Processes and apparatuses for separating chlorides from n-butane

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12378171-B2
Application number	US-202318512747-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2023
Priority date	Nov 18, 2022
Publication date	Aug 5, 2025
Grant date	Aug 5, 2025

Abstract

Processes and apparatuses for separating chlorides from a butane product stream by removing chlorides from a portion of said feed stream in a rectification section of the separation zone. The rectification section may be in a rectification column which may be combined with a stripper column. Alternatively, a wall may be used to provide the rectification section in a fractionation column. The processes and apparatuses can be used in both new designs and revamped designs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for separating chlorides from a butane product stream, the process comprising:
separating, in a separation zone, a feed stream comprising light hydrocarbons, propane, isobutane, n-butane, chlorides, and C5+ hydrocarbons into a stream comprising light hydrocarbons, propane, isobutane, and n-butane and a liquid stream comprising an alkylate effluent with C5+ hydrocarbons; and,
removing chlorides from a liquid or vapor portion of said feed stream in a rectification section of the separation zone, the rectification section providing a butane product stream.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the separation zone comprises a fractionation column, and wherein the rectification section comprises a rectification column.

3. The process of claim 2 , wherein a bottoms stream from the rectification column is passed back to the fractionation column.

4. The process of claim 3 , wherein a side draw stream from the rectification column comprises the butane product stream.

5. The process of claim 3 , wherein an overhead stream from the rectification column is condensed to provide the butane product stream.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the separation zone comprises a fractionation column, and further comprises a stripping section.

7. The process of claim 6 , wherein the stripping section and the rectification section are in the fractionation column.

8. The process of claim 6 , wherein the separation zone comprises a second column and both the stripping section and the rectification section are in the second column.

9. The process of claim 6 , wherein the separation zone further comprises a first column comprising the rectification section and a second column comprising the stripping section.

10. The process of claim 9 , wherein a bottoms stream from the second column is passed to the first column.

11. The process of claim 9 , wherein the first column and the second column produce a common overhead stream.

12. The process of claim 9 , wherein the first column and the second column are disposed on top of each other.

13. The process of claim 6 , wherein the separation zone comprises a second column and wherein the second column comprises the stripping section and the fractionation column comprises the rectification section.

14. A process for separating chlorides from a butane product stream, the process comprising:
separating, in a separation zone comprising a deisobutanizer column, a feed stream comprising light hydrocarbons, propane, isobutane, n-butane, chlorides, and C5+ hydrocarbons into a stream comprising light hydrocarbons, propane, isobutane, and n-butane and a liquid stream comprising an alkylate effluent with C5+ hydrocarbons; and,
passing a side draw stream from the deisobutanizer column to a rectification column, the side draw stream comprising liquid or vapor;
passing a bottoms stream from the rectification column to the deisobutanizer column, the bottoms stream comprising organic chlorides;
passing a vapor or liquid stream from the rectification column to the deisobutanizer column or another lower pressure vessel, the vapor or liquid stream comprising HCl, iso-butane, and n-butane;
recovering a butane product stream from the deisobutanizer column; and,
passing the butane product stream to an adsorbent zone having an adsorbent configured to remove chlorides and provide a chloride lean butane product stream.

15. The process of claim 14 , wherein the butane product stream from the deisobutanizer column is a side draw stream.

16. The process of claim 14 , further comprising:
cooling an overhead stream from the rectification column to provide the vapor or liquid stream and the butane product stream.

17. A process for separating chlorides from an n-butane stream, the process comprising:
separating, in a separation zone comprising a separation column a feed stream comprising light hydrocarbons, propane, isobutane, n-butane, chlorides, and C5+ hydrocarbons into a stream comprising light hydrocarbons, propane, isobutane, and n-butane, and a liquid stream comprising an alkylate effluent with C5+ hydrocarbons; and,
removing organic chlorides from the feed stream in a rectification section; and,
removing HCl from the feed stream in a stripper section.

18. The process of claim 17 , wherein the separation zone comprises a first column comprising the rectification section and a second column comprising the stripper section.

19. The process of claim 17 , wherein the rectification section is disposed within the separation column.

20. The process of claim 17 , wherein the separation zone comprises a second column and both the stripper section and the rectification section are in the second column.

Assignees

• Uop Llc

Inventors

• Goyal Amit
• Schrad Gregory J
• Werba Gregory R
• Mann Sean
• Long Christine Marie
• Kwik Cynthia M

Classifications

• B01D3/143

  by two or more of a fractionation, separation or rectification step · CPC title

• B01D2257/2025

  Chlorine · CPC title

• B01D53/02 Primary

  by adsorption, e.g. preparative gas chromatography {(solid sorbent compositions B01J20/00, preparation of inorganic compounds or elements C01)} · CPC title

• B01D2256/24

  Hydrocarbons · CPC title

• C07C7/12

  by adsorption, i.e. purification or separation of hydrocarbons with the aid of solids, e.g. with ion-exchangers · CPC title