STRATCO's ConvEx[trademark] process: Low cost conversion/expansion from HF to H[sub 2]SO[sub 4] alkylation

Conference · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:7024371

Peterson, J R ^[1]; Scott, B ^[2]

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1. STRATCO, Inc., Leawood, KS (United States)
2. Bruce Scott, Inc., San Rafael, CA (United States)

The owners and operators of HF alkylation units in the US are faced with public concern and regulatory attention regarding the safety of their units. The problem, of course, is that the catalyst forms an aerosol when released as a superheated liquid. This dense aerosol cloud has the potential to persist at toxic concentrations for some distance downwind of a release. While the industry's record has been good, this potential has led environmental activist groups and various regulatory bodies to attack the use of hydrofluoric acid (HF) in refining and chemical plants. In the past, converting a HF alkylation unit to use sulfuric acid (H[sub 2]SO[sub 4]) catalyst meant reusing only the distillation section of the existing unit. The ConvEx[trademark] process, STRATCO's newly patented conversion/expansion process reuses both the reaction and distillation sections. This simplifies and significantly lowers the cost and downtime of the conversion. In fact, this process is cost-competitive with the mitigation systems currently being installed on HF alkylation units. STRATCO has determined that a gravity-flow reactor or a pumped reactor HF alkylation unit can be converted and expanded into a H[sub 2]SO[sub 4] alkylation unit with minimum capital expense. Although the converted unit will not employ STRATCO Contactors, the alkylate octane will be higher than that of the original HF unit in many cases.

• OSTI ID: 7024371
• Report Number(s): CONF-9403125-
• Resource Relation: Conference: 1994 National Petroleum Refiners Association (NPRA) annual meeting, San Antonio, TX (United States), 20-22 Mar 1994; Other Information: Paper AM-94-17
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
ALKENES
ALKYLATION
HYDROFLUORIC ACID
MATERIAL SUBSTITUTION
PETROLEUM REFINERIES
RETROFITTING
2-METHYLPROPANE
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
CATALYSTS
COST ESTIMATION
MITIGATION
PRODUCTION
ALKANES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONTROL
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
INORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION CONTROL
020400* - Petroleum- Processing
020800 - Petroleum- Waste Management