Process for the production of an internal combustion engine fuel base by hydrotreatment and extraction, and the product therefrom

• US 5,925,234 A
• Filed: 11/12/1996
• Issued: 07/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Institut Francais Du Petrole and Total Raffinage Distribution
• Original Assignee: Institut Francais Du Petrole and Total Raffinage Distribution
• Inventors: Boulet, Marc, Zuliani, Massimo, Morel, Frederic, Loutaty, Roben, Mikitenko, Paul, Company, Jean Claude
• Primary Examiner(s): Yildirim, Bekir L.
• Application Number:
  US08/747,739
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 208/96, 208/143, 208/212, 208/302, 208/80
• US Class Current: 208/96
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2400/04 Diesel oil
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 67/00 Treatment of hydrocarbon oils by at least one hydrotreatment process and at least one process for refining in the absence of hydrogen only
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 67/04 including solvent extraction as the refining step in the absence of hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 67/0418 The hydrotreatment being a hydrorefining

Abstract

The invention concerns a petroleum product and a process for the production of a petroleum product which can form part of a blend for an internal combustion engine fuel, the process comprising

a) hydrotreating a hydrocarbon feedstock at a partial pressure of hydrogen at the reactor outlet of about 0.5 MPa to about 6 MPa,

b) separating a product (P) from step a) into a product (P1) with a final boiling point of about 300° C. and a product (P2) with an initial boiling point greater than the final boiling point of product (P1),

c) performing a liquid-liquid extraction with a solvent (S1), to produce an extract (E1) and a raffinate (R1) from product (P2),

d) recovering solvent (S1) from raffinate (R1) to produce a product (Q1), depleted in solvent (S1), which has improved qualities and contains less than 500 ppm by weight of sulphur.

Claims

1. A process for the production of a base component for a compression ignition internal combustion engine fuel blend with an improved cetane index and sulphur content, from an initial hydrocarbon feed with an initial boiling point of at least 150°

C. and a final boiling point of at most 500°

C., containing about 0.05% to about 5% by weight of sulphur, about 10% to about 60% by weight of n- and isoalkanes, about 10% to about 85% by weight of aromatic hydrocarbons at least partially in the form of polyaromatic compounds optionally containing sulphur, with a cetane index of about 20 to about 60 and a nitrogen content of about 50 to about 5000 ppm by weight, said process comprising;

a) hydrotreating said initial feed under conditions which produce a product (P) containing 2 to 50 times less sulphur than the initial feed, said hydrotreatment being carried out at a partial pressure of hydrogen at the reactor outlet of about 0.5 MPa to about 5 MPa, such that the dearomatisation ratio of the feed is at most 30%,

b) separating product (P) into a product (P2), with an initial boiling point which is greater than the boiling point of extraction solvent used in c), and a product (P1) with a final boiling point which is lower than the initial boiling point of product P2,

c) liquid/liquid extracting product (P2) from b), at an extraction temperature of at most 140°

C., under conditions which will extract polyaromatic compounds, using a solvent or solvent mixture (S1) to extract at least a portion of the polyaromatic compounds contained therein, said solvent having an initial boiling point which is lower than the initial boiling point of product (P2) from b), and recovering an extract (E1), which is enriched in polyaromatic compounds, and a raffinate (R1),

d) separating solvent (S1) used in c) from raffinate (R1) produced in c), and recovering a product which is enriched in solvent (S1) and a product (Q1) which is depleted in solvent (S1) which has improved qualities and contains less than 500 ppm of sulphur, and

e) removing a light fraction from at least a portion of product (P1) from b) to produce a fraction (F), and mixing fraction (F) with at least a portion of product (Q1) from d.

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein the hydrogen pressure at the reactor outlet is 1 to 5 MPa, such that the dearomatisation ratio of the feed is at most about 15%.

3. A process according to claim 1, wherein c) is carried out under conditions to produce a raffinate (R1) which contains at most 90% by weight of the total weight of aromatic hydrocarbons not containing a sulphur atom present in product (P2) obtained in step b).

4. A process according to claim 1, further comprising separating solvent (S1) from extract (E1) obtained from c) and recovering a product enriched in solvent (S1) and a bottom product (Q2) depleted in solvent (S1).

5. A process according to claim 4, further comprising introducing in hydrotreatment a), at least a portion of the bottom product (Q2) obtained from extract (E1) in c) after separation of solvent (S1), along with the hydrocarbon feed to be treated.

6. A process according to claim 4, further comprising hydrotreating bottom product (Q2) in a hydrotreatment zone which is separate from the hydrotreatment zone of a), under conditions which produce a product (P3) with a sulphur content which is less than or equal to 0.2% by weight.

7. A process according to claim 1, further comprising recycling the product enriched in solvent (S1) obtained by separation of the raffinate (R1) and optionally extract (E1) to liquid/liquid extraction c).

8. A process according to claim 1, wherein the solvent is methanol, acetonitrile, monomethylformamide, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, furfural, N-methylpyrrolidone or dimethylsulphoxide.

9. A process according to claim 1, wherein the solvent is an oxygenated non nitrogen containing compound.

10. A process according to claim 1, wherein the feed contains 100 to 1,000 ppm nitrogen.

11. A process according to claim 1, wherein the solvent (S1) is furfural.

12. A process according to claim 1, wherein the hydrogen pressure at the reactor outlet is 0.5 to 3 MPa.

13. A process comprising distilling a hydrocarbon feed with an initial boiling point of at least 150°

C. and a final boiling point of at most 500°

C. in a distillation zone to produce an overhead fraction (F1) with a final boiling point of at least 250°

C. and a bottom fraction (F2) with an initial boiling point of at least 250°

C., treating said fraction (F2) in accordance with claim 1, and hydrotreating fraction (F1) in a hydrotreatment zone which is separate from that of a), recovering therefrom a hydrotreated product (P'"'"') and separating therefrom in a separation zone a fraction (P10) with a final boiling point of less than 150°

C., and a fraction (P20) with an initial boiling point which is greater than the final boiling point of fraction (P10).

14. A process according claim 13, wherein at least a portion of fraction (P20) is mixed with product (Q1) obtained from step d) or with a mixture of products (P1) and (Q1).

15. A process for the production of a base component for a compression ignition internal combustion engine fuel blend with an improved cetane index and sulphur content, from an initial hydrocarbon feed with an initial boiling point of at least 150°

C. and a final boiling point of at most 500°

C., containing about 0.05% to about 5% by weight of sulphur, about 10% to about 60% by weight of--and isoalkanes, about 10% to about 85% by weight of aromatic hydrocarbons at least partially in the form of polyaromatic compounds optionally containing sulphur, with a cetane index of about 20 to about 60 and a nitrogen content of about 50 to about 5000 ppm by weight, said process comprising;

a) distilling said hydrocarbon feed with an initial boiling point of at least 150°

C. and a final boiling point of at most 500°

C. in a distillation zone to produce an overhead fraction (F1) with a final boiling point of at least 250°

C. and a bottom fraction (F2) with an initial boiling point of at least 250°

C.,

b) hydrotreating fraction (F2) under conditions which produce a product (P) containing 2 to 50 times less sulphur than the initial feed, said hydrotreatment being carried out at a partial pressure of hydrogen at the reactor outlet of about 0.5 MPa to about 5 MPa, such that the dearomatisation ratio of the feed is at most 30%,

c) separating product (P) into a product (P2), with an initial boiling point which is greater than the boiling point of extraction solvent used in d), and a product (P1) with a final boiling point which is lower than the initial boiling point of product P2,

d) liquid/liquid extracting product (P2) from step c), at an extraction temperature of at most 140°

C., under conditions which will extract polyaromatic compounds, using a solvent or solvent mixture (S1) to extract at least a portion of the polyaromatic compounds contained therein, said solvent having an initial boiling point which is lower than the initial boiling point of product (P2) from step c), and recovering an extract (E1), which is enriched in polyaromatic compounds, and a raffinate (R1), and

e) separating solvent (S1) used in step c) from raffinate (R1) produced in step c), and recovering a product which is enriched in solvent (S1) and a product (Q1) which is depleted in solvent (S1) which has improved qualities and contains less than 500 ppm of sulphur,

f) separating solvent (S1) from extract (E1) obtained from d) and recovering a product enriched in solvent (S1) and a bottom product (Q2) depleted in solvent (S1),

g) hydrotreating fraction (F1) in a hydrotreatment zone which is separate from that of b), recovering therefrom a-hydrotreated product (P'"'"') and separating therefrom in a separation zone a fraction (P10) with a final boiling point of less than 150°

C., and a fraction (P20) with an initial boiling point which is greater than the final boiling point of fraction (P10), and

h) removing a light fraction from at least a portion of product (P1) from b) to produce a fraction (F), and mixing fraction (F) with at least a portion of product (Q1) from d.

16. A process according to claim 15, further comprising hydrotreating the entirety of bottom product (Q2) in a hydrotreatment zone which is optionally separate from the hydrotreatment zone of a), under conditions which produce a product (P3) with a sulphur content which is less than or equal to 0.3% by weight.

17. A process for the production of a base component for a compression ignition internal combustion engine fuel blend with an improved cetane index and sulphur content, from an initial hydrocarbon feed with an initial boiling point of at least 150°

C. and a final boiling point of at most 500°

C., containing about 0.05% to about 5% by weight of sulphur, about 10% to about 60% by weight of--and isoalkanes, about 10% to about 85% by weight of aromatic hydrocarbons at least partially in the form of polyaromatic compounds optionally containing sulphur, with a cetane index of about 20 to about 60 and a nitrogen content of about 50 to about 5000 ppm by weight, said process comprising;

a) distilling said hydrocarbon feed with an initial boiling point of at least 150°

C. and a final boiling point of at most 500°

C. in a distillation zone to produce an overhead fraction (F1) with a final boiling point of at least 250°

C. and a bottom fraction (F2) with an initial boiling point of at least 250°

C.,

b) hydrotreating fraction (F2) under conditions which produce a product (P) containing 2 to 50 times less sulphur than the initial feed, said hydrotreatment being carried out at a partial pressure of hydrogen at the reactor outlet of about 0.5 MPa to about 5 MPa, such that the dearomatisation ratio of the feed is at most 30%,

c) separating product (P) into a product (P2), with an initial boiling point which is greater than the boiling point of extraction solvent used in d), and a product (P1) with a final boiling point which is lower than the initial boiling point of product P2,

d) liquid/liquid extracting product (P2) from c), at an extraction temperature of at most 140°

C., under conditions which will extract polyaromatic compounds, using a solvent or solvent mixture (S1) to extract at least a portion of the polyaromatic compounds contained therein, said solvent having an initial boiling point which is lower than the initial boiling point of product (P2) from c), and recovering an extract (E1), which is enriched in polyaromatic compounds, and a raffinate (R1), and

e) removing a light fraction from at least a portion of product (P1) from c) to produce a fraction (F), and mixing fraction (F) with at least a portion of product (Q1) from f),

f) separating solvent (S1) used in d) from raffinate (R1) produced in d), and recovering a product which is enriched in solvent (S1) and a product (Q1) which is depleted in solvent (S1) which has improved qualities and contains less than 500 ppm of sulphur,

g) separating solvent (S1) from extract (E1) obtained from d) and recovering a product enriched in solvent (S1) and a bottom product (Q2) depleted in solvent (S1),

h) hydrotreating the entirety of bottom product (Q2) in a hydrotreatment zone which is optionally separate from the hydrotreatment zone of a), under conditions which produce a product (P3) with a sulphur content which is less than or equal to 0.3% by weight, and

i) hydrotreating fraction (F1) in a hydrotreatment zone which is separate from that of b), recovering therefrom a hydrotreated product (P'"'"') and separating therefrom in a separation zone a fraction (P10) with a final boiling point of less than 150°

C., and a fraction (P20) with an initial boiling point which is greater than the final boiling point of fraction (P10).