Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 21

Special Focus Sustainability
W. CHUNG, Well Resources Inc., Calgary, Alberta, Canada;
R. ZHANG and X. ZHANG, Beijing Zhongshi Aojie
Petroleum Technology Co. Ltd., Beijing, China; and
Q. CHEN, Sinopec Jiujiang Co., Jiujiang, Jiangxi, China
Safe and sustainable alkylation
for the forward-looking refiner
In a post-pandemic economy, global
governments and industry participants
are increasingly committing to meeting
climate action targets. Current large-scale
decarbonization efforts are aimed at lowering
the impact of combustion fuels on
the environment.
A key pathway for meeting climate
action targets entails the production of
clean fuels-fuels that have lower relative
carbon intensities and lower contaminant
(sulfur) levels, and that are
produced using pathways that result in
fewer emissions or waste byproducts.
Consequently, clean-burning, low-sulfur
and high-performance blending stocks,
such as alkylates, are becoming increasingly
sought after.
This article discusses a commercial,
safe and sustainable alkylation technologya
,
including the performance of
a 7,400-bpd brownfield unit commissioned
in March 2019 at the Sinopec Jiujiang
refinery.
Alkylation process. Alkylation is the
transfer of an alkyl group from one molecule
to another. In refining, alkylation
refers to a catalytic process for producing
high-value C8
otic metallurgies for process equipment,
along with costly safety systems to protect
refinery personnel and the public.
The disposal and regeneration of spent
acid catalysts have negative impacts on
the environment and may pose serious
chronic human health issues over prolonged
exposure.
The referenced alkylation technologya
is an inherently safe process that uses a
proprietary composite ionic liquid (CIL)
catalyst to facilitate the alkylation reaction.
CIL catalyst is a non-volatile, nonaqueous
liquid salt that
is formulated
by modifying a chloroaluminate ionic
liquid platform with a transition metal.
The composite nature of the CIL catalyst
allows the process to enhance alkylate
product selectivity and to overcome residual
corrosion issues typically associated
with ionic liquid catalysts. CIL catalyst
is non-hazardous and non-corrosive,
allowing all alkylation process equipment
to be manufactured using carbon steel.
This catalyst can also be regenerated
in-situ under moderate operating conditions,
which provides added benefits of
safe handling and emissions reductions
vs. alternative technologies.
Alkylation market outlook. Although
world oil markets have rebounded from
a sharp decline in demand caused by
the global pandemic, experts believe
that policy-driven factors may lead to
peak oil demand sooner than previously
thought.1
Agency (IEA) forecasts that total gasoline
demand is unlikely to return to 2019
levels, due to efficiency gains and a shift
toward renewables.2
In developed economies, the shift to
The International Energy
compounds, typically by
reacting lower-value isobutane with C4
olefins. Alkylate produced at the refinery
is used as an octane-booster and is blended
into the gasoline pool.
Traditional alkylation processes use
either hydrogen fluoride (HF) or sulfuric
acid (H2
SO4) to catalyze the alkylation
reaction. However, these traditional
processes are inherently unsafe due to the
toxic and corrosive nature of the strong
acid catalysts. Refiners using acid-catalyzed
alkylation technologies require exFIG.
1. View of a brownfield 7,400-bpd CIL-catalyzed alkylation unit at Sinopec Jiujiang Co.'s
Jiangxi plant.
Hydrocarbon Processing | JANUARY 2022 21

Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022

Contents
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - Cover1
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - Cover2
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - Contents
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 4
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 5
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 6
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 7
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 8
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 9
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 10
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 11
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 12
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 13
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 14
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 15
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 16
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 17
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 18
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 19
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 20
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 21
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 22
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 23
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 24
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 25
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 26
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 27
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 28
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 29
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 30
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 31
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 32
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 33
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 34
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 35
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 36
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 37
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 38
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 39
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 40
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 41
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 42
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 43
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 44
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 45
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 46
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 47
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 48
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 49
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 50
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 51
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 52
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 53
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 54
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 55
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 56
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 57
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 58
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 59
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 60
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 61
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 62
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 63
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 64
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 65
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 66
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 67
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 68
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 69
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 70
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 71
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 72
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 73
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 74
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 75
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 76
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 77
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 78
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 79
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 80
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 81
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 81A
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 81B
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - 82
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - Cover3
Hydrocarbon Processing - January 2022 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/gulfenergyinfo/gulfpub/HPI-Market-Data-2023-v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/gulfenergyinfo/gulfpub/hpi-market-data-2024-v2
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/gulfpub/refining_processes_handbook_2020
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/gulfpub/hpimarket_2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/gulfpub/hp_201910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/gulfpub/hp_201909
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/gulfpub/hp_201902
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/gulfpub/hp_201901
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/gulfpub/petrochemical_2018_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/gulfpub/petrochemical_2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/gulfpub/hp_201812
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/gulfpub/hpimarket_2019_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/gulfpub/hpimarket_2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/gulfpub/hp_201811
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