Gasoline

Unmatched process experience combined with the highest-performance catalysts

For more than 60 years, UOP has been a leading provider of reforming solutions that meet customer needs for high-octane, low-sulfur gasoline. Since the introduction of the UOP CCR Platforming™ process in 1971, more than 230 units have been commissioned. When combined with our portfolio of best-in-class reforming catalysts, the CCR Platforming process produces high-octane reformate which is used both for gasoline and as a source for BTX aromatics.

In addition to its role in gasoline production, the CCR Platforming process is a reliable, continuous source of high-purity hydrogen. This hydrogen is often critical for the production of other fuel products such as high quality, low sulfur diesel.

The CCR Platforming process offers:

• High yields of desired product , both liquids and hydrogen
• Broad operational flexibility
• Highly energy efficient designs
• Minimal environmental impact
• Capital efficient designs

UOP CCR Platforming™ process services may include:

• Engineering services
• Technical and marketing services
• Design services
• Construction services
• Start-up services
• Staff training
• Maintenance, monitoring and troubleshooting services

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Industry leading solutions for efficient upgrading & benzene removal

Since the introduction of the Penex process in 1958, UOP has been the leader in light naphtha isomerization technology.  In the years since, more than 220 UOP light naphtha isomerization units have been commissioned.  Today, UOP remains at the forefront of this technology, offering a broad range of processing options for light naphtha (C5/C6) including upgrading of low octane streams and elimination of benzene.

We offer two Isomerization options to meet your needs. The UOP Penex™ process and the UOP Par-Isom™ process are fixed-bed processes that improve the octane of C5/C6 streams by isomerizing normal components to branched components using UOP’s high-activity catalysts. The reaction conditions promote isomerization and minimize hydrocracking.

These processes are capable of saturating Benzene and can be incorporated into a variety of processing schemes to upgrade low octane C5/C6 streams to products with octane ranging from 80 RONC up to 93 RONC. There are three common options:

• Hydrocarbon Once-through – the light naphtha passes through the isomerization reactor only once. Normal paraffins are converted to iso paraffins but the conversion is limited by equilibrium. Typical product octanes are in the 80-84 RONC range.
• Isomerization/DIH – A de-isohexanizer is used to recover and recycle unconverted normal hexane and low octane hexane isomers to the reactor system. RONC values of 87-89 can be achieved.
• DIP/Isomerization/Super DIH – Using a de-isopentanizer upstream of the Isomerization reactor to remove isopentane and a de-ioshexanizer downstream to recover and recycle low octane hexanes, RONC values of 90-93 can be achieved.

UOP Penex™ process services may include:

• Engineering services
• Technical and marketing services
• Design services
• Construction services
• Start-up services

Meet Benzene Specifications

To help you meet benzene specifications, we also offer the UOP BenSat™ process. The process provides a cost effective means for removing benzene and can be applied in a variety of configurations ranging from light straight-run naphtha to reformate streams.  Benzene removal is accomplished through saturation to cyclohexane.  When treating straight-run naphtha, the process can be integrated with light naphtha isomerization.

BenSat is a cost effective and efficient benzene management option when additional octane in the gasoline pool isn’t required.

Butane Isomerization

UOP isomerization capabilities can also be applied to the isomerization of butanes through the UOP Butamer™ process.

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Improve your profitability and increase the blend quality of your gasoline

The UOP HF Alkylation direct alkylation process catalytically combines light olefins such as propylene, butylene or amylene with isobutane to increase their value and make an environmentally sound alkylate product for high-octane gasoline blending.

UOP technology offers:

• Alkylate production with a low RVP and near-zero olefin and aromatic content
• Acid consumption more than 200 times lower per barrel of alkylate compared to other direct alkylation technologies for lower overall operating costs reduced acid handling
• Enhanced process operation to reduce acid volatility and improve overall plant safety through the UOP ReVAP™ process

Indirect Alkylation

Additionally, UOP offers an indirect alkylation process that improves gasoline blend quality by producing a clean-burning, mid-boiling-range iso-paraffin alkylate which is a high octane, low RVP, low sulfur with no olefins or aromatics blend component. The UOP InAlk™ process uses standard hydrocarbon processing technology and catalysts, offering the flexibility to meet your operation’s objectives.

Isobutane Production

For the production of isobutane, a primary feedstock for the alkylation process, the UOP Butamer™ process is a highly efficient and low-cost solution. With the increased penetration of ethanol into the overall gasoline blend pool, there will be an increased need for alkylate and, as a result, a focus on economic in situ routes for producing isobutane to feed the alkylation process. A continuous development program aimed at improving the design, operating, and catalyst employed in this process has positioned this process to meet the future needs of gasoline focused refiners.

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Selective gasoline desulfurization with minimal octane loss

The UOP SelectFining™ Process, a recent addition to UOP’s portfolio, reduces the sulfur in FCC gasoline, providing refiners with a simple, flexible solution to meet both current and future gasoline sulfur specifications.

The UOP technology offers better octane retention than other solutions available today.  It is designed to remove more than 99% of the sulfur in olefinic naphtha while minimizing octane loss and hydrogen consumption, maximizing liquid yield and eliminating recombination sulfur.

UOP offers more optimized FCC gasoline treating solutions, like the SelectFining process, with higher Net Present Value (NPV) than other competing licensors today.  We have the greatest knowledge and experience in FCC pre-treating and FCC technology which allows us to better determine the optimum combination of units and unit severities. Additionally, unlike our competitors, we offer a complete suite of six different processing options that insure we can consistently provide the best and most cost effective FCC gasoline treating technology.

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Cost Effectively Sweeten Naphtha Streams

UOP’s fixed-bed sweetening process, the UOP Minalk™ process , is used to sweeten naphtha streams including light SR naphtha, light condensate and pentanes.

The process utilizes a simple design consisting of a single reactor filled with a fixed bed of activated charcoal impregnated catalyst. A dilute caustic source is continuously injected, to maintain alkalinity, into the feed naphtha along with air, and the naphtha is passed through the fixed bed where the mercaptan species are oxidized to disulfides. The disulfides, being oil soluble, remains in the hydrocarbon (naphtha) phase.

The design of the Minalk unit reactor and reactor collection system allows for efficient caustic separation from the naphtha such that the treated naphtha will contain < 1 wt-ppm sodium without the need for a separate coalescing media.

The process offers several benefits:

• Produce a “doctor negative” product while minimizing removal of phenols from the naphtha
• Long catalyst life, which can further be extended by use of Merox Plus catalyst activator
• Minimum operator attention required
• Minimum discharge of spent caustic
• Low capital and operating costs

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Efficiently process your coker naphtha feedstock

Coker naphtha typically contains up to 20 times more sulfur and high levels of nitrogen than straight-run naphtha. This has made its downstream processing quite challenging.

UOP’s Coker Naphtha Hydrotreating process removes contaminants from 100% coker naphtha or can be used for blends containing coker naphtha and other naphtha streams. It’s primarily used in the pretreatment of reforming feed but the end product can also be used as gasoline blend stock or as feedstock for petrochemicals production.

There are several processing challenges with coker naphtha including high nitrogen removal, high heat release and the tendency for plugging.  UOP is the leading licensor of coker naphtha hydrotreating because it has the most experience and knowledge of the optimum process conditions and designs for reliable operation and high on-stream efficiency.

Our solutions include a full range of world-class hydrotreating catalyst solutions offered via the UOP/Albemarle Hydroprocessing Alliance.  The alliance combines the strengths of UOP, a leading developer of hydrotreating and hydrocracking process technology and hydrocracking catalysts, and Albemarle, a leading developer and supplier of innovative refinery hydrotreating catalysts and technologies, to provide you with the broadest portfolio available of hydroprocessing solutions to minimize your capital and operating costs.

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