Rebuilding Hydrocarbons

The developnjient of a chemical industry based upon petroleum as a raw stock is an accomplished fact (see Tables 3-35 and 3-36). Such developments had long been delayed because of the relatively unreactive nature of most petroleum hydrocarbons and because only a few of the many hydrocarbons present in petroleum or even its reaction products can be identified. 

Although intense interest in hydrocarbon chemistry is evident and many valuable developments have been made since 1930, as yet the study of hydrocarbon Tebuilding has been centered on ascertaining what reactions can be accomplished rather than on details of operation, reaction rates, or engineering considerations. The use of numerous catalysts has also caused confusion in the correlation of engineering design data. All these facts as well as the newness of the developments have made it impossible to present more than a bare introduction to the design of equipment for these processes. 

Most rapid advancement took place during World War II. Commercial processes for the manufacture or separation Of isopentane, isobutane, butene, 2-2-4-trimethylpentene (Codimer), isopropyl benzene (cumene), butadiene, styrene, toluene, 2-2-4-trimethylpentane (alkylate), alcohol, etc., were in operation. 

More recently, commercial application of the Fischer-Tropsch process 

9 Van Antwerpen, F. J., Neches Butadiene Unit Opened, Chem. Eng. News, 22, 316 

---