Process Technologies

C₅ Selective Hydrogenation

The steam cracker crude C₅ cut contains a significant amount of diolefins and olefins. For some downstream specific usages, there is an interest to significantly lower the amount of diolefins and maximize the olefins.

The selective hydrogenation of C₅ diolefins into the corresponding olefins is achieved with a very high selectivity, that is to say while minimizing the conversion of olefins into saturates, through Axens C₅ selective hydrogenation process.

The efficiency of the developed technology is based, among other elements, on a deep understanding of the reactivities of the various isomers, influence of contaminants, and importance of operating parameters including distribution.

C₄ BD Lean (Max B1/Max B2)

C₄ olefin cuts, sourced from FCC and/or from Butadiene extraction raffinate, contain butadiene with a concentration frequently higher than commercial specification.

Axens Selective Hydrogenation BD Lean is a reliable and industrially proven solution to polish the residual butadiene quantities down to ppm level.

Furthermore, this technology can be associated with different catalyst formulations:

• Either to preserve the Butene-1, the so-called BD Lean Max B1,
• Or to maximize the hydro-isomerization of the Butene-1 towards Butene-2, the so-called BD Lean Max B2.

Axens Hydrogenation BD Lean Max B1 or Max B2 technologies are the “jack-of-all-trades” of C₄’s olefin cut treatment scheme. Indeed, depending on the targeted butene yield, this technology can be used to isolate one of the butene compounds for further valorization.

C₄ Butadiene (BD) Rich Hydrogenation

Steam cracker C₄ cuts contain a butadiene content ranging generally within 40-70 wt%. Liquid Steam crackers produce typically large C₄ cuts to recover butadiene economically, but in some cases, the butadiene recovery might not meet economical profitability. This can happen when steam crackers do not produce sufficient C₄ or in situations where there is a low butadiene content in Steam cracker or FCC C4s cut. In all these instances, Axens Selective Butadiene (BD) Rich hydrogenation technology is the solution of choice to selectively hydrogenate butadiene into valuables n-butenes.

This technology provides an affordable opportunity to deliver flexibility to the Steam Cracker complex in case of Butadiene market fluctuation. This is achieved by by-passing part or the entire of the C₄ from the Butadiene extraction unit through the selective hydrogenation unit and making additional valuable n-butenes out of it.

This technology operates in liquid phase and can be featured with a single main reactor or in combination of a finishing reactor depending on the desired residual expected butadiene content.

Axens catalyst technology offer the possibility to operate in mild pressure and temperature conditions, which ultimately can save the related cost of feed vaporization and high alloy material selection.

C₄ Acetylene Hydrogenation

Existing solvent extraction technologies available on the market can separate butene from 1,3-butadiene successfully. Nevertheless, the high content of acetylenics vinylacetylene (VAC), 1-butyne (ethylacetylene, ETAC) and propyne (methylacetylene, MAC) in some purge of this process is often an issue in petrochemical sites for the following reasons:

• It contains BD that is therefore lost and takes down the overall butadiene yield of the complex,
• It is a hazardous cut, which is explosive when too highly concentrated in vinylacetylene,
• It is difficult to find a proper way to treat this stream due to the acetylenics that are unstable, and burning it as a way of disposal means higher environmental impact of the plant.

Axens Selective hydrogenation for VAC is a simple and reliable hydrogenation process that is industrially proven

C₃ liquid-phase hydrogenation

Propylene cuts produced from steam cracker frequently contains from 2 to 8 wt% of methylacetylene and propadiene (MAPD).

These compounds are undesirable in both chemical - and polymer - grade propylene applications. Historically MAPD are converted into propylene via hydrogenation in vapor phase. Axens C₃ MAPD selective hydrogenation technology pioneered the MAPD hydrogenation in liquid phase in the 70’s, offering to the market liquid-phase hydrogenation technologies that require lower investment and lower operating costs as compared to gas-phase processing technologies.

Axens C₃ MAPD hydrogenation technology operates in the liquid phase under the mild conditions of ambient temperature and a pressure sufficient to maintain the liquid phase. This technology can be featured in different configuration with a single main reactor and/or with finishing reactor depending on the expected specification and/or feedstock quality, serving a large variety of applications.

FLEXICOKING™

FLEXICOKING™ technology, is the best alternative as compared to conventionnal delayed coking: Minimal Coke, Low particules, Low Hydrocarbon emissions, Low SOx and NOx.

FLEXICOKING™

Axens and ExxonMobil signed an Alliance Agreement to provide FLEXICOKING™ Technology and integrated resid conversion solution on December 2019. This Alliance combines ExxonMobil successful owner-operator experience with Axens’ complete portfolio of technologies to provide smart, commercially demonstrated expertise to help meet refineries’ needs.

FLEXICOKING™ is a unique technology, upgrading low value residues into high value liquid products, while generating high quality utilities through clean flexigas production that can be used as refinery fuel or for power generation.

FLEXICOKING™ is a continuous fluidized bed process that thermally converts heavy feeds to lighter products and high-quality utilities through clean flexigas production. Process heat for the thermal conversion and gasification step is provided by partial oxidation of coke. The process consists of three main vessels: coking reactor, reaction heater and coke gasifier.

Depending on feed characteristics, refinery scheme, and product yields targeted by refineries, FLEXICOKING™ unit can be installed stand-alone, or in a tailor-made combination with other residue upgrading technologies like H-Oil® offered by Axens, market leader in the field of residue conversion and hydrotreating technologies.

Visbreaking

Axens Visbreaking Technology is a commercially proven process with over 25 commercial references. It consists of mild thermal cracking applied to residues (Visbreaking mode (VB)) or heavy VGO or DAO (Thermal Cracking mode (TC)).

The objective is to reduce the feed viscosity for stable fuel oil usage, and produce the maximum quantity of cracked distillates. Axens soaker visbreaking technology displays several advantages over ‘standard’ visbreakers; the principal being that it delivers higher-value products. They are all oriented towards higher economics.

The technology may be applied to:

• Atmospheric or Vacuum Residues (VB mode)
• Vacuum Residues (VB mode)
• Vacuum Gas-oils (TC mode with or without recycle)