Upgrader units

A shape selective zeolite cracks the low octane paraffinic components out of the gasoline boiling range, and therefore enhances the octane numbers at the expense of decreased gasoline yield. The LPG olefinic fragments can however be converted to premium gasoline components in downstream upgrading units. 

In 1995, N.S. Srinivasan used pyrolysis GC-MS to identify compounds present in Athabasca bitumen capable of creating anisotropic toluene-insoluble (TI) solids, known for fouling bitumen upgrading units. In the study, Srinivasan compared TI with a commercial hydrocracking unit and TI formed in a laboratory using atmospheric tower bottoms of hydrocracked bitumen as feed. Both types of TI were exposed to excess toluene at ambient temperature to remove all toluene-soluble components. TI samples were then exposed to the pyrolytic temperatures of 460 and 750°C. With a temperature... 

The pre-coated filter can operate for a period of two to four weeks, depending on the level of impurities in sulphur. The equipment supplier can help you either to find a sulphur refining operation in the region to do the job or supply a sulphur upgrading unit. 

Explosion and fire at primary oilsands upgrader unit (upgraders convert bitumen stripped from the oilsands into refinery-ready synthetic crude). 

Slurry-phase + ebullated-bed. HCAT slurry-phase technology can be integrated to improve the performance of existing ebullated-bed upgrading units as reported by Neste Oil (HTI, 2011). 

Me Namara, D.J., Sherwood, D.E., Ginestra, J.M., Ijistra, W.D. 2007. Correct catalyst selection leads to improved on-stream factor in high conversion resid upgrading units. In Second Russia CIS Bottom of the Barrel Technology Conference and Exhibition, Marriot Grand Hotel, Moscow, 18—19 April. 

Production of nitric phosphates is not expected to expand rapidly ia the near future because the primary phosphate exporters, especially ia North Africa and the United States, have moved to ship upgraded materials, wet-process acid, and ammonium phosphates, ia preference to phosphate rock. The abundant supply of these materials should keep suppHers ia a strong competitive position for at least the short-range future. Moreover, the developiag countries, where nitric phosphates would seem to be appealing for most crops except rice, have already strongly committed to production of urea, a material that blends compatibly with sulfur-based phosphates but not with nitrates. 

In general, the proven technology to upgrade methane is via steam reforming to produce synthesis gas, CO + Such a gas mixture is clean and when converted to Hquids produces fuels substantially free of heteroatoms such as sulfur and nitrogen. Two commercial units utilizing the synthesis gas from natural gas technology in combination with novel downstream conversion processes have been commercialized. 

Natural Gas Upgrading via Fischer-Tropsch. In the United States, as in other countries, scarcities from World War II revived interest in the synthesis of fuel substances. A study of the economics of Fischer synthesis led to the conclusion that the large-scale production of gasoline from natural gas offered hope for commercial utiHty. In the Hydrocol process (Hydrocarbon Research, Inc.) natural gas was treated with high purity oxygen to produce the synthesis gas which was converted in fluidized beds of kon catalysts (42). 

The flow sheet can be tailored to the specific characteristics of the ore. The unit operations can be combined or modified in many ways to upgrade the total iron content in the ore from levels as low as 20—38% up to levels of 65—70%. 

Fresh reducing gas is generated by reforming natural gas with steam. The natural gas is heated in a recuperator, desulfurized to less than 1 ppm sulfur, mixed with superheated steam, further preheated to 620°C in another recuperator, then reformed in alloy tubes filled with nickel-based catalyst at a temperature of 830°C. The reformed gas is quenched to remove water vapor, mixed with clean recycled top gas from the shaft furnace, reheated to 925°C in an indirect fired heater, and injected into the shaft furnace. For high (above 92%) metallization a CO2 removal unit is added in the top gas recycle line in order to upgrade the quaUty of the recycled top gas and reducing gas. 

During its 40-year development, three different si2es of PETROSIX retorts have been operated on a continuous basis a 1.83-m (6-ft) diameter demonstration plant a 5.49-m (18-ft) diameter Prototype Unit (UPI) and a 10.97-m (36-ft) diameter Industrial Module (MI). Within the SIX facihty are numerous pilot plants available for retorting coarse-si2ed oil shale, fines utih2ation, and oil shale upgrading (3,67). 

United States. In 1980, Unocal began constmcting the Parachute Creek Project, designed to produce 1600 m (10,000 bbl) of upgraded shale oil per day. The project included a conventional underground room-and-pikar mine, the Unishale B (see Table 7) retort, and a special Unocal upgrading facihty. Plant startup occurred in 1986, and daily shale oil production reached 1100 m /d (7000 bbl/d). By 1991, total production exceeded 0.6 x 10 m (four million barrels). However, the Parachute Creek Project was shut down in mid-1991 for economic reasons. 

The bottoms from the stripper (40—60 wt % acid) are sent to an acid reconcentration unit for upgrading to the proper acid strength and recycling to the reactor. Because of the associated high energy requirements, reconcentration of the diluted sulfuric acid is a cosdy operation. However, a propylene gas stripping process, which utilizes only a small amount of added water for hydrolysis, has been described (63). In this modification, the equiUbrium quantity of isopropyl alcohol is stripped so that acid is recycled without reconcentration. Kquilibrium is attained rapidly at 50°C and isopropyl alcohol is removed from the hydrolysis mixture. Similarly, the weak sulfuric acid process minimizes the reconcentration of the acid and its associated corrosion and pollution problems. 

In the late 1980s, Brodie crystalHsers were installed in the United Kingdom and in France for upgrading phthaHc-grade naphthalene to 99% purity or better. This apparatus, developed by Union Carbide Corporation, AustraHa, for separating o- and -dichlorobensene, was adapted for naphthalene refining. The one installed in the United Kingdom, however, has been closed (21) (see Naphthalene). 

Rehable estimates of annual production of biphenyl in the United States are difficult to obtain. The 1990 figure is probably on the order of 16 million kg/yr of which about half is derived from hydrodealkylation sources. About 10% of the biphenyl derived from HD A sources is consumed, as 93—95% grade, in textile dye carrier appHcations. The remainder is used for alkylation or upgraded to >99.9% grades for heat-transfer purposes. Essentially all of the high purity biphenyl produced by dehydrocondensation of ben2ene is used as alkylation feedstock or is utili2ed directly in heat-transfer appHcations. 

---