System and method for producing 1-butene are disclosed. The method includes dehydrogenating butane to form a mixture comprising butene isomers. 1-butene is separated from the mixture using a system that includes a membrane. The system also includes an isomerizing unit for isomerizing cis-2-butene and trans-2-butene to form additional 1-butene.

A process for producing ethylene and at least one of butanol and an alkyl tert-butyl ether from field butane includes separating the field butane into an n-butane stream and an isobutane stream; cracking the n-butane stream to obtain a cracked product stream comprising n-butane, 1-butene, 2-butene, butadienes, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing; and at least one of the following: (1) separating the cracked product stream to obtain a butane stream and a butene stream, and reacting the butene stream with water to obtain a fuel additive comprising butanol, and (2) dehydrogenating the isobutane stream in a dehydrogenation unit to form an isobutene stream and reacting the isobutene stream with an aliphatic alcohol to produce an alkyl tert-butyl ether.

A process for producing ethylene and at least one of butanol and an alkyl tert-butyl ether from field butane includes separating the field butane into an n-butane stream and an isobutane stream; cracking the n-butane stream to obtain a cracked product stream comprising n-butane, 1-butene, 2-butene, butadienes, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing; and at least one of the following: (1) separating the cracked product stream to obtain a butane stream and a butene stream, and reacting the butene stream with water to obtain a fuel additive comprising butanol, and (2) dehydrogenating the isobutane stream in a dehydrogenation unit to form an isobutene stream and reacting the isobutene stream with an aliphatic alcohol to produce an alkyl tert-butyl ether.

The present disclosure relates to a dehydrogenation catalyst for use in dehydrogenation of a branched light hydrocarbon gas, the catalyst including platinum, tin, and an alkali metal which are carried in a phase-changed carrier, in which platinum and tin form a single complex and are present in an alloy form within a predetermined thickness from the outer surface of the catalyst.

The present disclosure relates to a dehydrogenation catalyst for use in dehydrogenation of a branched light hydrocarbon gas, the catalyst including platinum, tin, and an alkali metal which are carried in a phase-changed carrier, in which platinum and tin form a single complex and are present in an alloy form within a predetermined thickness from the outer surface of the catalyst.

The present invention relates to a process for treating, by reactive distillation, an olefinic feedstock comprising linear olefins containing n carbon atoms, and branched olefins, the branched olefins comprising tertiary branched olefins, for example a mixture of n-butenes and of tertiary branched olefins comprising isobutene, so as to produce an olefinic effluent with a mass content of tertiary branched olefin of less than or equal to 3% by weight and a heavy hydrocarbon effluent, said process comprising the feeding of a reactive distillation section with said olefinic feedstock and with an alcohol feedstock comprising a primary alcohol, said reactive distillation section comprising a column composed at least of an upper reflux zone into which is introduced said alcohol feedstock, comprising, for example, ethanol, an intermediate reaction zone comprising at least 6 reactive doublets, and a lower fractionation zone at the level of which said section is fed with said olefinic feedstock, said reactive distillation section being operated at a relative pressure of between 0.3 and 0.5 MPa, a column head temperature of between 40° C. and 60° C., with a reflux ratio of between 1.8 and 2.2.

The present invention relates to a process for treating, by reactive distillation, an olefinic feedstock comprising linear olefins containing n carbon atoms, and branched olefins, the branched olefins comprising tertiary branched olefins, for example a mixture of n-butenes and of tertiary branched olefins comprising isobutene, so as to produce an olefinic effluent with a mass content of tertiary branched olefin of less than or equal to 3% by weight and a heavy hydrocarbon effluent, said process comprising the feeding of a reactive distillation section with said olefinic feedstock and with an alcohol feedstock comprising a primary alcohol, said reactive distillation section comprising a column composed at least of an upper reflux zone into which is introduced said alcohol feedstock, comprising, for example, ethanol, an intermediate reaction zone comprising at least 6 reactive doublets, and a lower fractionation zone at the level of which said section is fed with said olefinic feedstock, said reactive distillation section being operated at a relative pressure of between 0.3 and 0.5 MPa, a column head temperature of between 40° C. and 60° C., with a reflux ratio of between 1.8 and 2.2.

Systems and methods of dehydrogenating a hydrocarbon in a fixed bed dehydrogenation unit. A method for dehydrogenating a hydrocarbon is applied to a fixed bed reactor. The hydrocarbon flows to a fixed bed reactor to be dehydrogenated in presence of a catalyst in the fixed bed reactor. The catalyst in the fixed bed reactor is then regenerated. The period for dehydrogenation, the period for catalyst regeneration and the period for total slack time are controlled such that total slack time is less than both half of the period for dehydrogenation and half of the period for regeneration. One of the advantages of the process comes from optimization of the slack time, thereby increasing the catalyst utilization rate and number of reactors concurrently online.

Systems and methods of dehydrogenating a hydrocarbon in a fixed bed dehydrogenation unit. A method for dehydrogenating a hydrocarbon is applied to a fixed bed reactor. The hydrocarbon flows to a fixed bed reactor to be dehydrogenated in presence of a catalyst in the fixed bed reactor. The catalyst in the fixed bed reactor is then regenerated. The period for dehydrogenation, the period for catalyst regeneration and the period for total slack time are controlled such that total slack time is less than both half of the period for dehydrogenation and half of the period for regeneration. One of the advantages of the process comes from optimization of the slack time, thereby increasing the catalyst utilization rate and number of reactors concurrently online.

A method of producing a fuel additive includes passing a feed stream comprising C.sub.4 hydrocarbons through a first hydrogenation unit producing a first process stream; passing the first process stream through a distillation unit; withdrawing a 2-butene stream from the distillation unit: passing the 2-butene stream through a second hydrogenation unit producing a 1-butene stream; passing at least a portion of the 1-butene stream through a separation unit; and passing the 1-butene stream through a hydration unit producing the fuel additive.