Process and catalyst system for conversion of C6 aromatics to higher aromatics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12454498-B2
Application number	US-202318133953-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2023
Priority date	Apr 14, 2022
Publication date	Oct 28, 2025
Grant date	Oct 28, 2025

Abstract

A process for the upgrading of hydrocarbon streams, i.e., processing any hydrocarbon feed streams rich in benzene and sulphur compounds. The process for simultaneous hydrodesulfurization and benzene conversion to higher alkylated aromatic molecules (C 7 to C 10 aromatics), without need of prior treatment like distillation, or sulfur removal. The hydrocarbon feed streams are processed over sulfided metal catalyst impregnated on acid support simultaneously desulfurizes and alkylates the benzene molecules.

First claim

We claim:

1. A process for controlling a percentage of benzene in a hydrocarbon feed stream comprising benzene, the process comprising:
mixing the hydrocarbon feed stream with an alkylating agent and a sulfiding agent to obtain a mixed hydrocarbon feed stream; and
routing the mixed hydrocarbon feed stream and hydrogen gas to pass over a catalyst in a catalytic reactor to obtain a processed hydrocarbon stream, wherein the catalyst comprises 15-25 wt % of group VIB metals and 4-7 wt % of group VIIIB metals, and wherein the process converts benzene into higher alkylated aromatic molecules and simultaneously results in hydrodesulfurization of the hydrocarbon feed stream in the catalytic reactor.

2. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the benzene content in the hydrocarbon feed stream is ≥5 vol %.

3. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon feed stream comprises a sulphur compound.

4. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the catalytic reactor is selected from the group consisting of a fixed bed plug flow reactor, a continuous stirred tank reactor, a batch reactor, and a semi batch reactor.

5. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the catalytic reactor is maintained at a weighted average bed temperature (WABT) of catalyst bed of 350-500° C.

6. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the catalytic reactor is maintained at a hydrogen partial pressure of 15-100 kg/cm 2 g.

7. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen gas to hydrocarbon ratio (H 2 /HC) is in a range of 300-1500 Nm 3 /m 3 .

8. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is a dual functional catalyst with an acidic and a hydrogenation-dehydrogenation function, wherein the acidic function is imparted by virtue of a zeolite support and the hydrogenation-dehydrogenation function is imparted by metals selected from the group VIB and the group VIIIB.

9. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the catalyst comprises: a) a carrier comprising Y-zeolite; b) a binder comprising alumina; c) metals selected from the groups VIB and VIIIB; and d) an additive containing nitrogen and oxygen.

10. The process as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the group VIB metals are selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, tungsten, and salts and mixtures thereof, and the group VIIIB metals are selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, and salts and mixtures thereof.

11. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon feed stream is not desulfurized; and the nitrogen content in the hydrocarbon feed stream is below 20 ppmw.

12. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the alkylating agent is selected from the group consisting of olefins and alkyl-electrophiles generating agents, wherein the alkyl-electrophiles generating agents comprise a functional group of hydroxyls, halides, thiols, or oxy; and wherein the sulfiding agent is selected from the group consisting of H 2 S and Dimethyl Disulfide (DMDS).

13. The process as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising generating the alkylating agent in-situ using compound(s) that-react within the catalytic reactor.

14. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processed hydrocarbon stream has a RON at of least 2 units more than the hydrocarbon feed stream; and the benzene content in the processed hydrocarbon stream is ≤0.5 vol %.

15. The process as claimed in claim 1 comprising:
a. routing the hydrocarbon feed stream with the alkylating agent, the sulfiding agent, and the hydrogen gas to the catalytic reactor to pass over the catalyst to produce a catalytic reactor effluent;
b. routing the catalytic reactor effluent to a high-pressure separator (HPS) and routing water settled at a bottom of the HPS to a cold high-pressure separator (CHPS);
c. routing an effluent hydrocarbon from the HPS to a low-pressure separator (LPS),
d. routing and mixing condensed hydrocarbons of the CHPS with the effluent hydrocarbon from the; and
e. separating water from the CHPS and obtaining a product from the LPS, wherein CHPS is operated at a lower temperature relative to the HPS and the LPS is operated at a lower pressure and a temperature relative to the HPS.

16. The process as claimed as claimed 15 , wherein an unutilized hydrogen gas is separated in the HPS and removed and recycled back to the catalytic reactor.

17. The process as claimed as claimed 15 , wherein off gases are separated from the LPS, and from the CHPS.

Assignees

• Indian Oil Corp Ltd

Inventors

• Das Nayan
• Sarkar Mainak
• Butley Ganesh Vitthalrao
• Chattopadhyay Kalicharan
• Kumar Sarvesh
• Sau Madhusudan

Classifications

• C10G49/04

  containing nickel, cobalt, chromium, molybdenum, or tungsten metals, or compounds thereof · CPC title

• C07C2/48

  of only hydrocarbons containing a carbon-to-carbon triple bond · CPC title

• B01J29/166

  Y-type faujasite · CPC title

• B01J21/04

  Alumina · CPC title

• C07C2529/16

  containing arsenic, antimony, bismuth, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, polonium, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, manganese, technetium or rhenium · CPC title