Liquid Acid Processes

The generally accepted mechanism for the alkylation reaction is as follows  

A number of side reactions can also take place such as  

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Liquid acid-catalyzed processes are mature technologies, which are not expected to undergo dramatic changes in the near future. Solid acid-catalyzed alkylation now has been developed to a point where the technology can compete with the existing processes. Catalyst regeneration by hydrogen treatment is the method of choice in all the process developments. Some of the process developments eliminate most if not all the drawbacks of the liquid acid processes. The verdict about whether solid acid-catalyzed processes will be applied in the near future will be determined primarily by economic issues. 

The tendency in the past decades has been to replace them with solid acids (Figure 13.1). These solid acids could present important advantages, decreasing reactor and plant corrosion problems (with simpler and safer maintenance), and favoring catalyst regeneration and environmentally safe disposal. This is the case of the use of zeolites, amorphous sihco-aluminas, or more recently, the so-called superacid solids, that is, sulfated metal oxides, heteropolyoxometalates, or nation (Figure 13.1). It is clear that the well-known carbocation chemistry that occurs in liquid-acid processes also occurs on the sohd-acid catalysts (similar mechanisms have been proposed in both catalyst types) and the same process variables that control liquid-acid reactions also affect the solid catalyst processes. 

Technologically, the Alkylene process is a break-through. Several significant inventions were required to make it technically feasible. The development of a unique solid-acid catalyst and transport reactor by UOP allows for the potential elimination of hazardous liquid acid processes. About 1 MM gallons of hydrofluoric acid inventory could be eliminated, transport of 33 MM lbs (4 MM gallons) of hydrofluoric acid per year would be stopped, and ca. 20 MM lbs per year of other fluoride containing solids would not have to be land filled. 

Other observations of this test work, with respect to key alkylate product properties, were that neither the Reid vapor pressure (RVP) nor density deviated significantly from values that would be obtained via liquid acid alkylation. Further, acid-soluble oils (ASO), formed as contaminant side products in the case of liquid acid processes, could not be detected among the reaction products in our SAC testing. Compared with the liquid acid technologies, this effect results in both lower feed consumption per unit of alkylate production and eliminates generation of a by-product that can be difficult to dispose of. 

Comparison with Conventional Liquid Acid Processes... 

A comparison of the Exelus technology with competing liquid acid processes is presented below. We have used published data and pro-rated them (the sulfuric acid unit (7) was pro-rated from a 7,500 barrel per day (bpd) plant cost of 43.5 million while the HF plant (6) was pro-rated from a 8,800 bpd plant cost of 42.5 million) to reflect a plant capacity of 10,000 bpd. 

A RON value of 96 is claimed for the alkylate obtained through the Allqr-Clean process. AlkyClean has been presented as a very versatile option to retrofit liquid acid processes, having up to 20% lower inside-battery-limits cost than for a H2SO4 unit and comparable to that for a HF plant. The process is also shown as attractive to revamp gasoline polymerization units, offering a short time for payback (252). 

Rate of reaction cannot be easily defined but Langlois has devised a semiempirical relationship which properly describes behavior in the liquid-acid process. Likewise, Bethea and Karchmer have studied the rate of reaction in polymerizing propene with phosphoric acid. In the widely... 

Product removal during reaction. Separation of the product before completion of the reaction can force a higher conversion, as discussed in Chap. 2. Figure 2.4 showed how this is done in sulfuric acid processes. Sometimes the product (or one of the products) can be removed continuously from the reactor as the reaction progresses, e.g., by allowing it to vaporize from a liquid phase reactor. 

Another improvement (less by-products) has been made over the fuming sulfuric acid process operated commercially for the hydrolysis of 2-perfluoroal-kylethyl iodides. It entails the use of sulfur trioxide in liquid sulfur dioxide [52, 5J (equation 52). 

Zinc chloride is also a catalyst for a liquid-phase process using concentrated hydrochloric acid at 100-150°C. Hydrochloric acid may be generated in situ by reacting sodium chloride with sulfuric acid. As mentioned earlier, methyl chloride may also be produced directly from methane with other chloromethanes. However, methyl chloride from methanol may be further chlorinated to produce dichloromethane, chloroform, and carbon tetrachloride. 

The carbonylation of methanol is currently one of the major routes for acetic acid production. The basic liquid-phase process developed by BASF uses a cobalt catalyst at 250°C and a high pressure of about 70... 

The process is similar to the catalytic liquid-phase oxidation of ethylene to acetaldehyde. The difference hetween the two processes is the presence of acetic acid. In practice, acetaldehyde is a major coproduct. The mole ratio of acetaldehyde to vinyl acetate can he varied from 0.3 1 to 2.5 1. The liquid-phase process is not used extensively due to corrosion problems and the formation of a fairly wide variety of by-products. 

Either a liquid or a gas-phase process is used for the alkylation reaction. In the liquid-phase process, low temperatures and pressures (approximately 50°C and 5 atmospheres ) are used with sulfuric acid as a catalyst. 

Cyclohexane is oxidized in a liquid-phase process to a mixture of cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol (KA oil). The reaction conditions are 95-120°C at approximately 10 atmospheres in the presence of a cohalt acetate and orthohoric acid catalyst system. About 95% yield can be obtained ... 

The reaction occurs in a liquid-phase process at approximately 400°C using ZnO or CdO catalysts. Terephthalic acid is obtained from an acid treatment the potassium salt is recycled. ° ... 

Tantalum and niobium oxides, Ta2Os and Nb2Os, are among the final products obtained from tantalum and niobium strip solutions following liquid-liquid extraction processes. The strip solutions of tantalum and niobium consist of solutions of fluorotantalic and oxyfluoroniobic acids, H2TaF7 and H2NbOF5, respectively. 

The unique advantage of the plasma chemical method is the ability to collect the condensate, which can be used for raw material decomposition or even liquid-liquid extraction processes. The condensate consists of a hydrofluoric acid solution, the concentration of which can be adjusted by controlling the heat exchanger temperature according to a binary diagram of the HF - H20 system [534]. For instance, at a temperature of 80-100°C, the condensate composition corresponds to a 30-33% wt. HF solution. 

The catalytic hydrogenation of fatty oils, the desulfurization of liquid petroleum fractions by catalytic hydrogenation, Fischer-Tropsch-type synthesis in slurry reactors, and the manufacture of calcium bisulfite acid are familiar examples of this type of process, for which the term gas-liquid-particle process will be used in the following. 

The paraffin wax is oxidized by air in a liquid phase process at 110-130°C. Catalysts for this radical reaction are cobalt or manganese salts [54]. The quality of the obtained mixture of homologous carboxylic acids is impaired by numerous byproducts such as aldehydes, ketones, lactones, esters, dicarboxylic acids, and other compounds. These are formed despite a partial conversion of the paraffin and necessitate an expensive workup of the reaction product [50,55]. 

The chemistry of vinyl acetate synthesis from the gas-phase oxidative coupling of acetic acid with ethylene has been shown to be facilitated by many co-catalysts. Since the inception of the ethylene-based homogeneous liquid-phase process by Moiseev et al. (1960), the active c ytic species in both the liquid and gas-phase process has always been seen to be some form of palladium acetate [Nakamura et al, 1971 Augustine and Blitz, 1993]. Many co-catalysts which help to enhance the productivity or selectivity of the catalyst have appeared in the literature over the years. The most notable promoters being gold (Au) [Sennewald et al., 1971 Bissot, 1977], cadmium acetate (Cd(OAc)j) [Hoechst, 1967], and potassium acetate (KOAc) [Sennewald et al., 1971 Bissot, 1977]. 

There is a real opportunity to reduce biodiesel production costs and environmental impact by applying modem catalyst technology, which will allow increased process flexibility to incorporate the use of low-cost high-FFA feedstock, and reduce water and energy requirement. Solid catalysts such as synthetic polymeric catalysts, zeolites and superacids like sulfated zirconia and niobic acid have the strong potential to replace liquid acids, eliminating separation, corrosion and environmental problems. Lotero et al. recently published a review that elaborates the importance of solid acids for biodiesel production. ... 

During the last decade many industrial processes shifted towards using solid acid catalysts (6). In contrast to liquid acids that possess well-defined acid properties, solid acids contain a variety of acid sites (7). Sohd acids are easily separated from the biodiesel product they need less equipment maintenance and form no polluting by-products. Therefore, to solve the problems associated with liquid catalysts, we propose their replacement with solid acids and develop a sustainable esterification process based on catalytic reactive distillation (8). The alternative of using solid acid catalysts in a reactive distillation process reduces the energy consumption and manufacturing pollution (i.e., less separation steps, no waste/salt streams). 

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