Recycled content liquified pyrolysis gas as feedstock to cracker facility
Recycled content liquified pyrolysis gas (r-LPyG) is produced using a process and system that optimizes the production, separation, liquification, storage, loading, and/or transporting of gases generated from the pyrolysis of waste plastic. The r-LPyG can be utilized in a variety of end use applications, including as a raw material for other chemicals and chemical intermediates.
1 . A process for producing one or more recycled content product streams from a cracker facility, the process comprising:
a) pyrolyzing waste plastic to thereby produce a recycled content pyrolysis gas (r-pygas);
b) liquifying at least a portion of the r-pygas to thereby provide a recycled content liquified pyrolysis gas (r-LPyG);
c) cracking a hydrocarbon feed stream in a cracking furnace of a cracker facility to thereby produce a cracked furnace effluent stream;
d) combining at least a portion of the r-LPyG with the cracked effluent stream to thereby produce a combined recycled content stream; and
e) separating the combined recycled content stream in a separation zone of the cracker facility to provide at least one recycled content hydrocarbon product stream.
2 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising quenching the cracked effluent in a quench zone to form a quenched effluent; compressing the quenched effluent in a compression zone to form a compressed effluent; and introducing the compressed effluent into the separation zone, wherein the combining of step (d) occurs at one or more of the following locations: (i) downstream of the quench zone and upstream of the compression zone; (ii) in the compression zone; (iii) downstream of the compression zone and upstream of the separation zone; and (iv) in the separation zone.
3 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the r-LPyG combined with the cracked effluent stream is within 50° C. of the temperature of the cracked effluent stream during the combining of step (d).
4 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the pressure of the r-LPyG combined with the cracked effluent stream is within 100 psig of the pressure of the cracked effluent stream during the combining of step (d).
5 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon feed stream to the cracker comprises at least 50 weight percent C5 to C22 components.
6 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon feed stream to the cracker comprises at least 50 weight percent of C2 and/or C3 alkanes.
7 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the at least one recycled content hydrocarbon product stream comprises at least one of a recycled content ethylene stream, a recycled content propylene stream, a recycled content ethane stream, a recycled content propane stream, a recycled content butane stream, or a recycled content C5+ streams.
8 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the liquifying of step (b) includes subjecting the r-pygas to 2 to 10 compression steps, wherein each compression step is followed by a cooling step, wherein each cooling step is followed by a vapor/liquid separation step, and wherein the r-LPyG comprises a combination of separated liquids recovered from at least 2, 3, 4, or all of the vapor/liquid separation steps.
9 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the r-pygas comprises at least 50 weight percent of C1-C5 compounds, at least 50 weight percent of C3-C5 compounds, less than 80 weight percent of C1-C2 compounds, and less than 25 weight percent of C6+ compounds and the r-LPyG comprises at least 75 weight percent of C1-C5 compounds, at least 50 weight percent of C2-C4 compounds, less than 40 weight percent of C1-C2 compounds, and less than 25 weight percent of C6+ compounds.
10 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the pyrolysis facility and the cracking facility are co-located.
11 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said combining occurs at a location downstream of a compression zone and upstream of at least a portion of the separation zone at a distillation column inlet.
12 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the combining occurs at an inlet of a demethanizer column.
13 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the combining occurs at an inlet of the first a compression stage.
14 . A process for producing one or more recycled content product streams from a cracker facility, the process comprising:
a) cracking a hydrocarbon feed stream in a cracking furnace of a cracker facility to thereby produce a cracked effluent stream;
b) quenching at least a portion of the cracked effluent stream in a quench zone to thereby produce a quenched effluent stream;
c) compressing at least a portion of the quenched effluent stream in a compression zone to thereby produce a compressed effluent stream;
d) separating the compressed effluent stream in a separation zone to thereby produce one or more hydrocarbon products; and
e) pyrolyzing waste plastic in a pyrolysis facility to thereby produce a recycled content pyrolysis gas (r-pygas), liquifying at least a portion of the r-pygas to thereby produce a recycled content liquified pyrolysis gas (r-LPyG), and introducing a stream of the recycled content liquified pyrolysis gas (r-LPyG) into one or more of the following locations (i) through (iv):
i.) downstream of the quench zone and upstream of the compression zone;
ii.) in the compression zone;
iii.) downstream of the compression zone and upstream of the separation zone; and
iv.) in the separation zone,
wherein at least one of said hydrocarbon products comprises at least a portion of said r-LPyG and is a recycled content hydrocarbon product.
15 . The process of claim 14 , wherein the introducing of step (d) includes introducing the r-LPyG into an inlet of a distillation column or a vapor-liquid separator.
16 . A process for producing one or more recycled content product streams from a cracker facility, the process comprising pyrolyzing waste plastic in a pyrolysis facility to thereby produce a recycled content pyrolysis gas (r-pygas), liquifying at least a portion of the r-pygas to thereby produce a recycled content liquified pyrolysis gas (r-LPyG), and introducing a stream of the recycle content liquified pyrolysis gas (r-LPyG) into the cracker facility at a location downstream of a furnace in the cracker facility, wherein the cracker facility produces one or more hydrocarbon products comprising at least a portion of said r-LPyG.
17 . The process of claim 16 , wherein the location downstream of the furnace is downstream of a compression zone.
18 . The process of claim 16 , wherein the location downstream of the furnace is at an inlet of a distillation column.
19 . The process of claim 16 , wherein the r-LPyG is premium r-LPyG and comprises at least 95 weight percent C3 to C5 compounds and less than 200 ppm by weight of C2 and lighter compounds.