SUPERFLEX Process

Description The SUPERFLEX process is a proprietary technology patented by ARCO Chemical Tech nology, Inc. (now Lyondell Chemical Co.), and is exclusively offered for license by Kellogg Brown Root. It uses a fluidized catalytic reactor system with a proprietary catalyst to convert low-value feedstocks to desirable propylene and ethylene products. The catalyst is very robust thus, no feed pretreatment is required for typical contaminants such as sulfur, water, oxygenates or nitrogen. Attractive feedstocks include C4 and CB... 

One variant of this route is the use of ZSM-5 family zeolites to interconvert olefins this is broadly similar to the Superflex process. The usual approach is to feed a high olefin (olefinic naphtha) to a fixed-bed catalyst operating at a relatively high temperature (>400°C). This establishes an equilibrium favouring lighter olefins and in particular propylene. One proposal is to use C4 and C5 olefins to generate ethylene and propylene . 

Kellogg Brown Root LLC Propylene Light (C to CJ hydrocarbon olefins-containing streams The SUPERFLEX process uses a fluidized catalytic reactor system with a proprietary catalyst to convert low-value feedstocks to predominately propylene and ethylene products 3 2006... 

Table 16. Ultimate yields from the SUPERFLEX process...

Superffex C t lytic Crocking. A new process called Superflex is being commercialized to produce predorninantiy propylene and butylenes from low valued hydrocarbon streams from an olefins complex (74). In this process, raffinates (from the aromatics recovery unit and the B—B stream after the recovery of isobutylene) and pyrolysis gasoline (after the removal of the C —Cg aromatics fraction) are catalyticaHy cracked to produce propylene, isobutylene, and a cmde C —Cg aromatics fraction. AH other by-products are recycled to extinction. 

Superflex A process for converting mixed hydrocarbon streams to olefins. Developed by Arco Chemical. 

MAXOFIN [MAXimize OleFIN] Also called MAXOFIN FCC. A modification to the FCC process, which maximizes the production of propylene. A proprietary additive containing zeolite ZSM-5 is used (MAXOFIN-3), together with engineering modifications. Developed by ExxonMobil and Kellog Brown and Root and now licensed by KBR. See also Superflex. 

SUPERFLEX A modified FCC process designed to maximize the production of propylene from C4 to C8 refinery streams. Developed by Arco Chemical and commercialized by Sasol in South Africa in 2005. KBR was the exclusive licensor in 2005. See also Maxofin. SuperFlex is also the tradename for a range of polyurethane suspension components, and SuperFlex is an association of Danish artists. 

The SUPERFLEX FCC system is similar to that of a conventional FCC unit and consists of riser reactor, regenerator vessel and units for air compression, catalyst handling, flue gas handling and feed and effluent heat recovery. The SUPERFLEX system should be integrated into an ethylene plant in order to minimize capital investment, with the feedstock obtained directly from the steam cracker and shared common product recovery. The cooled reactor effluent can be processed in a nearby existing ethylene plant recovery unit. Alternatively, the effluent can be processed in a partial recovery unit to recover recycle streams and olefin-rich streams concentrated for further processing in a nearby ethylene plant. 

Superflex (2) A LyondellBasell process for isomerizing olefin mixtures to ethylene, propylene, and butenes. Super Hy-Pro See Hy-Pro. 

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