Application of Novel Ionic Liquids in Alkylation Technology

The alkylation technology using the composite ionic liquids (ΙLs) jointly developed by the China Huanqiu Northeast Engineering Company and the China University of Petroleum has been successfully applied in the 150 kt/a alkylation unit of PetroChina’s Harbin Petrochemical Company. Currently this unit runs stably, while cranking out the alkylate having an octane rating of 96 units with all quality indicators complying with the design targets.Ιt is learned that this alkylation technology has reaped the second harvest to make a breakthrough in alkylation of C4hydrocarbons, following its commercial scale test in Deyang city, Shandong province.

By taking into account the actual situation related with the project construction and equipment utilization, the R&D team has been uninterruptedly engaging in the optimization of process technology design and development of technical products to successively churn out four proprietary technologies, viz.: the high-efficiency coalescence technology for static separation of the effluent from ΙLs, the technology for integrated caustic washing and scrubbing of organic sour gas, the technology for static settling and separation of solid ΙL waste from the ΙLs-gasoline system,and the technology for dechlorination of alkylate and harmless discharge of the regenerated gas. Furthermore, the R&D team has also independently devised three pieces of specific equipment covering the high-efficiency coalescerseparator, the static separator, and the hydrocarbon flash evaporator-purifier.

Ιt took only nine months spanning the period from the approval of basic design to the date of successful start-up of the 150 kt/a alkylation unit at the Harbin Petrochemical Company, and during this time period 67 technical items had been optimized to secure the successful inauguration of the process unit at one stroke.