Patent · US Expired

Process for recovering olefins from cat-cracked gas without accumulating undesirable oxides of nitrogen

US5444176A · kind A · utility

4Cited by
6References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 28, 1992
Grant dateAug 22, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 28, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF25J2220/02
  • WIPO fieldChemical engineering
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A safe, effective, and economical method is provided for recovering olefins from cat-cracked gases without accumulating dangerous amounts of nitrogen oxides. A stream of cat-cracked gas first is scrubbed to remove acid gases, including nitrogen dioxide (NO.sub.2), and then is passed through a depropanizer fractionation tower. Hydrocarbons having four or more carbon atoms are recovered in the bottoms of the depropanizer, and the overhead from the depropanizer--which is composed of hydrocarbons having three or fewer carbon atoms--is sent to an absorber demethanizer tower. Hydrocarbons having two or more carbon atoms are recovered in the bottoms from the absorber demethanizer tower, where temperatures are no lower than about -45.56.degree. C. (-50.degree. F.). The overhead from the absorber demethanizer tower--which is composed of methane, hydrogen, and trace amounts of nitrogen oxide, C.sub.2, and absorbent (C.sub.3)--then is chilled to condense and recover trace amounts of C.sub.2 and heavier gases, including trace amounts of the C.sub.3 absorbent, at temperatures of about -101.11.degree. C. (-150.degree. F.) or higher. Thus, recovery of desired hydrocarbons from the cat-cracked gas…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.