Maximize margins in light naphtha (C5-C6) Isomerization unit by producing additional C6 products
The light naphtha isomerization process efficiently converts low grade straight run naphtha components to high RON branched chain components. Typical isomerization units have deisohexanizer column (DIH) that separates light and heavy isomerate along with a side cut recycle stream to the isomerization reactor. The DIH column can be revamped to DWC prime which produces an additional 4th cut of C6 products (Food Grade Hexane/ Polymer grade hexane/ Isohexane /Special boiling point solvents). This revamp not only increases the profitability of Isom unit, but also increases the capacity of Isom unit by more than 20%.
Typical revamp payback is 2-12 months.
Debottleneck distillation columns using DWC prime
Crude distillation units separate crude oil into useful fractions. The top cut from CDU is full range naphtha, which is split into light and heavy fraction. The light naphtha is feed to Isomerization unit and heavy naphtha is feed to CCR unit. The purpose of both the units is to increase the overall octane value of the gasoline pool by converting straight chain hydrocarbons to branched chain hydrocarbons. A mid-cut is taken to meet the benzene and its precursors limit in CCR and Isomerization unit. With the requirement of increased throughput in gasoline unit, naphtha splitting columns posed a severe bottleneck. In a typical revamp of distillation columns, improved product specifications and throughput increase is achieved by change of conventional internals to high capacity trays or packing. Naphtha splitter columns were revamped to DWC Prime. The revamp provided a capacity increase of more than 40% after it has been revamped using high capacity internals.
