The invention relates to a process for preparing 1,3-butadiene from n-butenes, comprising the steps of: A) providing an input gas stream a comprising butanes, 1-butene, 2-butene and isobutene, with or without 1,3-butadiene, from a fluid catalytic cracking plant; B) removing isobutene from the input gas stream a, giving a stream b comprising butanes, 1-butene and 2-butene, with or without 1,3-butadiene; C) feeding the stream b comprising butanes, 1-butene and 2-butene and optionally an, oxygenous gas and optionally water vapor into at least one dehydrogenating zone and dehydrogenating 1-butene and 2-butene to 1,3-butadiene, giving a product gas stream c comprising 1,3-butadiene, butanes, 2-butene and water vapor, with or without oxygen, with low-boiling hydrocarbons, with high-boiling secondary components, with or without carbon oxides and with or without inert gases; D) cooling and compressing the product gas stream c, giving at least one aqueous condensate stream d1 and a gas stream d2 comprising 1,3-butadiene, butanes, 2-butene and water vapor, with or without oxygen, with low-boiling hydrocarbons, with or without carbon oxides and with or without inert gases; Ea) removing uncondensable and low-boiling gas constituents comprising low-boiling hydrocarbons, with or without oxygen, with or without carbon oxides and with or without inert gases, as gas stream e2 from the gas stream d2 by absorbing the C.sub.4 hydrocarbons comprising 1,3-butadiene, butanes and 2-butene in an absorbent, giving an absorbent stream laden with C.sub.4 hydrocarbons and the gas stream e2, and Eb) subsequently desorbing the C.sub.4 hydrocarbons from the laden absorbent stream, giving a C.sub.4 hydrocarbon stream e1; F) separating the C.sub.4 hydrocarbon stream e1 by extractive distillation with a 1,3-butadiene-selective solvent into a stream f1 comprising 1,3-butadiene and the selective solvent and a stream f2 comprising butanes and 2-butene, wherein at least 90% of the 1-butene present in stream b is converted in step C) and a product stream f2 comprising butanes and 2-butene is obtained in step F.

This present disclosure relates to processes and apparatuses for toluene methylation in an aromatics complex for producing paraxylene. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to processes and apparatuses wherein a toluene methylation zone is integrated within an aromatics complex for producing paraxylene thus allowing no benzene byproduct to be produced. This may be accomplished by incorporating a toluene methylation process into the aromatics complex and recycling the benzene to the transalkylation unit the aromatics complex.

A process is presented for the purification of an olefins feed stream to a benzene alkylation unit. The process removes heavy aromatics in a two adsorbent unit system. The unit passes the olefins feed stream to a first adsorbent unit, while the second adsorbent unit is either in regeneration mode, or standby mode. The process switches the feed stream to the second adsorbent unit and displaces the fluid in the second adsorbent unit, while maintaining the flow of the purified feed stream to the benzene alkylation unit.

A method for reducing the mutagenicity of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAC's) having one or more bay regions which involves alkylating the PAC's with an alkylating agent in the presence of a catalyst to lower the mutagenicity down to as much as about 0.1. The resulting alkylated polycyclic aromatic compounds retain their physical and chemical properties for safe industrial use including as rubber processing oils, inks, etc.

The present invention relates generally to methods for producing renewable detergent compounds. More specifically, the invention relates to methods for producing detergent intermediates, including bio-linear alkylbenzene (LAB), bio-alcohols, and long chain bio-paraffins, from natural oils.

The invention relates to a process for producing alkylated aromatic hydrocarbons comprising the steps of: (a) subjecting a mixed hydrocarbon feedstream comprising benzene to a separation to provide a C6 cut comprising benzene, wherein the C6 cut comprises at least 60 wt-% of C6 hydrocarbons; (b) subjecting the C6 cut to catalytic cracking or thermal cracking to provide a cracking product stream comprising benzene and C2-C4 alkenes and (c) after step (b), without pre-separation of the cracking product stream, subjecting the cracking product stream to conditions suitable for alkylation to provide an alkylation product stream rich in alkylated aromatic hydrocarbons, wherein the process further comprises the steps of separating benzene and benzene coboilers from the alkylation product stream to obtain a stream of benzene and benzene coboilers and wherein the stream of benzene and benzene coboilers is separated into a benzene-rich stream comprising a higher proportion of benzene than the stream of benzene and benzene coboilers and a benzene-lean stream comprising a lower proportion of benzene than the stream of benzene and benzene coboilers and wherein the benzene-lean stream is recycled back to the catalytic cracking or thermal cracking in step (b).

Processes for the production of linear alkylbenzenes from a renewable feedstock. Prior to converting the side chains of the glycerides and free fatty acids of the feedstock into hydrocarbons, the feedstock is separated into a stream rich in C.sub.10 and C.sub.14 free fatty acids glycerides having C.sub.10 and C.sub.14 fatty acid side chains and at least one, preferably two, other glyceride streams. The stream rich in glycerides having C.sub.10 and C.sub.14 fatty acid side chains can be converted via deoxygenation into a stream rich in C.sub.9 to C.sub.14 hydrocarbons while the other glyceride streams can be used as vegetable oil. A C.sub.10 to C.sub.13 hydrocarbon fraction from the stream rich in C.sub.9 to C.sub.14 hydrocarbons may be dehydrogenated to form olefins which may be reacted with benzene to form linear alkylbenzenes. The linear alkylbenzenes may be used to produce surfactants.

A process, comprising: providing an olefin feed comprising pentenes, butenes, and isopentane; and alkylating the olefin feed with isobutane using an acidic ionic liquid catalyst; wherein less than 5 mol % of C5 olefins in the olefin feed are converted to isopentane, and the alkylate gasoline has defined final boiling points and high RONs. A process comprising: alkylating an olefin feed comprising pentenes and isopentane, with isobutane using an acidic ionic liquid catalyst; wherein less than 5 mol % of C5 olefins in the olefin feed are converted to isopentane; and wherein an n-pentane product yield is low. An alkylate gasoline, comprising less than 0.1 wt % olefins and aromatics, less than 1.8 wt % C12+hydrocarbons, and greater than 60 wt % combined C8 and C9 hydrocarbons, wherein the trimethylpentane in the C8 hydrocarbons and the trimethylhexane in the C9 hydrocarbons are defined.

Conversion of heavy fossil hydrocarbons (HFH) to a variety of value-added chemicals and/or fuels can be enhanced using microwave (MW) and/or radio-frequency (RE) energy. Variations of reactants, process parameters, and reactor design can significantly influence the relative distribution of chemicals and fuels generated as the product. In one example, a system for flash microwave conversion of HFH includes a source concentrating microwave or RF energy in a reaction zone having a pressure greater than 0.9 atm, a continuous feed having HFH and a process gas passing through the reaction zone, a HFH-to-liquids catalyst contacting the HFH in at least the reaction zone, and dielectric discharges within the reaction zone. The HFH and the catalyst have a residence time in the reaction zone of less than 30 seconds. In some instances, a plasma can form in or near the reaction zone.

Alkylate is produced by supplying iso-C.sub.4+ hydrocarbon feed to an alkylation reactor, and by further selectively supplying to the alkylation reactor an olefin selected from the group consisting of refinery grade propylene (RGP) and polymer grade propylene (PGP), and combinations thereof. The olefin feed is controlled such that the proportion of PGP supplied through the olefin feed inlet exceeds that of RGP for a predetermined time interval, using a special purpose computer programmed to optimize the allocation of PGP between alkylation production and a commodity market in order to increase total net profit margin.