MAXENE PROCESS INCREASED ETHYLENE YIELD IN NAPHTHA CRACKERS A SOLUTION FOR INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT

摘要

Ethylene demand is increasing 4-5% per year worldwide and ethylene producers will need to find ways to meet that demand. UOP's MaxEne process offers a cost-effective way to increase ethylene yield in naphtha crackers by selectively extracting n-paraffins from naphtha for use as feed to the cracker. A specific case study has shown that the yield of ethylene can be increased from 28 wt-% to 38 wt-% with a pre-tax return on investment of 36%. Additionally, the raffinate, or n-paraffin depleted naphtha has added value as catalytic reformer feed when compared to the original naphtha. The MaxEne process is a new application of UOP's commercially proven Sorbex process technology.