Optimize ethylene fractionation train operations Improved inhibitor programs mitigate polymer formation and reduce unscheduled downtime for olefin units

摘要

Polymer fouling in olefin fractionation trains causes serious operating difficulties. In most ethylene plants, the deethanizer and/or depropanizer columns are the primary bottlenecks and they hinder operating the olefin units to their maximum throughput and optimizing equipment uptime.Approximately 90% of all ethylene producers apply some antifoulant program to protect distillation equipment and thus increase plant efficiency and reliability. Untreated plants are typically "front-end depropanizer" designs with very low bottoms temperatures or plants where "front-end acetylene converters" virtually remove all diolefins from the fractionation train feedstocks. New developments in inhibitor programs help ethylene operators maximize unit resources while controlling costs.