Universal Oil Products process

There are seven commercial processes in operation six operate in the vapor phase. The Universal Oil Products process operates in the Hquid phase and is unique in the simulation of a moving bed. The adsorption unit consists of one vessel segmented into sections with multiple inlet and oudet ports. Flow to the various segments is accompHshed by means of a rotary valve which allows each bed segment to proceed sequentially through all the adsorption/desorption steps. 

The Institute of Petroleum, IP Standard Methods for Analysis and Testing of Petroleum and Related Products and British Standards, Jolm Wiley Sons, Chichester, UK (1999). Universal Oil Products Process Division, Des Plaines, IL, USA. 

Since we are concerned here with the development of a chemical process for use on a commercial scale, it is evident that the kinetics equation should describe the process not only under laboratory conditions, but also on a large-scale industrial production scale. In many cases the processes are carried out under identical conditions, both in the laboratory and industrially. Thus, for example, the hydrochlorination process mentioned above can be carried out in an isothermal reactor consisting of a set of tubes filled with catalyst. The size of the tubes and the catalyst particles, and the conditions under which the process is carried out, arc the same as in the laboratory equipment. As an example of a process that is already carried out commercially, we can mention the reaction of the hydrogenation of iso-octene in the U.O.P. (Universal Oil Product) process. However, in many other cases the dimensions of the individual items and of the apparatus as a whole, and the conditions under which the process is carried out, change radically on transition from the laboratory to the industrial process as a result, the kinetics equations derived from laboratory tests are not applicable in industry. 

Njlene Separation. -Xylene is separated from mixed xylenes and ethylbenzene by means of the Parex process (Universal Oil Products Company). A proprietary adsorbent and process cycle are employed in a simulated moving-bed system. High purity -xylene is produced. 

Olefin Separation. Olefin-containing streams are separated either by the OlefinSiv process (Union Carbide Corp.) separating / -butenes from isobutenes in the vapor phase, or the Olex process (Universal Oil Product) a Hquid-phase process. 

Rexforming A petroleum refining process which combines Platforming with an aromatics extraction process using ethylene glycol. Developed in the 1950s by Universal Oil Products. 

The SMB process was invented by Broughton in 1961 and developed by Universal Oil Products under the general name Sorbex . Initially used for separating n-paraffins in bulk, it is now used for a variety of individual-isomer separations and class separations, and is currently attracting considerable interest for separating pharmaceutical enantiomers. The SMB process is described in Section 17.9.4 and in a growing literaturel-21 22>11 - 74),... 

Aromatic Hydrocarbons. Sulfolane is used principally as a solvent for extraction of benzene, toluene, and xylene from mixtures containing aliphatic hydrocarbons (33—37). The sulfolane process was introduced in 1959 by Shell Development Company, and that process is licensed by Universal Oil Products. A sulfolane extraction process is also licensed by the Atlantic Richfield Company. In 1994, woddwide consumption was estimated at ca 6974 t/yr of sulfolane for 137 sulfolane extraction units (see Btx processes Extraction, liquid-liquid Xylenes and ethylbenzene). 

The butane isomerization process developed by the Universal Oil Products Co. is shown in Figure 4. In this process (3), the feed is maintained essentially in the liquid phase under pressure. Part of the feed is by-passed through a saturator, where it dissolves aluminum chloride. The feed later picks up hydrogen chloride and passes through the reactor, which is packed with quartz chips. Some insoluble liquid complex is formed, and this adheres to the quartz chips. The aluminum chloride in the feed is preferentially taken up by the complex, which thus maintains an active catalyst bed. The complex slowly drains through the reactor, losing activity en route. It arrives at the bottom in essentially spent condition and is discarded. Aluminum chloride carried overhead in the reactor products is returned to the reactor from the bottom of the recovery tower. The rest of the process is the same as in the vapor-phase processes. 

Present address Universal Oil Products Co., Process Division, 20 UOP Plaza, Algonquin and Mt. Prospect Rds, Des Plaines, 111. 60016. 

The successful simulation of continuous moving bed adsorption process developed by UOP (Universal Oil Products) is illustrated in Figure 15.26. For the process being simulated, part (a) of the figure... 

Sulfolane SFIELL process, Licensor Universal Oil Products Sulfolane selectivity and capacity insensitive to water content caused by steam-stripping during solvent recovery heavy paraffinic countersolvent used 120°C Rotating-disk contactor, up to 4 m in diameter The high selectivity and capacity of sulfolane leads to low solvent/feed ratios, and thus smaller equipment... 

The details of the methanol conversion process and its control are in development. The process itself is described in Dr. George Olah s book titled Beyond Oil and Gas The Methanol Economy, published by Wiley-VCH, and I understand that it is being developed by Universal Oil Products (UOP), which is also developing related process technologies and joint ventures for demonstration and de facto plants. Therefore, it is not certain, but it is likely that the methanol process could mature by the time the solar-hydrogen demonstration plant is completed, and in that case, it could be made part of the total power plant. 

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