Isomerization Economic data

Isomerization of xylenes. Mabuzen processes Economic data (Francs conditions, mid-1986)... 

Tables 4.16 a, b and 4.16 c provide some economic data on the isomerization processes employing noble metal base catalysts, and on techniques operating in the absence of hydrogen, including the Maruzen process in particular, for which only data concerning the crystallization/isomerization unit are usually available.

The economic data concerning the production of isobutane by vapor phase n-butane isomerization, with and without recycling of unconverted n-butane, and concerning the production of isobutene by dehydrogenation, by the three main current industrial processes, are given in Table 6.5 a. The corresponding feed and product compositions are given in Table 6.5 b. 

A change of the economic data and a higher demand of propene led to the closure of the plant in 1972. However, as it was relatively simple (see Figure 1), it could be restarted easily, probably not for obtaining but-2-ene but for the production of high purity but-l-ene, after treatment with an isomerization catalyst. Indeed, but-l-ene can be used as a comonomer in polyethylene synthesis. 

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