A LIQUID ABSORBENT FOR THE SEPARATION OF BUTYLENE ISOMERS

CHEMICAL PROCESSING INDUSTRY (CPI) SEPARATIONS CONSUME AS MUCH AS 4.4 QUADS OF ENERGY ANNUALLY IN THE UNITED STATES AND ACCOUNT FOR THE BULK OF THE CPI OPERATION COSTS OF $22 BILLION ANNUALLY. THUS, THE NEED FOR NEW AND IMPROVED SEPARATION TECHNOLOGIES HAS BEEN WIDELY RECOGNIZED. SEPARATING ISOBUTYLENE FROM THE MIXED C4 STREAMS PRODUCED BY PETROLEUM REFINERIES IS DIFFICULT AND EXPENSIVE DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF COMPONENTS WITH IDENTICAL VAPOR PRESSURES AND SIMILAR SOLUBILITIES. THE GOAL OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO DEVELOP AN ECONOMICAL, EFFICIENT PROCESS FOR SEPARATING ISOBUTYLENE FROM THE MIXED C4 STREAM USING A NOVEL LIQUID-ABSORBENT PROCESS. THE LIQUID ABSORBENT WILL HAVE A HIGH AFFINITY FOR ISOBUTYLENE AND LITTLE OR NO AFFINITY FOR THE OTHER COMPONENTS IN THE FEED STREAM. RESEARCHERS BELIEVE THAT THIS TECHNOLOGY IS SUFFICIENTLY GENERIC THAT IT WILL ALSO BE APPLICABLE TO OTHER DIFFICULT CPI OLEFIN/OLEFIN AND OLEFIN/PARAFFIN SEPARATIONS. THE GOAL IS TO DEMONSTRATE: (1) REVERSIBLE ISOBUTYLENE ABSORPTION UNDER PRESSURE-SWING AND TEMPERATURE-SWING CONDITIONS, AND (2) THE SELECTIVITY OF THE LIQUID ABSORBENT FOR ISOBUTYLENE OVER 1-BUTENE.