Olefin/paraffin separation technology: A review

Journal Article · Fri Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993 · Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ie00022a002· OSTI ID:5698801

Eldridge, R B ^[1]

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1. Phillips Petroleum Co., Bartlesville, OK (United States)

A significant amount of the light olefins produced during the refining of crude oil is used as refinery fuel. As natural gas supplies in North America decline, the need to conserve and recover these olefins will become critical. Cost-effective separation technologies will be required that can withstand the harsh operating environment of a petroleum refinery. In addition to traditional refinery and olefin plant applications, paraffin dehydrogenation units for the production of olefins from natural gas liquids (NGL) have recently been brought on stream. Recent federal regulations mandate that hydrocarbon emissions from refineries and chemical plants be reduced to low levels. To reduce the economic penalty of environmental compliance, low-cost hydrocarbon separation technologies are required. For streams containing a mixture of paraffinic and olefinic material, economic and process considerations may dictate that the olefin be recovered and recycled. A review of traditional and nontraditional technologies for the separation of light olefins and paraffins is presented. The technologies addressed range from conventional low-temperature distillation to chemical complexation using copper and silver ions.

• OSTI ID: 5698801
• Journal Information: Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research; (United States), Journal Name: Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research; (United States) Vol. 32:10; ISSN IECRED; ISSN 0888-5885
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020400* -- Petroleum-- Processing
ALKANES
ALKENES
DISTILLATION
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROCARBONS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
PROCESSING
REFINING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT