Processes for the manufacture of isobutylene, polyisobutylene, and derivatives thereof
In an embodiment, a process to convert a feed includes introducing a feed to an oligomerization catalyst in an oligomerization reactor to form a first reactor effluent; introducing the first reactor effluent to a distillation unit to form a first distillation effluent and a second distillation effluent, the second distillation effluent comprising an oligomer of isobutylene; and introducing the second distillation effluent to a cracking reactor to form a cracking reactor effluent comprising a high purity isobutylene. In another embodiment, an apparatus includes a feed line coupled to a first end of an oligomerization reactor; a first distillation unit coupled with a second end of the oligomerization reactor; a first end of a cracking reactor coupled to a second end of the first distillation unit via a first line; a first end of an isomerization reactor coupled to: a third end of the first distillation unit and the feed line.
1. A process to convert a feed, comprising:
introducing a feed comprising isobutylene to an oligomerization catalyst in an oligomerization reactor to form a first reactor effluent comprising one or more oligomers of isobutylene;
introducing the first reactor effluent to a first distillation unit to form a first distillation effluent and a second distillation effluent, the second distillation effluent comprising the one or more oligomers of isobutylene;
introducing the second distillation effluent to a cracking reactor to form a cracking reactor effluent, the cracking reactor effluent comprising a high purity isobutylene;
introducing the cracking reactor effluent to a polishing column to form a first polishing column effluent and a second polishing column effluent, the first polishing column effluent comprising the high purity isobutylene;
combining the second polishing column effluent with the feed comprising isobutylene; and
introducing the second polishing column effluent and the feed comprising isobutylene to the oligomerization reactor.
2. The process of claim 1 , further comprising:
introducing the first distillation effluent to an isomerization reactor to form an isomerized product effluent, the isomerized product effluent enriched in isobutylene; and
introducing the isomerized product effluent to the oligomerization reactor.
3. The process of claim 2 , further comprising purging butadiene from the isomerized product effluent.
4. The process of claim 2 , further comprising combining the isomerized product effluent enriched in isobutylene with the feed comprising isobutylene before introducing the isomerized product effluent to the oligomerization reactor.
5. The process of claim 1 , further comprising:
introducing the second distillation effluent to a second distillation unit prior to the cracking reactor to form a third distillation effluent; and
introducing the third distillation effluent to the cracking reactor.
6. The process of claim 5 , wherein the introducing the second distillation effluent to a second distillation unit prior to the cracking reactor forms a fourth distillation effluent, the fourth distillation effluent comprising diisobutylene.
7. The process of claim 1 , further comprising introducing the cracking reactor effluent, the first polishing column effluent, or a combination thereof to a polymerization reactor to form a polymerization reactor effluent comprising a high reactive polyisobutylene.
8. The process of claim 7 , further comprising introducing the polymerization reactor effluent to a debutanizer column to form a first debutanized effluent and a second debutanized effluent, the first debutanized effluent comprising the high reactive polyisobutylene, and the second debutanized effluent comprising the high purity isobutylene.
9. The process of claim 8 , further comprising introducing the first debutanized effluent to a third distillation unit to form a fifth distillation effluent and a sixth distillation effluent, the fifth distillation effluent comprising the high reactive polyisobutylene.
10. The process of claim 9 , further comprising combining the sixth distillation effluent with the second distillation effluent; and
introducing the sixth distillation effluent to the cracking reactor.
11. The process of claim 8 , further comprising introducing the second debutanized effluent to the polishing column.
12. The process of claim 8 , further comprising combining the second debutanized effluent with the cracking reactor effluent prior to introducing the second debutanized effluent to the polishing column.
13. The process of claim 1 , wherein a conversion of the feed comprising isobutylene to the high purity isobutylene is about 80% or greater, based on a total butylene content in the feed.
14. The process of claim 13 , wherein the conversion of the feed comprising isobutylene to the high purity isobutylene is about 90% or greater based on the total butylene content in the feed.
15. The process of claim 1 , wherein the feed is raffinate-1.
16. The process of claim 1 , wherein the oligomerization catalyst comprises BF 3 and a support material.
17. The process of claim 16 , wherein a concentration of BF 3 in the oligomerization catalyst is greater than 30 wt %.
18. The process of claim 16 , wherein the support material comprises Al 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 , TiO 2 , SnO 2 , CeO 2 , SiO 2 , or combinations thereof.
19. The process of claim 18 , wherein when the support material comprises Al 2 O 3 , the support material has an Al 2 O 3 content between 25 wt % and 75 wt %, based on a total weight of the support material.
20. The process of claim 16 , wherein the oligomerization catalyst further comprises a complexing agent, the complexing agent comprising methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, n-propanol, neopentyl alcohol, dimethyl ether, diethyl ether, diisopropyl ether, diisobutyl ether, di-tert-butyl ether, methyl tert-butyl ether, ethylene glycol, 2,2-dimethylbutanol, 2,2-dimethylpentanol, 2,2-dimethylhexanol, or benzyl alcohol.