Methods and systems for producing light olefins are disclosed. A feedstock comprising crude oil is distilled to produce a plurality of streams including a naphtha stream and a vacuum residue stream. The naphtha is fed to a steam cracking unit to produce light olefins, C.sub.4 hydrocarbons, pyrolysis gasoline and pyrolysis oil. The vacuum residue stream is hydrocracked to produce additional naphtha and heavy unconverted oil. The heavy unconverted oil and the pyrolysis oil from steam cracking unit can be deasphalted to produce deasphalted oil and pitch product. The deasphalted oil can be further hydrocracked to produce naphtha. The pitch product can be gasified to produce synthesis gas, which is further used to produce methanol. The methanol can be used to react with isobutylene of the C.sub.4 hydrocarbon stream from steam cracker to produce methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE).

A process and system for converting bio ethanol to high purity isobutene is provided. The system includes a dehydration unit configured to receive a bio ethanol containing stream, convert the bio ethanol to bio ethylene, and produce a bio ethylene containing stream, a dimerization unit configured to receive the bio ethylene stream, dimerize ethylene, and produce an n-butenes containing stream, a skeletal isomerization unit configured to receive the n-butenes containing stream, convert n-butenes to produce a skeletal isomerization stream comprising an isobutene, isobutane, n-butenes, and n-butane, and a catalytic separation unit configured to receive the skeletal isomerization stream, convert olefins and/or isoolefins contained therein to produce a converted skeletal isomerization reaction product, and to fractionate the skeletal isomerization reaction product and produce bio isobutene.

A process and system for converting bio ethanol to high purity isobutene is provided. The system includes a dehydration unit configured to receive a bio ethanol containing stream, convert the bio ethanol to bio ethylene, and produce a bio ethylene containing stream, a dimerization unit configured to receive the bio ethylene stream, dimerize ethylene, and produce an n-butenes containing stream, a skeletal isomerization unit configured to receive the n-butenes containing stream, convert n-butenes to produce a skeletal isomerization stream comprising an isobutene, isobutane, n-butenes, and n-butane, and a catalytic separation unit configured to receive the skeletal isomerization stream, convert olefins and/or isoolefins contained therein to produce a converted skeletal isomerization reaction product, and to fractionate the skeletal isomerization reaction product and produce bio isobutene.

A process for the selective dimerization and etherification of isoolefins. The process including feeding a mixed C5 stream to a selective hydrogenation unit to convert dienes to olefins and isoolefins, producing a hydrogenated effluent stream. The hydrogenated effluent stream is fed to a first fixed bed reactor, producing a first reactor effluent. The first reactor effluent is fed to a catalytic distillation reactor system, producing a first overheads including unreacted olefins, isoolefins, oxygenate, and one or more C5 ethers and a first bottoms including dimers of the isoolefins, any produced trimers of the isoolefins, and heavy oxygenates. The first overheads is fed to a second fixed bed reactor, producing a second reactor effluent including dimers of the isoolefins, unreacted C5s, and unreacted oxygenates. The first bottoms stream and the second reactor effluent are combined and fed to a product splitter, producing a second overheads stream including unreacted C5 olefins, isoolefins, and oxygenates and a second bottoms stream including C10+ hydrocarbons.

A process for the selective dimerization and etherification of isoolefins. The process including feeding a mixed C5 stream to a selective hydrogenation unit to convert dienes to olefins and isoolefins, producing a hydrogenated effluent stream. The hydrogenated effluent stream is fed to a first fixed bed reactor, producing a first reactor effluent. The first reactor effluent is fed to a catalytic distillation reactor system, producing a first overheads including unreacted olefins, isoolefins, oxygenate, and one or more C5 ethers and a first bottoms including dimers of the isoolefins, any produced trimers of the isoolefins, and heavy oxygenates. The first overheads is fed to a second fixed bed reactor, producing a second reactor effluent including dimers of the isoolefins, unreacted C5s, and unreacted oxygenates. The first bottoms stream and the second reactor effluent are combined and fed to a product splitter, producing a second overheads stream including unreacted C5 olefins, isoolefins, and oxygenates and a second bottoms stream including C10+ hydrocarbons.

Systems and methods for producing MTBE and 1-butene are disclosed. A crude C4 hydrocarbon stream is obtained by removing butadiene from a C4 hydrocarbon mixture of a hydrocarbon cracking unit. The crude C4 hydrocarbon stream is then distilled to form (a) a first distillate stream comprising isobutylene, isobutane, 1-butene, or combinations thereof and (b) a first bottom stream comprising 2-butene, n-butane, a deactivating compound for catalyst of MTBE synthesis. The first distillate stream is then flowed to a MTBE synthesis unit to produce via reaction with methanol. The raffinate from the MTBE synthesis unit comprising isobutane and 1-butene is further separated in a distillation column to produce 1-butene.

Systems and methods for producing MTBE and 1-butene are disclosed. A crude C4 hydrocarbon stream is obtained by removing butadiene from a C4 hydrocarbon mixture of a hydrocarbon cracking unit. The crude C4 hydrocarbon stream is then distilled to form (a) a first distillate stream comprising isobutylene, isobutane, 1-butene, or combinations thereof and (b) a first bottom stream comprising 2-butene, n-butane, a deactivating compound for catalyst of MTBE synthesis. The first distillate stream is then flowed to a MTBE synthesis unit to produce via reaction with methanol. The raffinate from the MTBE synthesis unit comprising isobutane and 1-butene is further separated in a distillation column to produce 1-butene.

A method for the production of a fuel additive includes passing a hydrocarbon stream comprising crude mixed C4 hydrocarbons through a first hydrogenation unit to produce a first product stream; passing the first product stream from the first hydrogenation unit to a methyl tert-butyl ether synthesis unit forming methyl tert-butyl ether and a byproduct stream; passing the byproduct stream through a first distillation unit to separate the byproduct stream into a first 1-butene stream, an isobutane stream, and a 2-butene and n-butane stream; forming a second product stream by passing the 2-butene and n-butane stream to a selective conversion unit; passing the second product stream into a second distillation unit to form an n-butane stream and a second 1-butene stream; passing the second 1-butene stream to a fuel additive production unit; and passing the first 1-butene stream to the fuel additive production unit to form the fuel additive.

A method for the production of a fuel additive includes passing a hydrocarbon stream comprising crude mixed C4 hydrocarbons through a first hydrogenation unit to produce a first product stream; passing the first product stream from the first hydrogenation unit to a methyl tert-butyl ether synthesis unit forming methyl tert-butyl ether and a byproduct stream; passing the byproduct stream through a first distillation unit to separate the byproduct stream into a first 1-butene stream, an isobutane stream, and a 2-butene and n-butane stream; forming a second product stream by passing the 2-butene and n-butane stream to a selective conversion unit; passing the second product stream into a second distillation unit to form an n-butane stream and a second 1-butene stream; passing the second 1-butene stream to a fuel additive production unit; and passing the first 1-butene stream to the fuel additive production unit to form the fuel additive.

Systems and methods for processing a C.sub.3 and C.sub.4 hydrocarbon mixture have been disclosed. The C.sub.3 and C.sub.4 hydrocarbon mixture is separated to remove propane from C.sub.4 hydrocarbons. The resulting C.sub.4 hydrocarbons are then processed in an isomerization unit to produce additional isobutane. The isobutane of the isomerization unit effluent is dehydrogenated in a dehydrogenation unit to produce isobutene. The resulting isobutene is reacted with an alkanol to produce an alkyl tert-butyl ether.