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LIGHT HYDROCARBON
PROCESSING
CHAPTER 18
ISOMERIZATION
Butane Isomerization
This is stuctural isomerization, wherein the carbon skeleton of
the molecule is rearranged with no change in the molecular formula:
C
|
C—C—C—C Æ C—C—C
n–butane isobutane
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Fig. 18–2 Hot Butamer Flow Scheme (© UOP; reprinted with persmission)
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C5 /C6 Isomerization
As stated previously, the purpose of C5/C6 isomerization is to produce a
material with a significantly higher octane. Interest in C5/C6 isomerization
languished until it became apparent that lead was going to be phased out of
gasoline. This is because pentanes and hexanes have a high octane response
to TEL (high lead susceptibility). An appreciation of the interest in con-
verting normal paraffins to branched paraffins can be gained by examining
the following tabulation:
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CHAPTER 18 • ISOMERIZATION
From the boiling points, it can be seen that most of the isopentane in a
feed could be removed ahead of the reactor in a deisopentanizer (DIP)
tower. Also, a split could be made between the two DMBs and 2 MP in a
deisohexanizer (DIH) tower. This would allow the MPs and normal hexane
to be recycled. A C5/C6 splitter could be inserted between the reactor and
the DIH to permit recycling C5’s back to the DIP. Another option would be
to send the reactor effluent to a molecular sieve to separate normal pentane
and normal hexane for recycle.
The stepwise addition of these towers into a complex could result in
increased production of isomerate with the same reactor.
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Fig. 18–3 UOP Hot Penex Process (© UOP; reprinted with persmission)
Figure 18–4 is a plot of the above data resulting from an earlier study
(1978) by the author for these five cases. It is thought that the same gener-
al relationships hold today.
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Notes
1. Anon., Physical and Thermodynamic Properties of Elements and
Compounds, Chemetron Corporation, Louisville, 1969
References
Anon., Hydrocarbon Processing, April, 1984, p. 111
Bour, G., Schwoerer, C.P., and Asselin, G.F., Oil & Gas Journal,
October 26, 1970, pp. 57–65
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Ewing, R.C., Oil & Gas Journal, August 16, 1971, pp. 61–66
Raghuram, S., Haizmann, R.S., Lowry, D.R., and Schiferli, W.J., Oil
& Gas Journal, December 3, 1990, pp. 66–69
Schmidt, R.J., Weiszmann, J.A., and Johnson, J.A., Oil & Gas
Journal, May 27, 1985, pp. 80–88
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