Systems and methods related to the production of methyl tert-butyl ether

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9969667-B2
Application number	US-201615551397-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2016
Priority date	Feb 19, 2015
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a system comprising: a) a Fischer-Tropsch reactor comprising a first inlet and a first outlet; b) an olefin separator comprising a second inlet and a second outlet; c) a deisobutanizer comprising a third inlet and a third outlet; d) an iso-butane to isobutylene reactor comprising a fourth inlet and a fourth outlet; and e) a MTBE reactor comprising a fifth inlet, the recited structures are in fluid communication.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising the steps of:
a) providing a first product gas stream comprising at least about 1 wt % of a first C4 hydrocarbon product, wherein the first C4 hydrocarbon product comprises a C4 olefin hydrocarbon product comprising isobutylene and a C4 paraffin hydrocarbon product, wherein the C4 paraffin hydrocarbon product comprises n-butane and i-butane;
b) separating at least a portion of the C4 olefin hydrocarbon product from the first C4 hydrocarbon product, thereby producing a second C4 hydrocarbon product;
c) separating at least a portion of the n-butane from the second C4 hydrocarbon product, thereby producing a third C4 hydrocarbon product;
d) isomerizing at least a portion of the separated n-butane into i-butane;
e) combining at least a portion of the i-butane produced in step d) with the third C4 hydrocarbon product, thereby producing a fourth C4 hydrocarbon product;
f) producing isobutylene from at least a portion of the fourth C4 hydrocarbon product;
g) combining at least a portion of the separated C4 olefin hydrocarbon product and at least a portion of the isobutylene produced in step f), thereby producing a fifth C4 hydrocarbon product; and
h) producing methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) from at least a portion of the fifth C4 hydrocarbon product.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first product gas stream comprises at least about 5 wt % of the first C4 hydrocarbon product.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first product gas stream comprises at least about 10 wt % of the first C4 hydrocarbon product.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first product gas stream comprises from about 1 wt % to about 30 wt % of the first C4 hydrocarbon product.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first product gas stream comprises at least about 40 wt % of a first olefin product.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first C4 hydrocarbon product comprises at least about 20 wt % of the C4 olefin hydrocarbon product.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first C4 hydrocarbon product comprises at least about 20 wt % of the C4 paraffin hydrocarbon product.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second C4 hydrocarbon product comprises at least about 20 wt % of the C4 paraffin hydrocarbon product.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third C4 hydrocarbon product comprises at least about 20 wt % of i-butane.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fourth C4 hydrocarbon product comprises at least about 20 wt % of i-butane.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fifth C4 hydrocarbon product comprises at least about 20 wt % of isobutylene.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of producing MTBE comprises reacting isobutylene with an oxygenate.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the oxygenate is methanol.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises the step of producing the first product gas stream in Fischer-Tropsch process converting syngas to olefins, wherein the C4 hydrocarbon stream comprises at least about 5 wt % of iso-butylene.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method converts at least about 5 wt % of the first C4 hydrocarbon product into MTBE.

16. A system comprising:
a) Fischer-Tropsch reactor comprising a first inlet and a first outlet;
b) an olefin separator comprising a second inlet and a second outlet;
c) a deisobutanizer comprising a third inlet and a third outlet;
d) an iso-butane to isobutylene reactor comprising a fourth inlet and a fourth outlet; and
e) MTBE reactor comprising a fifth inlet,
wherein the Fischer-Tropsch reactor is in fluid communication with the olefin separator via a first connector, wherein the first connector is connected to the first outlet of the Fischer-Tropsch reactor and to the second inlet of the olefin separator,
wherein the olefin separator is in fluid communication with the deisobutanizer via a second connector, wherein the second connector is connected to the second outlet of the olefin separator and to the third inlet of the deisobutanizer,
wherein the deisobutanizer is in fluid communication with the iso-butane to isobutylene reactor via a third connector, wherein the third connector is connected to the third outlet of the deisobutanizer and to the fourth inlet of the iso-butane to isobutylene reactor,
wherein the iso-butane to isobutylene reactor is in fluid communication with the MTBE reactor via a fourth connector, wherein the fourth connector is connected to the fourth outlet of the iso-butane to isobutylene reactor and to the fifth inlet of the MTBE reactor.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the system further comprises an isomerization reactor comprising a sixth inlet and a sixth outlet, wherein the deisobutanizer further comprises a seventh outlet, wherein the isomerization reactor is in fluid communication with the deisobutanizer via fifth connector, wherein fifth connector is connected to the sixth inlet of the isomerization reactor and to the seventh outlet of the deisobutanizer.

18. The system of claim 16 or 17 , wherein the system further comprises a syngas production reactor comprising an eight outlet, wherein the syngas production reactor is in fluid communication with the Fischer-Tropsch reactor via sixth connector, wherein the Fischer-Tropsch reactor further comprises an eighth inlet, wherein the sixth connector is connected to the eighth outlet of the syngas production reactor and to the eighth inlet of the Fischer-Tropsch reactor.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the olefin separator is in fluid communication with the MTBE reactor via a seventh connector.

20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the system is on an industrial scale.

Assignees

• Sabic Global Technologies Bv

Inventors

• Nawaz Zeeshan
• Al-Hammad Ali
• Al-Shammari Talal
• Khurram Shehzada
• Karim Khalid
• Bashir Mubarik Ali
• Al-Qahtani Thabet
• Al-Jaloud Abdullah Turki
• Al-Khudeer Saud

Classifications

• C07C41/06 Primary

  by addition of organic compounds only · CPC title

• C07C43/046

  Alkyl tert-alkyl ether, e.g. CH3OC(CH3)3 · CPC title

• B01J2219/00006

  Large-scale industrial plants · CPC title

• B01J3/00

  Processes of utilising sub-atmospheric or super-atmospheric pressure to effect chemical or physical change of matter; Apparatus therefor (pressure vessels for containing or storing compressed, liquefied or solidified gases F17C) · CPC title