Process to produce paraffinic hydrocarbon fluids from light paraffins

Abstract

A process for converting light paraffins to heavier paraffinic hydrocarbon fluids is disclosed. The process involves: (1) oxidation of iso-paraffins to alkyl hydroperoxides and alcohols; (2) conversion of the alkyl hydroperoxides and alcohols to dialkyl peroxides; and (3) radical-initiated coupling of paraffins and/or iso-paraffins using the dialkyl peroxides as radical initiators, thereby forming heavier hydrocarbon products. Fractionation of the heavy hydrocarbon products can then be used to isolate fractions for use as hydrocarbon fluids.

Claims

1. A process for the conversion of paraffins to paraffinic hydrocarbon fluids, comprising: a) oxidizing iso-paraffins from a first paraffinic feed with air or oxygen to form alkylhydroperoxides and alcohols; b) catalytically reacting the alkyl hydroperoxides with said alcohols from step (a) to form dialkyl peroxides; and c) providing a second paraffinic feed comprising paraffins using the dialkyl peroxides from step (b) as radical initiators to couple paraffins with paraffins to create paraffinic hydrocarbon fluids comprising other branched and heavier paraffins and a second alcohol; wherein the first paraffinic feed and the second paraffinic feed are independently selected from normal paraffins with 4 or 5 carbon numbers, iso-paraffins with 4 or 5 carbon numbers, and mixtures thereof.

2. The process of claim 1, further comprising isomerizing at least a fraction of the normal paraffins to iso-paraffins prior to step (a).

3. The process of claim 1, further comprising fractionating the paraffinic hydrocarbon fluids to isolate a desired fraction.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the iso-paraffins of step (a) are selected from iso-butane, iso-pentane, and mixtures thereof.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the iso-paraffins of step (a) comprise 60 to 99 wt % iso-butane.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the second paraffinic feed comprises less than 50 wt % olefins.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein the second paraffinic feed comprises less than 10 wt % olefins.

8. The process of claim 1, wherein the second paraffinic feed comprises less than 5 wt % olefins.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein the first paraffinic feed comprises butanes.

10. The process of claim 9, wherein the first paraffinic feed comprises 5 to 90 wt % iso-butane.

11. The process of claim 9, further comprising substantially isomerizing n-butane in the first paraffinic feed to iso-butane.

12. The process of claim 1, wherein the first paraffinic feed comprises pentanes.

13. The process of claim 12, wherein the first paraffinic feed comprises 5 to 90 wt % iso-pentane.

14. The process of claim 12 further comprising substantially isomerizing n-pentane in the first paraffinic feed to iso-pentane.

15. The process of claim 1, wherein iso-paraffins are separated from normal paraffins in the first paraffinic feed, and the separated normal paraffins are used as the second paraffinic feed.

16. The process of claim 1, wherein iso-paraffins are separated from normal paraffins in the first paraffinic feed, and the separated iso-paraffins are used as the second paraffinic feed.

17. The process of claim 1, wherein the paraffinic hydrocarbon fluids are hydro-finished to remove trace oxygenates or unsaturation.

18. The process of claim 1, the reaction in step (b) is carried out by reactive distillation.

19. The process of claim 1, wherein the coupling reaction of step (c) is carried out in a reactor selected from batch, CSTR, and plug-flow.

20. A process for the conversion of iso-butane and normal butane to paraffinic hydrocarbon fluids, comprising: a) oxidizing iso-butane to form t-butyl hydroperoxide and t-butyl alcohol; b) catalytically reacting the t-butyl hydroperoxide with the t-butyl alcohol from step (a) to di-t-butyl peroxide; and c) providing a paraffinic feed comprising paraffins using the di-t-butyl peroxide from step (b) as a radical initiator to couple paraffins with paraffins to create hydrocarbon fluids comprising other branched and heavier paraffins and a second alcohol, wherein the paraffinic feed comprises normal butane, iso-butane, or mixtures thereof.

21. The process of claim 20, further comprising: (d) fractionating the hydrocarbon fluids to isolate C8 and C12 fractions.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the paraffinic feed comprises less than 10 wt % olefins.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the paraffinic feed comprises less than 5 wt % olefins.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the hydrocarbon fluids are hydro-finished to remove trace oxygenates or unsaturation.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(1) All numerical values within the detailed description and the claims herein are modified by about or approximately the indicated value, and take into account experimental error and variations that would be expected by a person having ordinary skill in the art. The present disclosure relates to a process for making paraffinic hydrocarbon fluids from light paraffins, without requiring olefin feedstock. The process of the present disclosure involves three primary steps: (1) oxidizing one or more iso-paraffins to alkyl hydroperoxides and alcohols using air or oxygen; (2) converting the alkyl hydroperoxides and alcohols to dialkyl peroxides; and (3) radical-initiated coupling of normal-paraffins, iso-paraffins, or mixtures thereof using the dialkyl peroxide as a radical initiator to create higher paraffinic hydrocarbon products. The products are then fractionated to isolate the desired fractions for use as paraffinic hydrocarbon fluids.

(2) In a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the iso-paraffin feedstock is iso-butane. The process proceeds as described generally above: (1) oxidizing the iso-butane to t-butyl hydroperoxide and t-butyl alcohol using air or oxygen; (2) converting the t-butyl hydroperoxide and t-butyl alcohol to di-t-butyl peroxide; and (3) radical-initiated coupling of iso-butane using the di-t-butyl peroxide as a radical initiator to create higher paraffinic hydrocarbon products. The products are then fractionated to isolate the C8 and C12 fractions for use as paraffinic hydrocarbon fluids.

(3) In a further illustrative embodiment, the chemistry of Steps 1-3 with respect to iso-butane feed is shown below in corresponding Equations 1-3:

(4) ##STR00001##

(5) The net reaction of Equations 1-3 is oxygen (air) and iso-butane yielding heavier (C8) hydrocarbons comprising hydrocarbon fluids, as well as water and t-butyl alcohol. By controlling the reaction severity for radical coupling (Equation 3), higher molecular weight materials can also be obtained. Depending on the nature of the iso-paraffin used, the resulting alcohol can be used as high octane blend stock for gasoline, e.g., t-butyl alcohol from iso-butane, or 2-methyl-2-butanol from iso-pentane. Alternatively, the alcohols can be converted via dehydration to olefins as chemical products e.g., iso-butylene), or oligomerized or alkylated to gasoline and/or diesel range fuels, or etherified with an alcohol such as methanol or ethanol making ether as a gasoline blend (e.g., MTBE or ETBE from iso-butane).

(6) Steps 1 and 2 have been previously described with respect to mixed paraffinic feedstocks in applicant's co-pending application, U.S. Publ. App, No. 2016/0168048, incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. U.S. Publ. App. No. 2016/0168048 describes a process to convert light paraffins to heavier hydrocarbons generally, for example, distillates and lubricant base stocks, using coupling chemistry analogous to Steps 1-3 described above. Whereas U.S. Publ. App. No. 2016/0168048 is directed to mixed paraffinic feed to create distillates and lubricant base stocks, the present disclosure utilizes analogous coupling chemistry to create a tailored paraffinic hydrocarbon fluid utilizing iso-paraffinic feedstock. U.S. Publ. App, No. 2016/0168048 further discloses upgrading raw refinery feeds, such as natural gas liquids, liquid petroleum gas, and refinery light gas such as light virgin naphtha (LVN) or light catalytic naphtha (LCN), using coupling chemistry.

(7) Iso-butane oxidation in Step 1 is well-established commercially for making t-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) for propylene oxide manufacture, with variants of the process also described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,845,461; U.S. Pat. No. 3,478,108; U.S. Pat. No. 4,408,081 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,885. EP 0567336 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,162,593 disclose co-production of TBHP and t-butyl alcohol (TBA). As TBA is another reactant used in Step 2 of the present disclosure, the present inventive process scheme utilizes Step 1 as a practical source of these two reactants. Air (21% oxygen), a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen containing 2-20 vol % oxygen, or pure oxygen, can be used for the oxidation, as long as the oxygen-to-hydrocarbon vapor ratio is kept outside the explosive regime. Preferably air is used as the source of oxygen. Typical oxidation conditions for Step 1 of the present disclosure are: 110-150 C. (preferably 130 to 140 C., at a pressure of about 300-800 psig (preferably about 450-550 psig), with a residence time of 2-24 hours (preferably 6-8 h), to give a targeted conversion of 15%-70% (preferably 30-50%). Selectivity to TBHP of 50-80% and to TBA of 20-50% is typical. When a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen is used, entrained iso-butane in the exhaust gas is stripped with an appropriate solvent such as TBA and may be recycled to the oxidation reactor.

(8) In Step 2, the conversion of the TBHP and TBA to di-t-butyl peroxide (DTBP) is performed using an acid catalyst. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,919 describes the use of an inorganic heteropoly and/or isopoly acid catalyst such as for the reaction of TBA with TBHP). The conjoint production of DTBP and TBA from TBHP is also described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,009. A preferred configuration for the present disclosure uses reactive distillation where product water is continuously removed as overhead by-product. The typical reaction temperature is in the range of 50-200 C., preferably 60-150 C., more preferably 80-120 C. The TBHP to TBA mole ratio is in the range of 0.5-2, preferably 0.8-1.5, more preferably 0.9-1.1. The reaction can be performed with or without a solvent. Suitable solvents comprise hydrocarbons having a carbon number greater than 3, such as paraffins, naphthenes, or aromatics. Conveniently, the unreacted iso-butane from Step 1 can be used as the solvent for Step 2. Pressure for the reaction is held at appropriate ranges to ensure the reaction occurs substantially in the liquid phase, for example, 0-300 psig, preferably 5-100 psig, more preferably 15-50 psig. An acid catalyst such as Amberlyst resin, Nafion resin, aluminosilicates, acidic clay, zeolites (natural or synthetic), silicoaluminophosphates (SAPO), heteropolyacids, acidic oxides such as tungsten oxide on zirconia, molybdenum oxide on zirconia, sulfuated zirconia, liquid acids such sulfuric acid, or acidic ionic liquids may be used in Step 2/Equation 2 to promote the conversion of TBHP and TBA into DTBP.

(9) In Step 3/Equation 3, DTBP is introduced to a coupling reactor to initiate free radical coupling of iso-butane feed. Typical reaction conditions for Step 3 of the present disclosure are: 100-170 C. (preferably about 145-155 C.), with pressure maintained to ensure that iso-butane stays in the liquid or supercritical phase, typically 700-1500 psig (preferably about 850-950 psig). Residence time is normally in the range of 2-24 hours (preferably 4-16 hours). The molar ratio of DTBP to iso-butane to be coupled is in the range of about 0.01-100, preferably in the range of about 0.05-10, and more preferably in the range of 0.1-2. Complete conversion of DTBP is normally achieved in this step.

(10) Following Step 3, the mixed products are then fractionated to remove unreacted iso-butane and TBA, byproduct acetone, and to separate various grades of paraffinic hydrocarbon fluids. For example, a C8 fraction (particularly 2,2,4-trimethylpentane) can be used as light paraffinic fluids, and the C12 fraction can be used as heavier paraffinic fluids. The hydrocarbon fluids of the present disclosure may also be hydro-finished to remove trace oxygenates or unsaturation, by processes well known in the art.

EXAMPLE

(11) In order to provide a better understanding of the foregoing disclosure, the following non-limiting example is offered. Although the example may be directed to specific embodiments, they are not to be viewed as limiting the disclosure in any specific respect.

(12) This example illustrates the general procedure for coupling iso-butane using DTBP. In a 300 cc autoclave the following were loaded: 100 cc (59.5 g) of iso-butane (Airgas, instrument grade) and 56 g of DTBP (trade name Luperox DI from Aldrich Chemicals, 98%). The autoclave was sealed, connected to a gas manifold, and pressurized with 600 psig nitrogen. The reactor content heated under stirring (500 rpm) at a rate of 2 C./min to 150 C. and held for 4 hours. The heat was turned off and the autoclave allowed to cool down to room temperature. A sample was taken and analyzed by GC, showing complete conversion of DTBP. The autoclave was opened and the reactor content collected at the end of the run, recovering 88% of the materials loaded. The products were analyzed by GC. The run was repeated using different loadings of DTBP. The results are shown below in Table 1.

(13) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Reaction temperature ( C.) 150 150 150 150 135 135 135 135 Time (h) 4 4 4 4 21 21 21 21 Iso-butane loading, g 59.4 59.4 59.4 59.4 59.4 59.4 59.4 59.4 DTBP loading, g 56.0 40.0 24.0 16.0 56.0 40.0 24.0 16.0 HC wt. sel. (%) 2,2,4-trimethylpentane 13.48 14.26 13.05 15.48 14.61 16.50 16.38 16.08 2,4,4-trimethyl-1-pentene 0.22 0.46 1.64 3.42 0.17 0.20 0.82 1.52 2,2,3,3-tetramethylbutane 19.35 18.88 18.67 18.67 17.55 19.63 17.44 16.77 2,4,4-trimethyl-2-pentene 0.29 0.35 0.48 0.55 0.16 2,2,3-trimethylpentane 1.32 0.28 0.32 0.42 0.47 2,5-dimethylhexane 1.18 1.49 1.55 1.48 1.42 1.29 1.29 1.14 4,4-dimethyl-2-pentanone 0.94 11.06 9.14 9.08 0.46 4.84 7.48 6.29 2,2,4,4-tetramethylpentane 0.76 0.56 0.30 0.21 0.40 0.46 0.22 0.15 2,2,4-trimethylhexane 1.44 0.65 0.51 0.42 1.00 0.43 0.25 0.20 2,4,4-trimethylhexane 0.40 1.41 1.32 1.16 0.27 1.12 0.84 0.72 2,2,3,3-tetramethylpentane 1.55 0.58 0.93 1.12 0.74 0.17 0.44 0.56 C9 12.83 10.69 8.38 6.81 8.52 7.99 8.82 4.57 C12 5.51 8.33 14.21 16.40 6.98 7.83 15.25 20.57 C16+ 33.29 36.49 35.20 30.94 42.09 37.81 34.43 34.57 Oxygenates wt. sel. (%) Acetone 30.6 28.7 22.6 22.0 21.0 21.7 15.8 13.2 t-Butanol 69.4 71.3 77.4 78.0 79.0 78.3 84.2 86.8

(14) As demonstrated in Table 1, light (C8-C9) and heavy (C12) paraffinic fluids can be produced from certain teachings of the present disclosure. One of skill in the art will appreciate that key variables, including reaction temperature, molar ratio of DTBP to iso-butane, and residence time, can be adjusted to tailor the heavier hydrocarbon product for specific paraffinic hydrocarbon fluid applications.

ADDITIONAL EMBODIMENTS

Embodiment 1

(15) A process for the conversion of paraffins to paraffinic hydrocarbon fluids, comprising oxidizing iso-paraffins from a first paraffinic feed with air or oxygen to form alkyl hydroperoxides and alcohols, catalytically converting the alkyl hydroperoxides and alcohols to dialkyl peroxides, and coupling a second paraffinic feed using the dialkyl peroxides as radical initiators to create hydrocarbon fluids.

Embodiment 2

(16) A process according to any of the previous embodiments, wherein the first paraffinic feed comprises normal paraffins, iso-paraffins, or mixtures thereof.

Embodiment 3

(17) A process according to any of the previous embodiments, further comprising isomerizing at least a fraction of the normal paraffins to iso-paraffins prior to the oxidizing step.

Embodiment 4

(18) A process according to any of the previous embodiments, wherein the second paraffinic feed comprises normal paraffins, iso-paraffins, or mixtures thereof.

Embodiment 5

(19) A process according to any of the previous embodiments, further comprising fractionating the paraffinic hydrocarbon fluids to isolate a desired fraction.

Embodiment 6

(20) A process according to any of the previous embodiments, wherein the first paraffinic feed and the second paraffinic feed are independently selected from normal paraffins with 4 or 5 carbon numbers, iso-paraffins with 4 or 5 carbon numbers, and mixtures thereof.

Embodiment 7

(21) A process according to any of the previous embodiments, wherein the iso-paraffins of the oxidizing step are selected from iso-butane, iso-pentane, and mixtures thereof.

Embodiment 8

(22) A process according to any of the previous embodiments, wherein the iso-paraffins of the oxidizing step comprise 60 to 99 wt % iso-butane.

Embodiment 9

(23) A process according to any of the previous embodiments, wherein the second paraffinic feed comprises less than 50 wt % olefins.

Embodiment 10

(24) A process according to any of the previous embodiments, wherein the second paraffinic feed comprises less than 10 wt % olefins.

Embodiment 11

(25) A process according to any of the previous embodiments, wherein the second paraffinic feed comprises less than 5 wt % olefins.

Embodiment 12

(26) A process according to any of the previous embodiments, wherein the first paraffinic feed comprises butanes.

Embodiment 13

(27) A process according to any of the previous embodiments, wherein the first paraffinic feed comprises 5 to 90 wt % iso-butane.

Embodiment 14

(28) A process according to any of the previous embodiments, further comprising substantially isomerizing n-butane in the first paraffinic feed to iso-butane.

Embodiment 15

(29) A process according to any of the previous embodiments, wherein the first paraffinic feed comprises pentanes.

Embodiment 16

(30) A process according to any of the previous embodiments, wherein the first paraffinic feed comprises 5 to 90 wt % iso-pentane.

Embodiment 17

(31) A process according to any of the previous embodiments, further comprising substantially isomerizing n-pentane in the first paraffinic feed to iso-pentane.

Embodiment 18

(32) A process according to any of the previous embodiments, wherein iso-paraffins are separated from normal paraffins in the first paraffinic feed, and the separated normal paraffins are used as the second paraffinic feed.

Embodiment 19

(33) A process according to any of the previous embodiments, wherein iso-paraffins are separated from normal paraffins in the first paraffinic feed, and the separated iso-paraffins are used as the second paraffinic feed.

Embodiment 20

(34) A process according to any of the previous embodiments, wherein the hydrocarbon fluids are hydro-finished to remove trace oxygenates or unsaturation.

Embodiment 21

(35) A process according to any of the previous embodiments, wherein the conversion of alkyl hydroperoxides to dialkyl peroxides in the catalytic conversion step is carried out by reactive distillation.

Embodiment 22

(36) A process according to any of the previous embodiments, wherein the coupling step is carried out in a reactor selected from batch, CSTR, and plug-flow.

Embodiment 23

(37) A process for the conversion of iso-butane and normal butane to paraffinic hydrocarbon fluids, comprising oxidizing iso-butane to form t-butyl hydroperoxide and t-butyl alcohol, catalytically converting the t-butyl hydroperoxide and the t-butyl alcohol to di-t-butyl peroxide, and coupling a paraffinic feed using the di-t-butyl peroxide as a radical initiator to create hydrocarbon fluids.

Embodiment 24

(38) A process according to embodiment 23, further comprising fractionating the hydrocarbon fluids to isolate C8 and C12 fractions.

Embodiment 25

(39) A process according to any of the previous embodiments, wherein the paraffinic feed comprises normal butane, iso-butane, or mixtures thereof.

Embodiment 26

(40) A process according to any of the previous embodiments, wherein the paraffinic feed comprises less than 10 wt % olefins.

Embodiment 27

(41) A process according to any of the previous embodiments, wherein the paraffinic feed comprises less than 5 wt % olefins.

Embodiment 28

(42) A process according to any of the previous embodiments, wherein the hydrocarbon fluids are hydro-finished to remove trace oxygenates or unsaturation.

(43) Therefore, the present disclosure is well adapted to attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those that are inherent therein. The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the present disclosure may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings therein. It is therefore evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope and sprit of the present disclosure. Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of ingredients, properties, reaction conditions, and so forth, used in the specification and claims are to be understood as approximations based on the desired properties sought to be obtained by the present disclosure. Whenever a numerical range with a lower limit and an upper limit is disclosed, a number falling within the range is specifically disclosed. Moreover, the indefinite articles a or an, as used in the claims, are defined herein to mean one or more than one of the element that it introduces.