Granted Patent B2

US 12,441,945 · App. 18/653,431 · Granted Oct 14, 2025

Inventors: Matthew J. Vincent (Kingwood, TX); Keith H. Kuechler (Friendswood, TX)

Assignee: EXXONMOBIL TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING COMPANY

C10G69/126B01D3/14B01D3/143C07C1/24C07C2/08C07C2/12C07C5/03C07C7/04C07C7/08C10L1/08C07C2529/85C07C2529/89C10G2300/1092C10G2300/301C10G2400/08C10L2270/04

Abstract

Claims (36)

1. A method for producing an isoolefinic stream comprising:

oligomerizing an ethylene stream to a C4+ olefin stream in a first olefin oligomerization unit comprising a reactor and a lights removal column, wherein the C4+ olefin stream contains no greater than 10 wt % of ethylene, and wherein the ethylene stream contains at least 50 wt % ethylene, at least 2000 wppm ethane and no greater than 1000 wppm of methane; and

oligomerizing the C4+ olefin stream and a propylene/C4+ olefin stream in a second oligomerization unit to produce the isoolefinic stream.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the C4+ olefin stream contains no greater than 5 wt % of methane, ethylene, and ethane combined.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the C4+ olefin stream contains no greater than 2000 wppm of methane, ethylene, and ethane combined.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ethylene stream contains no greater than 5 wppm each of carbon monoxide and hydrogen.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ethylene stream contains no greater than 1 wppm each of carbon monoxide and hydrogen.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

hydroprocessing the isoolefinic stream with hydrogen as treat gas to produce an isoparaffinic stream having no greater than 10 wt % olefin content.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

combining the C4+ olefin stream and the propylene/C4+ olefin stream before the second oligomerization.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first oligomerization unit utilizes a homogeneous catalyst, and wherein the second oligomerization unit utilize a heterogeneous catalyst.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

recycling a portion of the C4+ olefin stream that is not oligomerized during the second oligomerization back to the second oligomerization again.

10. A method comprising:

converting an oxygenate to olefins to produce a raw olefin stream;

wherein the raw olefin stream comprises ethylene, propylene, and C4+ olefins, wherein at least 10 wt % of all olefins in the raw olefin stream are ethylene,

separating the raw olefin stream to remove hydrogen, carbon monoxide, propylene and C4+ olefins from the raw olefin stream, and produce an ethylene stream containing at least 50 wt % ethylene at least 2000 wppm ethane and no greater than 1000 wppm of methane, wherein at least 95 wt % of all the ethylene in the raw olefin stream is recovered in the ethylene stream;

oligomerizing at least a portion of the ethylene stream in a first oligomerization unit to convert at least 90% of the ethylene contained in the ethylene stream to a C4+ olefin stream containing no greater than 10 wt % of methane, ethylene, and ethane combined; and

oligomerizing the C4+ olefin stream and a propylene/C4+ olefin stream in a second oligomerization unit to produce the isoolefinic stream.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the C4+ olefin stream contains no greater than 5 wt % of methane, ethylene, and ethane combined.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the C4+ olefin stream contains no greater than 2000 wppm of methane, ethylene, and ethane combined.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the ethylene stream contains no greater than 5 wppm each of carbon monoxide and hydrogen.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the ethylene stream contains no greater than 1 wppm each of carbon monoxide and hydrogen.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the ethylene stream contains at least 90% of the ethane present in the raw olefin stream.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the oxygenate is converted to olefins using a silicoaluminophosphate catalyst, an aluminosilicate catalyst, or steam cracking.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first oligomerization unit utilizes a homogeneous catalyst, and wherein the second oligomerization unit utilizes a heterogeneous catalyst.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the hydrogen and carbon monoxide are separated from the propylene and C4+ olefins when separated from the raw olefin stream.

19. A method for producing an isoolefinic stream comprising:

providing a raw olefin stream comprising ethylene, propylene and C4+ olefins, wherein at least 10 wt % of all olefins in the raw olefin stream are ethylene, and further containing at least 100 wppm of each carbon monoxide and hydrogen;

separating the raw olefin stream to remove hydrogen, carbon monoxide, propylene and C4+ olefins from the raw olefin stream, and produce an ethylene stream containing at least 50 wt % ethylene, at least 2000 wppm ethane, and no greater than 1000 wppm of methane;

oligomerizing at least a portion of the ethylene stream in a first olefin oligomerization unit comprising a reactor and a lights removal column, to convert in a single pass through the reactor(s) at least 90% of the ethylene contained in the ethylene stream to a C4+ olefin stream containing no greater than 10 wt % of ethylene; and

oligomerizing at least a portion of each of the propylene and the C4+ olefins removed from the raw olefins stream, and at least a portion of the C4+ stream in a second olefin oligomerization unit comprising a reactor and a fractionation column to produce the isoolefinic stream.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the separating of the raw olefin stream comprises:

separating propylene and C4+ from the raw olefin stream in a deethanizer distillation column; and

separating methane, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide from the raw olefin stream in a demethanizer distillation column to produce the ethylene stream.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (4)

References Cited (59)