US2667446A

US2667446A - Manufacture of high octane gasoline

Info

Publication number: US2667446A
Application number: US186523A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert A Findlay
Original assignee: Phillips Petroleum Co
Current assignee: Phillips Petroleum Co
Priority date: 1950-09-25
Filing date: 1950-09-25
Publication date: 1954-01-26
Anticipated expiration: 1971-01-26

Description

Jan, 26, 1954 R. A. FINDLAY MANUFACTURE OF' HIGH OCTANE GASOLINE Filed Sept. 25, 195o INVENTOR. R.A. FINDLAY #Mm M mz .620 Al SE f A TTORNEVS Patented Jan. 26, :1954

UNITED STATES ATENT OF F ICE;

MANUFACTURE OF HIGH OCTANE GASOLINE Delaware Application September 25, 1950, Serial No. 156,523

3 Claims. l

This invention relates to a process for the manufacture of high octane gasoline, by treatment of ordinary gasolinas such as straight run gasolines, natural gasolines. Such gasolines are known to boil substantially throughout the ap. proximate range of 90 F.-400 F., which is Ithe usual gasoline boiling range. In one of itsV aspects the. invention relates to the solvent extraction of a gasoline with a solvent and under conditions such as to obtain from said gasoline certain highly desired components thereof which may then be used as such or blended with other materials to form a final gasoline product having high octane rating or value. I n another of its aspects the invention relates to a solvent extraction process for; the treatment of a gasoline wherein a single solvent is employed in a manner such asy to allow its use in both stages of a two. stage solvent extraction of a gasoline to. separate the said gasoline into fractions which can bel as follows:

l. A highly aromatic fraction containing light naphthenes,

2. A highly paraiiinic fraction containing '7 carbon atoms and higher parains,

3. A hexane concentrate which will contain neohexane which can be recovered therefrom as a very highly desirable component and 4. A highly naphthenic concentrate or fraction boiling above about 220 F.

According to this invention it has been found possible to manufacture a high octane gasoline by solvent extraction with a suitable solvent, for example, furfural, provided said solvent is ernployed in at least a two stage operation or process. Thus, it has been found that it is possible to first treat a gasoline with for example furfural by solvent extraction to obtain an extract phase containing the lighter naphthenes and most of the aromatics originally present in said gasoline and a rainate phase containing heavy naphthenes and paraiins and to then separate from said raiiinate by solvent extraction with for example furfural the said heavier naphthenes and light paraflins following which the highly desirable light paraflins can be separated from the heavy naphthenes by conventional distillation or fractionation.

Preferably the gasoline treated according to the invention is depentanized before the solvent extraction steps are practiced.

Therefore, in its preferred form the process of this invention comprises the steps in combination and in the order as follows:

(a) Depentanizing a gasoline; (b) subjecting said depentanized gasoline to (Cl. ISG-14.26)

of the aromatios originally presentin saidv gasoline and a raihnate phase containing heavier naphthenes and paralins originally present in said gasoline;

(c) Recovering separately from saidextract. phase the lighter naphthenes and aromatics, on the one hand, and solvent, on the other,

(d) subjecting said raiinate to solvent extraction with said recovered solvent and under oonditions suitable to form a second extract phase containing heavier naphthenes and light parafins and a second raffinate phase; and'V Y (e) Recovering separately from said second; ex-

tract phase a light paraffin concentrate, heavier naphthenes and solvent.

In order to more fully illustrate the concept and process of this invention reference is made to the drawing in which a gasoline supplied through line l to a fractionator 2 is depentanized in said fractionator, the pentanes and any lighter materials being removed from fractionator 2 through line 3, and the depentanized gasoline is passed through line i into solvent extractor 5. Solvent is introduced intov the. top of extractor 5 through line 6 wherein a rst raffinate containing heavier naphthenes and parans is formed and taken off through line 1 while solvent containing light naphthenes (boiling 12C-220 F.) and most of the aromatics is withdrawn as the extract phase from the bottom of said extractor through line 8. The rst rafnate is passed through line 'i to extractor 9. The extract phase withdrawn from extractor 5 through line 8 passes to fractionator Ill in which aromatics and light naphthenes are removed as overhead through lines H and i2. Some of this overhead is used as a reflux for extractor 5 and is passed thereto through line i3. Hot solvent from the bottom of fractionator it is removed through line I4 and passed to extractor 9 wherein it is employed to produce a second raflinate, which is passed to a solvent recovery system, through line I5 and a second extract phase which is passed through line It to a fractionator il wherein a hexane concentrate, a heavy naphthenes concentrate (boiling 22o-320 F.) and solvent are removed through lines It, I9 and 20, respectively. Heavier naphthenes are used as reflux for extractor il and to this end are passed thereto through llne 2l. Obviously, the extractors 5 and 9 are lled with liquid moving in counter-current directions and the so called reiuxing thereof is effected at the bottoms thereof.

'I'he temperatures in extractors 5 and 9 are usually in the ranges 80-110 F. and 15G-200 F., respectively, preferably in the ranges 90-100 F. and 1GO-180 F., respectively. It is possible, by employing a greater ratio of solvent to hydrocarbon in the second extractor than is employed in the first extractor, to operate both extractors at substantially the same temperature.

It is now obvious that the invention provides 'a' unitary and highly economical as Well as very practical process for the preparation of a very desirable gasoline component and indeed by suitably operating the system it is possible -to extract the lightest hexanes, for example neohexane into the rst extract if desired, although this is not now preferred. The final Asolvent recovery step can be an extraction by pentane followed by fractionation if needed or desired. Thus, in the event that the extracted hydrocarbons boil close to furfural, or form azeotropes with it, a pentane extraction, as described, can be practiced.

Equivalent solvents as well as equivalent steps falling within the scope of the claims appended hereto obviously will be within the scope of one skilled in the art in possession of this disclosure.

The drawing which is a flow plan of but one form of apparatus arrangement suitable for effecting the process of this invention is schematic only. Accessories such as pumps, temperature indicators, etc. have been omitted for sake of simplicity. Supply of omitted parts of the apparatus as well as process conditions required to place the invention into use will be Within the skill of the art in possession of this disclosure.

I claim:

1. In the manufacture of a high octane gasoline from a gasoline selected from the group consisting of straight-run and natural gasoline the steps which comprise in combination, and in the order as follows, (a.) depentanizing one of said gasolines boiling substantially throughout the approximate range of 90400 F. (gasoline boiling range), said gasoline containing substantial proportions of light and heavy naphthenes, light and heavy parains, aromatics and including hexanes; (b) subjecting said depentanized gasoline to a solvent extraction with a solvent and under conditions causing formation of an extract phase containing said light naphthenes and substantially all of said aromatics, and a raffinate phase containing said heavy naphthenes and said light and heavy parains; '(c) recovering separately from said extract phase an aromatics and light naphthenes fraction on the one hand and solvent on the other; (d) subjecting said rainate (obtained in step (b) hereof) to solvent extraction with said recovered solvent and under conditions causing formation of a second extract phase vcontaining heavy naphthenes and light paraiins and a second ranate phase; and (e) recovering separately from said second extract phase a light paraffin concentrate containing hexanes, a heavy naphthenes concentrate and solvent.

2. A manufacture according to claim 1 wherein the solvent is furfural, the rst solvent extraction is effected at a temperature in the range -110 F., the extract phase contains light naphthenes boiling in the range -220 F. and substantially all of any aromatics originally present in said gasoline and wherein the second extraction is effected at a temperature of 200 F. and the extract phase contains heavy naphthenes boiling in the range 220-320 F.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the hexanes are separately recovered and blended with a gasoline whose octane value is to be improved.

ROBERT A. FINDLAY.

References Cited in the file of this patent.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,026,729 Bray et al. Jan. 7, 1936 2,055,455 Taylor et al Sept. 22, 1936 2,087,455 Stratford July 20, 1937 2,106,234 Bray Jan. 25, 1938 2,115,144 Keith Apr. 26, 1938 2,143,472 Boultbee Jan. 10, 1939 2,146,039 Whiteley Feb. 7, 1939 2,346,639 Andrews et al Apr. 18, 1944 2,369,497 Stanly Feb. 13, 1945

Claims

1. IN THE MANUFACTURE OF A HIGH OCTANE GASOLINE FROM A GASOLINE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING A STRAIGHT-RUN AND NATURAL GASOLINE THE STEPS WHICH COMPRISE IN COMBINATION, AND IN THE ORDER AS FOLLOWS, (A) DEPENTANIZING ONE OF SAID GASOLINES BOILING SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUT THE APPROXIMATE RANGE OF 90*-400* F. (GASOLINE BOILING RANGE), SAID GASOLINE CONTAINING SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTIONS OF LIGHT AND HEAVY NAPTHTHENES, LIGHT AND HEAVY PARAFFINS, AROMATICS AND INCLUDING HEXANES; (B) SUBJECTING SAID DEPENTANIZED GASOLINE TO A SOLVENT EXTRACTION WITH A SOLVENT AND UNDER CONDITIONS CAUSING FORMATION OF AN EXTRACT PHASE CONTAINING SAID LIGHT NAPHTHENES AND SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID AROMATICS, AND A RAFFINATE PHASE CONTAINING SAID HEAVY NAPHTHENES AND SAID LIGHT AND HEAVY PARAFFINS; (C) RECOVERING SEPARATELY FROM SAID EXTRACT PHASE AN AROMATICS AND LIGHT NAPHTHENES FRACTION ON THE ONE HAND AND SOLVENT ON THE OTHER; (D) SUBJECTING SAID RAFFINATE (OBTAINED IN STEP (B) HEREOF) TO SOLVENT EXTRACTION WITH SAID RECOVERED SOLVENT AND UNDER CONDITIONS CAUSING FORMATION OF A SECOND EXTRACT PHASE CONTAINING HEAVY NAPHTHENES AND LIGHT PARAFFINS AND A SECOND RAFFINATE PHASE; AND (E) RECOVERING SEPARATELY FROM SAID SECOND EXTRACT PHASE A LIGHT PARAFFIN CONCENTRATE CONTAINING HEXANES, A HEAVY NAPHTHENSE CONCENTRATE AND SOLVENT.