IP Library Granted Patent US 12686655
Granted Patent B2
US 12686655 · App. 18/575,940 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Method and system for light olefin generation with high yields and selectivity

Inventors: Saurabh S. Maduskar (Houston, TX); Keith H. Kuechler (Friendswood, TX); Xiaoying Bao (Houston, TX)
Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
C07C5/325B01J8/0278B01J8/0285B01J23/02B01J23/626B01J35/394C07C7/005B01J2208/00362C07C2521/10C07C2523/62
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12686655
App. No.
18/575,940
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for forming an olefin, the method including: introducing a hydrocarbon feed stream into a reactor including a dehydrogenation catalyst; reacting the hydrocarbon feed stream with a dehydrogenation catalyst in the reactor to form a high temperature dehydrogenated product, the high temperature dehydrogenated product including at least a portion of the dehydrogenation catalyst; separating at least a portion of the dehydrogenation catalyst from the high temperature dehydrogenated product in a primary separation device and a secondary separation device downstream of and in fluid communication with the primary separation device; following the exit of high temperature dehydrogenation product from the secondary separation device, combining the high temperature dehydrogenation product with a quench stream to cool the high temperature dehydrogenation product and form an intermediate temperature dehydrogenation product, wherein the quench stream includes a hydrocarbon; and cooling the intermediate temperature dehydrogenation product to form a cooled dehydrogenation product.

Claims (33)

1 . A method for forming an olefin, the method comprising:

introducing a hydrocarbon feed stream into a reactor including a dehydrogenation catalyst;

reacting the hydrocarbon feed stream with the dehydrogenation catalyst in the reactor to form a high temperature dehydrogenated product, the high temperature dehydrogenated product including at least a portion of the dehydrogenation catalyst;

separating at least a portion of the dehydrogenation catalyst from the high temperature dehydrogenated product in a primary separation device and a secondary separation device downstream of and in fluid communication with the primary separation device;

following the exit of high temperature dehydrogenation product from the secondary separation device, combining the high temperature dehydrogenation product with a quench stream, to cool the high temperature dehydrogenation product and form an intermediate temperature dehydrogenation product, wherein the quench stream includes a hydrocarbon and wherein the combining of the high temperature dehydrogenation product with the quench stream occurs within a plenum section of the reactor; and

cooling the intermediate temperature dehydrogenation product to form a cooled dehydrogenation product.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said quench stream includes a liquid hydrocarbon and said intermediate temperature product is completely in a vapor phase.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the combining includes combining the high temperature dehydrogenation product from a plurality of secondary separation devices with the quench stream, at a location within the plenum that minimizes secondary catalytic cracking within the high temperature dehydrogenation product.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the quench stream comprises aromatics which are not formed in the high temperature dehydrogenated product.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising further cooling of the intermediate temperature dehydrogenation product downstream of the reactor, to obtain the cooled dehydrogenation product with a heat exchanger or a secondary quench stream,

wherein the quench stream includes at least a portion of the cooled dehydrogenation product after having been further cooled by the heat exchanger or the secondary quench stream.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the quench stream is not provided to an output region of the primary separation device.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the primary separation device and the second separation device are each a cyclone separator, and together they remove at least 98% of the dehydrogenation catalyst present in the high temperature dehydrogenated product.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon feed is propane, the olefin is propylene, and the dehydrogenation catalyst includes a PtSn/MgO catalyst, with Pt content ranging from 0.001 wt % to 6 wt %, Sn content 0 wt % to 10 wt %, and the catalyst meets requirements of a Geldart A or Geldart B classification, and a reaction temperature within the reactor is 600° C. to 700° C.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the high temperature dehydrogenation product is at least 620° C.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate temperature dehydrogenation product is no greater than 620° C.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a residence time of the high temperature dehydrogenation product in each of the primary separation device and the secondary separation device is less than one second.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the dehydrogenation catalyst comprises Pt, an inorganic support, and a contaminant, wherein the Pt has a concentration in the range of from 0.001 wt % to 6 wt %, based on the weight of the inorganic support,

the inorganic support comprises at least 0.5 wt % of a Group 2 element, based on the weight of the inorganic support,

the Group 2 element comprises Mg,

at least a portion of the Group 2 element is in a form of MgO or a mixed metal oxide comprising Mg, and

the catalyst further comprises up to 10 wt % of a promoter, based on weight of the inorganic support, and wherein the promoter comprises one or more of the following elements: Sn, Ag, Cu, a combination thereof, or a mixture thereof.

13 . A system for forming an olefin from a hydrocarbon feed stream, the system comprising:

a reactor configured to receive the hydrocarbon feed stream under reaction conditions with a dehydrogenation catalyst, wherein the reaction conditions generate a high temperature dehydrogenated product, the high temperature dehydrogenated product including at least a portion of the dehydrogenation catalyst;

a plurality of separation devices configured to separate at least a portion of the dehydrogenation catalyst from the high temperature dehydrogenated product, the plurality of separation devices including a primary separation device and a secondary separation device downstream of and in fluid communication with the primary separation device;

a quench system configured to combine the high temperature dehydrogenation product with a quench stream to cool the high temperature dehydrogenation product and form an intermediate temperature dehydrogenation product, wherein the quench stream includes a hydrocarbon, and wherein the quench system is configured to combine the high temperature dehydrogenation product with the quench stream within a plenum section of the reactor; and

a heat transfer system configured to cool the intermediate temperature dehydrogenation product to form a cooled dehydrogenation product.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein said quench stream includes a liquid hydrocarbon and said intermediate temperature product is completely in a vapor phase.

15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein quench system is configured to inject the quench stream at a location within the plenum section that minimizes secondary catalytic cracking within the high temperature dehydrogenation product.

16 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the heat transfer system includes a heat exchanger or a nozzle configured to supply a secondary quench stream.

17 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the quench system is configured to not provide the quench stream to an output region of the primary separation device.

18 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the primary separation device and the second separation device are each a cyclone separator, and together they are configured to remove at least 98% of the dehydrogenation catalyst present in the high temperature dehydrogenated product.