WORLDWIDE REFINERY PROCESSING REVIEW Monitoring Technology Development and Competition in One Single Source
First Quarter 2011 Iso-Octane Production
HYDROCARBON PUBLISHING COMPANY Translating Knowledge into Profitability
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 1Q2011 Review Iso-Octane Production 18. Iso-octane Production ..................................................................................................................... 1 18.1 MARKET/TECHNOLOGY TRENDS & OPPORTUNITIES ............................................................................................. 1 18.1.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 1 18.1.2 Market Conditions and Outlook................................................................................................................ 2 18.1.2.1 Gasoline Supply and Demand .................................................................................................... 2 18.1.2.2 MTBE and Ethanol Blending ..................................................................................................... 2 18.1.2.3 Isooctene/Isooctane as a Blending Component .......................................................................... 5 18.1.3 Technology Competition, Directions, and Future Prospects .................................................................... 6 18.1.3.1 Market Competition .................................................................................................................... 6 18.1.3.2 Revamping MTBE Units ............................................................................................................ 7 18.1.3.3 Gasoline Additive Production and Blending .............................................................................. 8 18.1.4 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................ 9 18.2 STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY ....................................................................................................................... 9 18.2.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 9 18.2.2 Commercially Available Isooctane/Isooctene Production Processes ..................................................... 11 18.2.2.1 Axens ........................................................................................................................................ 12 18.2.2.1.1 Dimersol-G .............................................................................................................. 12 18.2.2.1.2 Selectopol and Polynaphtha .................................................................................... 12 18.2.2.2 LyondellBasell/Kvaerner .......................................................................................................... 14 18.2.2.3 Neste Jacobs/KBR .................................................................................................................... 16 18.2.2.4 Refining Hydrocarbon Technologies ........................................................................................ 18 18.2.2.5 Snamprogetti/CDTECH ............................................................................................................ 19 18.2.2.6 UOP .......................................................................................................................................... 22 18.2.3 Summary of Commercial Isooctane Production Processes .................................................................... 25 18.3 PLANT OPERATIONS AND PRACTICES .................................................................................................................. 27 18.3.1 Impact of Feed Source on Dimerization Products .................................................................................. 27 18.3.2 Impact of Reaction Selectivity on Additive Quality................................................................................. 27 18.3.3 Conversion of MTBE Units to Isooctane Production ............................................................................. 28 18.4 REFINING R&D ALERT! ...................................................................................................................................... 29 18.4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 29 18.4.1.1 General Process, Catalysts, and Operating Conditions ............................................................. 30 18.4.1.1.1 Patents ..................................................................................................................... 30 18.4.1.1.2 Research .................................................................................................................. 31 18.4.1.2 Product Quality Improvement .................................................................................................. 32 18.4.1.2.1 Patents ..................................................................................................................... 32 18.4.1.2.2 Research .................................................................................................................. 33 18.4.1.3 Catalyst Modifiers .................................................................................................................... 33 18.5 REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................................................... 35
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