The process of claim 1 , wherein the contacting c) does not decrease an amount of oxygen-comprising compounds in an outflow relative to an inflow.

20. The process of claim 19 , wherein the inflow is the gaseous stream (S 2 ).

Assignees

• Basf Se

Inventors

• Wagner Hans-Guenter
• Bayer Christoph
• Karrer Lothar
• Ruetter Heinz
• Pietz Patrik
• Crone Sven
• Eggersmann Markus
• Wong Kam Wing

Classifications

• B01D2257/70

  Organic compounds not provided for in groups B01D2257/00 - B01D2257/602 · CPC title

• B01D2256/24

  Hydrocarbons · CPC title

• B01J20/3458

  in the gas phase · CPC title

• B01D53/0423 Primary

  Beds in columns · CPC title

• C10G2300/70

  Catalyst aspects · CPC title