An apparatus for producing ethylene includes: a reactor; a first separation column, connected to the reactor; a second separation column, the upper part of the second separation column being connected to the bottom of the first separation column, and the top of the second separation column being connected to the lower part of the first separation column; a first condenser, an inlet of the first condenser being connected to the top of the first separation column, and an outlet of the first condenser being connected to the upper part of the first separation column; and a third separation column, used for receiving a second part of a first condensate from the condenser and separating the received part. A method for producing ethylene using the aforementioned apparatus is also described.

An apparatus for producing ethylene includes: a reactor; a first separation column, connected to the reactor; a second separation column, the upper part of the second separation column being connected to the bottom of the first separation column, and the top of the second separation column being connected to the lower part of the first separation column; a first condenser, an inlet of the first condenser being connected to the top of the first separation column, and an outlet of the first condenser being connected to the upper part of the first separation column; and a third separation column, used for receiving a second part of a first condensate from the condenser and separating the received part. A method for producing ethylene using the aforementioned apparatus is also described.

A substantially zero-carbon-emission (ZCE) process for making propylene polymers and copolymers including: converting alkanes to the olefin monomers ethylene, propylene, and butene or combinations thereof, using renewable electric power and scrubbing the stack gases from any fired heaters or boilers to remove carbon dioxide, in an oxidative-coupling of methane plant including the steps of passing alkanes through an ethylene plant while adding oxygen, passing a portion of the polymerization grade ethylene through a 2-butene plant, and passing the 2-butene stream and a portion of the polymerization grade ethylene stream through a propylene plant. The polymerization grade propylene is polymerized to produce isotactic homopolymer polypropylene, or ethylene-propylene random copolymer, or impact grade polypropylene containing ethylene-propylene rubber.

A substantially zero-carbon-emission (ZCE) process for making propylene polymers and copolymers including: converting alkanes to the olefin monomers ethylene, propylene, and butene or combinations thereof, using renewable electric power and scrubbing the stack gases from any fired heaters or boilers to remove carbon dioxide, in an oxidative-coupling of methane plant including the steps of passing alkanes through an ethylene plant while adding oxygen, passing a portion of the polymerization grade ethylene through a 2-butene plant, and passing the 2-butene stream and a portion of the polymerization grade ethylene stream through a propylene plant. The polymerization grade propylene is polymerized to produce isotactic homopolymer polypropylene, or ethylene-propylene random copolymer, or impact grade polypropylene containing ethylene-propylene rubber.

The invention relates to a process for preparing butadiene from n-butenes, comprising the steps of: A) providing an input gas stream a comprising n-butenes, B) feeding the input gas stream a comprising n-butenes and a gas containing at least oxygen into at least one oxidative dehydrogenation zone and oxidatively dehydrogenating n-butenes to butadiene, giving a product gas stream b comprising butadiene, unconverted n-butenes, water vapor, oxygen, low-boiling hydrocarbons and high-boiling secondary components, with or without carbon oxides and with or without inert gases; Ca) cooling the product gas stream b by contacting with a cooling medium in at least one cooling zone, the cooling medium being at least partly recycled and having an aqueous phase and an organic phase of an organic solvent, wherein the organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of toluene, o-, m- and p-xylene, mesitylene, mono-, di- and triethylbenzene, mono-, di- and triisopropylbenzene and mixtures thereof, and the mass ratio of the aqueous phase to the organic phase in the cooling medium when it is fed into the cooling zones prior to the contacting with the product gas stream being from 0.015:1 to 10:1, Cb) compressing the cooled product gas stream b which may have been depleted of high-boiling secondary components in at least one compression stage, giving at least one aqueous condensate stream c1 and one gas stream c2 comprising butadiene, n-butenes, water vapor, oxygen and low-boiling hydrocarbons, with or without carbon oxides and with or without inert gases; D) removing uncondensable and low-boiling gas constituents comprising oxygen and low-boiling hydrocarbons, with or without carbon oxides and with or without inert gases, as gas stream d2 from the gas stream c2 by absorbing the C.sub.4 hydrocarbons comprising butadiene and n-butenes in an absorbent, giving an absorbent stream laden with C.sub.4 hydrocarbons and the gas stream d2, and then desorbing the C.sub.4 hydrocarbons from the laden absorbent stream, giving a C.sub.4 product gas stream d1, E) separating the C.sub.4 product stream d1 by extractive distillation with a butadiene-selective solvent into a stream e1 comprising butadiene and the selective solvent and a stream e2 comprising n-butenes; F) distilling the stream e1 comprising butadiene and the selective solvent into a stream f1 consisting essentially of the selective solvent and a stream f2 comprising butadiene.

The invention relates to a process for preparing butadiene from n-butenes, comprising the steps of: A) providing an input gas stream a comprising n-butenes, B) feeding the input gas stream a comprising n-butenes and a gas containing at least oxygen into at least one oxidative dehydrogenation zone and oxidatively dehydrogenating n-butenes to butadiene, giving a product gas stream b comprising butadiene, unconverted n-butenes, water vapor, oxygen, low-boiling hydrocarbons and high-boiling secondary components, with or without carbon oxides and with or without inert gases; Ca) cooling the product gas stream b by contacting with a cooling medium in at least one cooling zone, the cooling medium being at least partly recycled and having an aqueous phase and an organic phase of an organic solvent, wherein the organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of toluene, o-, m- and p-xylene, mesitylene, mono-, di- and triethylbenzene, mono-, di- and triisopropylbenzene and mixtures thereof, and the mass ratio of the aqueous phase to the organic phase in the cooling medium when it is fed into the cooling zones prior to the contacting with the product gas stream being from 0.015:1 to 10:1, Cb) compressing the cooled product gas stream b which may have been depleted of high-boiling secondary components in at least one compression stage, giving at least one aqueous condensate stream c1 and one gas stream c2 comprising butadiene, n-butenes, water vapor, oxygen and low-boiling hydrocarbons, with or without carbon oxides and with or without inert gases; D) removing uncondensable and low-boiling gas constituents comprising oxygen and low-boiling hydrocarbons, with or without carbon oxides and with or without inert gases, as gas stream d2 from the gas stream c2 by absorbing the C.sub.4 hydrocarbons comprising butadiene and n-butenes in an absorbent, giving an absorbent stream laden with C.sub.4 hydrocarbons and the gas stream d2, and then desorbing the C.sub.4 hydrocarbons from the laden absorbent stream, giving a C.sub.4 product gas stream d1, E) separating the C.sub.4 product stream d1 by extractive distillation with a butadiene-selective solvent into a stream e1 comprising butadiene and the selective solvent and a stream e2 comprising n-butenes; F) distilling the stream e1 comprising butadiene and the selective solvent into a stream f1 consisting essentially of the selective solvent and a stream f2 comprising butadiene.

A process for the separation of a natural gas stream is provided. The process includes receiving an effluent gas flow from a first fractionator operating at a first pressure, splitting the effluent gas flow into a first stream and a second stream, and passing the first stream through a heat exchanger thereby causing a phase change of at least a portion of the first stream from a gaseous state to a liquid state. The process includes inserting the first stream into an upper portion of a second fractionator operating at a second pressure. The second pressure is lower than the first pressure. The process includes inserting the second stream into a lower portion of the second fractionator, and diverting liquids from a lower portion of the second fractionator to the first fractionator.

A process for the separation of a natural gas stream is provided. The process includes receiving an effluent gas flow from a first fractionator operating at a first pressure, splitting the effluent gas flow into a first stream and a second stream, and passing the first stream through a heat exchanger thereby causing a phase change of at least a portion of the first stream from a gaseous state to a liquid state. The process includes inserting the first stream into an upper portion of a second fractionator operating at a second pressure. The second pressure is lower than the first pressure. The process includes inserting the second stream into a lower portion of the second fractionator, and diverting liquids from a lower portion of the second fractionator to the first fractionator.

A process for the separation of a natural gas stream is provided. The process includes receiving an effluent gas flow from a first fractionator operating at a first pressure, splitting the effluent gas flow into a first stream and a second stream, and passing the first stream through a heat exchanger thereby causing a phase change of at least a portion of the first stream from a gaseous state to a liquid state. The process includes inserting the first stream into an upper portion of a second fractionator operating at a second pressure. The second pressure is lower than the first pressure. The process includes inserting the second stream into a lower portion of the second fractionator, and diverting liquids from a lower portion of the second fractionator to the first fractionator.

Methods and apparatus for processing hydrocarbons are provided. In one example, a method for processing hydrocarbons includes the step of providing feed stream including toluene, ethylbenzene, mixed xylenes, and C.sub.9 hydrocarbons. Ethylbenzene is present in the feed stream in an amount of at least about 20% by weight of total C.sub.8 aromatic hydrocarbons present in the feed stream. The method further includes the step of subjecting the feed stream to ethylbenzene conversion to form a benzene-containing product stream that includes benzene.