In 1984 the British Petroleum Company (BP) and UOP jointly announced the development of a new process for producing benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) from C3 to C5 paraffins or olefins. The process combines the use of a gallium loaded ZSM-5 type zeolite catalyst developed by BP with the use of UOP's commercially proven CC� catalyst regeneration technology (used in UOP's Platforming process).
The total C6+ aromatics product has an octane rating of about 106 (R+M)/2 and is a good gasoline blending component. In addition, it is reported to contain less than 1,000 ppm of non-aromatics. This allows the benzene portion (about 30 wt%) to be recovered by distillation for sale as a chemicals feedstock. The remaining C7+ product, with an octane rating of about 108 (R+M)/2, could be used for gasoline blending.
This review presents an economic evaluation for a hypothetical Cyclar� plant with 10,000 BPSD of propane feed. On the basis of our analysie, the Cyclar� process appears to be very attractive where a reliable supply of low-cost LPG is available and where by-product hydrogen can be used or sold at chemical value, but is unattractive with hydrogen at fuel value, the normal situation in an integrated refinery.
By: Robert E. Bolan
