US 11,866,658 B2
Product of low benzene content de-aromatized distillates for specialty applications
Vasamsetty Naga Veera Hima Bindu, Haryana (IN); Mainak Sarkar, Haryana (IN); Ganesh Vitthalrao Butley, Haryana (IN); Ramesh Karumanchi, Haryana (IN); Sarvesh Kumar, Haryana (IN); Madhusudan Sau, Haryana (IN); and Sankara Sri Venkata Ramakumar, Haryana (IN)
Assigned to Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.
Filed by Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Maharashtra (IN)
Filed on Dec. 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/084,099.
Claims priority of application No. 202121059197 (IN), filed on Dec. 18, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0193146 A1, Jun. 22, 2023
Int. Cl. C10G 67/14 (2006.01); B01D 3/14 (2006.01)
CPC C10G 67/14 (2013.01) [B01D 3/148 (2013.01); C10G 2300/1048 (2013.01); C10G 2300/1096 (2013.01); C10G 2300/202 (2013.01); C10G 2300/301 (2013.01); C10G 2300/308 (2013.01); C10G 2300/4006 (2013.01); C10G 2300/4012 (2013.01); C10G 2300/4018 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A process for production of de-aromatize distillate from a hydrocarbon feedstock, the process comprising:
a) treating the hydrocarbon feedstock over a hydrotreating catalyst under hydrogen, in a hydrotreating reactor system (Reactor-1) for converting hetero-atom contaminants into their respective hydrides;
b) flashing an effluent from the Reactor-1 in a high-pressure separator (HPS), and withdrawing an off-gas containing un-reacted hydrogen along with gaseous inorganic and organic compounds from a top of the HPS and a liquid hydrocarbon from a bottom of the HPS;
c) flashing the liquid hydrocarbon in a low-pressure separator (LPS) to remove dissolved gases and a lighter hydrocarbon fraction having a boiling temperature below 90° C.;
d) processing an LPS effluent in a splitter and separating the LPS effluent into two fractions: i) a top fraction consisting of a hydrocarbon stream having a boiling temperature in a range of 70-140° C., wherein the top fraction is condensed and collected in a reflux drum as a hydrocarbon liquid, and ii) a bottom cut fraction consisting of a hydrocarbon stream having a boiling temperature in a range of 140° C.-340° C.;
e) feeding a portion of the hydrocarbon liquid to the splitter as a reflux stream and recycling the remaining part of the hydrocarbon liquid to the Reactor-1 as a recycle stream;
f) withdrawing a product stream with benzene content less than 1 ppmw from the reflux drum;
g) hydrogenating the bottom cut fraction in a Reactor-2 over a hydrotreating catalyst under hydrogen to obtain a Reactor-2 effluent; and
h) fractionating the Reactor-2 effluent from step g) containing a hydrocarbon stream having a boiling point in a range between 120-340° C. into narrow cuts in a fractionator to obtain de-aromatized distillates, wherein, a topmost cut has an aromatic content below 30 ppm and a bottom most cut has an aromatic content below 1000 ppmw.