REFINING
UOP INDIRECT ALKYLATION (INALK) PROCESS
FOR REFINERY MTBE UNIT CONVERSION
Demand for alkylate will increase in the near future as
a result of more stringent gasoline specifications and
concerns about MTBE contamination of ground water.
The decision to ban MTBE in California starting in
2003 will force refiners there to look for a new source
of paraffinic gasoline blendstocks alkylate.
UOPs Indirect Alkylation (InAlk) process uses com-
mercial, solid catalysts to convert mainly C4 but also C3
and C5 olefins to alkylate. The InAlk process is an
attractive, low-cost way to convert refinery based MTBE
units to the production of premium alkylate.
The InAlk process:
J Improves gasoline quality by increasing the
availability of clean-burning, mid-boiling-range
iso-paraffins.
J Uses standard hydrocarbon processing technology
and catalysts that require no special handling.
J Enables low-cost retrofits of existing butane
dehydrogenation or refinery MTBE units.
PROCESS DESCRIPTION
The InAlk process makes premium alkylate using a
combination of commercially proven technologies. Iso-
butene reacts with itself or with other C3-C5 olefins via
polymerization. The resulting mixture of higher molec-
ular weight iso-olefins is then hydrogenated to form a
high-octane paraffinic gasoline blendstock that is simi-
lar to alkylate, but usually higher in octane. Control of
the polymerization conditions minimizes low-octane
isomer production.
CATALYST SELECTION
Either resin or solid phosphoric acid (SPA) catalysts are
used to polymerize the olefins. Resin catalyst primarily
converts iso-butene. SPA catalyst also converts normal
butenes. Hydrogenation uses either a base or noble
metal catalyst. Base-metal catalyst is less sensitive to
feed contaminants than noble-metal catalyst, but
requires a higher capital investment.
MTBE UNIT REVAMP
Refinery MTBE units and alkylation units convert
refinery butenes to gasoline. In many refineries, however,
butene utilization is bottlenecked because of limited
alkylation capacity. With pressure to remove MTBE
from gasoline, the InAlk process offers refiners a low-
cost way to revamp their existing MTBE units to alkylate,
enabling more refinery butenes to be converted to gasoline.
Figure 1 shows refinery butene processing where the
MTBE unit has been converted to InAlk service, enabling
additional FCC olefins to be processed.
Figure 1
Refinery Alkylate Production with InAlk
Additional
FCC C4s
FCC C4
Stream Direct
InAlk Alkylation
C5+ Product Stream
When resin catalyst is used for polymerization ( Figure 2),
the MTBE reactor section is reused. Oxygenate used to
attenuate and hydrate the resin is recovered in the exist-
ing oxygenate recovery section. An olefin saturation
unit is added to convert the column bottoms to alkylate;
no MTBE is produced.
With SPA catalyst (Figure 3), the existing MTBE reactor
section volume is usually sufficient to achieve high
conversion of iso-butene. Additional catalyst volume is
required to convert normal butenes. No oxygenate
recovery section is needed with SPA catalyst and no
MTBE is produced.
 Figure 2 The ability of More alkylate can be produced by revamping the MTBE
MTBE Revamp to InAlk the InAlk unit to InAlk service. The SPA catalyst produces more
Process with Resin process to alkylate because it converts more normal butenes to high
Recycle Oxygenate increase refin- quality alkylate than the resin catalyst. Product octane can
Oxygenate
Unreacted C4
ery alkylate vary, depending on the flow scheme and overall conversion.
Recovery
Hydrocarbons
Section
production is
illustrated in ECONOMICS
Packing
C4 or Trays the table
Olefins
H2
Light
Ends The economics for converting MTBE units to alkylate
below. This
Reactor
Section
Olefin
Saturation production are very favorable. The SPA catalyst offers the
Unit example
best revenue potential because of its greater ability to
Alkylate Product assumes that
convert normal butene to alkylate.
refinery
Figure 3
MTBE pro- Alkylate Production
MTBE Revamp to InAlk
duction stops
Process with SPA
and the capac- Revamp to
Unreacted C4
Hydrocarbons
ity of the alky- Alky - No InAlk Process
lation unit is MTBE Resin SPA
constrained. Revenue, $MM/yr 89 93 99
Packing
C4
Olefins
or Trays
Light
Variable + fixed cost, 72 74 77
H2 Ends

Olefin
$MM/yr
Reactor
Section Saturation
Unit After tax profit, $MM/yr 10 10.3 12
Alkylate Product
Capital investment, $MM - 4.8 4.4
Payback, years - 16 2

EXPERIENCE
The InAlk process produces high quality alkylate from
Increase Refinery Alkylate Yield with the olefins and is a simple extension of UOPs catalytic con-
InAlk Process densation and olefin saturation technologies. UOP has
Revamp to licensed and designed more than 400 catalytic condensa-
Alky - No InAlk Process tion units for the production of polygasoline and petro-
MTBE Resin SPA chemical olefins and more than 200 hydrogenation units
Feed of various types.
FCC C4 stream, BPSD 15,720 15,720 15,720
Additional FCC C4s - 1,220 2,400
The InAlk technology has been chosen by companies in
Methanol, BPSD 910 - - North America, Asia and the Middle East for the produc-
Hydrogen, MMSCFD - 2 3 tion of premium alkylate.

Product FOR MORE INFORMATION

MTBE , BPSD 0 - - For more information, contact your UOP representative or
C5+ alkylate, BPSD 10,150 12,425 13,010
UOP at:
Product properties
Phone: 847-391-2000
RONC 96 97 97
MONC 94 94 94
Fax: 847-391-2253

uop
TM

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