US 11,939,289 B2
Process for the controlled oligomerization of butenes
Rosette Barias, Houston, TX (US); Liang Chen, Houston, TX (US); and Michael Jon Scott, Houston, TX (US)
Assigned to LUMMUS TECHNOLOGY LLC, Houston, TX (US)
Filed by LUMMUS TECHNOLOGY LLC, Houston, TX (US)
Filed on Dec. 29, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/148,103.
Application 18/148,103 is a continuation in part of application No. PCT/US2021/039595, filed on Jun. 29, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/045,658, filed on Jun. 29, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0133823 A1, May 4, 2023
Int. Cl. C07C 7/177 (2006.01); B01D 3/00 (2006.01); B01D 3/14 (2006.01); B01J 8/04 (2006.01); C07C 2/08 (2006.01); C07C 2/16 (2006.01); C07C 5/03 (2006.01)
CPC C07C 7/177 (2013.01) [B01D 3/009 (2013.01); B01D 3/141 (2013.01); B01D 3/143 (2013.01); B01J 8/0419 (2013.01); C07C 2/08 (2013.01); C07C 2/16 (2013.01); C07C 5/03 (2013.01); C07C 2527/03 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A process for the dimerization of isoolefins, the process comprising:
feeding an oxygenate reaction modifier and a hydrocarbon feed to a fixed bed reactor containing an oligomerization catalyst, the hydrocarbon feed comprising isobutene and a secondary feed comprising butanes;
reacting isobutene in the fixed bed reactor at oligomerization conditions to form a reaction effluent comprising the oxygenate reaction modifier, isobutene dimers, unreacted isobutene, any oxygenate reaction byproducts formed, as well as butanes;
without componential separation, feeding the reaction effluent to a second fixed bed reactor containing an oligomerization catalyst;
reacting the unreacted isobutene in the second fixed bed reactor at oligomerization conditions to form additional isobutene dimers, recovering a second reaction effluent comprising the oxygenate reaction modifier, isobutene dimers, any oxygenate reaction byproducts formed, as well as butanes;
without componential separation, feeding the second reaction effluent to a catalytic distillation reactor having a reactive distillation zone comprising an oligomerization catalyst;
concurrently within the catalytic distillation reactor:
reacting unreacted isobutene in the second reaction effluent to form additional isobutene dimers;
separating the dimers and the oxygenate reaction byproducts, recovered as a bottoms fraction, from the isobutane and n-butane, and any unreacted isobutene, recovered as an overheads fraction; and
recycling the overheads fraction to the hydrocarbon feed;
wherein the bottoms fraction further comprises the oxygenate reaction modifier and isobutene trimers, the process further comprising separating the bottoms fraction in a divided wall distillation column to recover an overheads fraction, a side draw fraction comprising the isobutene dimers, and a bottoms fraction comprising the isobutene trimers; and
wherein the side draw fraction comprises greater than 95 wt % isobutene dimers.