Phillips 66
Isomerization, catalytic activation and oligomerization of pentane-enriched hydrocarbon mixtures

Abstract:

Processes for producing liquid transportation fuels by converting a hydrocarbon feed stream comprising both isopentane and n-pentane. The hydrocarbon feed stream is separated into a first fraction that predominantly comprises isopentane and a second fraction that predominantly comprises n-pentane and some C6 paraffins. The first fraction is catalytically activated to produce an activation effluent comprising olefins and aromatics, while the second fraction is isomerized to convert at least a portion of the n-pentane to isopentane, then combined with the hydrocarbon feed stream to allow the newly-produced isopentane to be separated into the first fraction. Finally, the activation effluent is oligomerized. The process produced increased yields of products that meet specifications for a blend component of liquid transportation fuels.