Oleflex and Catofin

Players:

1. UOP with Oleflex:

- use low Pt content (0.3 %wt.) on alumina catalyst at 1.4 bara and 600-650C, without partial pressure control
- conversion 40% and selectivity 86% wt.
- coke control with H2 recycle using 2 stages centrifugal compressor
- the main advantage is the continuous regeneration of catalyst
- catalyst life is around 4 years.

2. STAR from T. Krupp:

- use Pt on zinc aluminate, 5 bara, 550-600C with steam partial pressure control
- conversion 30-40% and selectivity 90 % wt.
- cyclic in situ regeneration
- catalyst life 5 years
- steam injection for coke control
- only one stage centrifugal compressor.

3. CATOFIN by Lummus:

- with chromium oxide / Al oxide on alumina pellets, 0.5 bara (vacuum condition) and 600C, no H2 or steam dilution
- 45% conversion and 88 % wt. selectivity
- cyclic in situ regeneration
- catalyst life 4 years
- the coke control not necessary
- centrifugal 3 stages compressor
- the reactor steps are: reaction when feed is introduce, steam purge under vacuum condition, catalyst reheat step with air and reduction prior to feed with C3H8.

All mentioned technologies have de-C2 and C3 splitter plus low temperature cold box separation section.


Differentiators:

- C3 splitter: Lummus has the smaller C3 column / system in terms of capacity due to lower recycle and high conversion than Oleflex & STAR
- UOP & KBR produce propadiene / methyl acethylene, meaning that high purity H2 is required for SHP (selective hydrogenation) and PSA shall also be added in the scheme
- STAR needs an additional CO2 removal column
- Oleflex with 4 moving bed reactors which make necessary catalyst make-up and dust colection
- CATOFIN having fix bed, no necessity of continous catalyst make-up or particulates removal, but the number of reactors could be from 3 to 9 depends of unit capacity
- STAR tubular fix bed reactor in a fired heater require multiple furnace box reactors to obtain cyclic process and complicated control valves assembly for each fire box reactor / the number of parallel fire boxes increase with plant capacity
- In UOP Oleflex the regeneration section is complete independent from reaction section, meaning that could be shutdown for catalyst regeneration or for catalyst replecement, while the reactors are continously operated
- Lummus improved the CATOFIN by using heat generated metal oxide that during reduction generate heat, increase reaction temperature by 110-145C which maximize C2H4 yield / the metal oxide (3-13 % wt.) is mix with regenerated catalyst before feeding with propane.

The numbers - to produce 100 tones polymer grade propylene:

- Oleflex need about 120 tones 0.94-0.96 fresh propane
- STAR 124 tones
- CATOFIN 121 tones.

eBook:

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- https://lnkd.in/evN6h_w
- https://lnkd.in/eF4KWM9
- https://lnkd.in/eUcR2kk

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