Ripi - Light Naphtha Isomerization

Home About Us Divisions Centers know-how Technologies Products Services Web Links

PDF()
Check Your RIPI Mail
Light Naphtha Isomerization

Search RIPI Library

Introduction
>> PPS2011 Congress
With growth and development of car industries, refining industries have been steadily under pressure of demands for better
fuels.
In addition, major historic air pollution problems have typically been high levels of impurities arising from the combustion of
fossil fuels.
New legislations and standards caused the refiners to look for economical solutions meeting new specifications for producing
environmentally clean fuels, containing more limited harmful components such as benzene in gasoline and lower contaminants
like sulfur in oil derivatives.
To improve gasoline octane number several methods, like bellows have been utilized:
Addition of TEL
Thermal / Catalytic reforming of naphtha
Thermal polymerization of olefin light ends to hexenes , heptens & octenes.
Alkylation of olefins.
Congress Web site
With TEL phase out , interest in isomerization of straight run gasoline heightened .Gasoline pool in a refinery may >>journal submission
contains different constituents such as FCC naphtha , reformate, cokenaphtha, polygasoline , oxygenates, butane, light naphtha,
alkylate and isomerate.
Light naphtha comprises typically 10% of the gasoline pool. This fuel cut contains mostly pentanes and hexanes.
Research octane number (RON) of light naphtha is around 70. Isomerization of this constituent can improve its octane number
to about 90, so isomerate could be named as a RON booster.
C5 /C 6 Paraffin Isomerization Reactions
In the presence of proper catalyst and appropriate conditions, skeletal isomerization of normal paraffins of light naphtha take
place:
C5 /C6 Isomerization Reactions >> Search Site
‫ ﺟﺴﺘﺠﻮ‬... Search

During isomerization of normal paraffins in the reactor, some other reactions such as hydrocracking, ring opening and benzene
saturation in the presence of hydrogen will take place.

1) Hydrocracking :

2) Ring Opening ( Hydrodecyclization ) :

http://www.ripi.ir/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=176[7/13/2011 3:47:38 PM]

Ripi - Light Naphtha Isomerization

3) Benzene Saturation :

Most of reactions yield to higher octane number components.

C 5 / C6 Isomerization Units in Iran Refineries

Annual consumption growth rate of gasoline in Iran in recent eight years has been around 12%.
Year 1997 2005 2010
Gasoline production (MM Liters/Day) 28 40 122
Gasoline consumption (MM Liters/Day) 33 64.5 ?

Gasoline Production and Consumption in Iran (1997-2010)

The main reasons for this unprecedented growth rate are the followings:
- High population growth rate (currently near 30% of 70 million population in Iran is under 14 years old; median age: 25)
- High economy growth rate (average 6 percent since 2000)
- Addition of new cars to the market (near 700,000 annually)
- Failure to discard old cars consuming 10-16 liters gasoline per l00 kilometers
- Non-adequately developed public transportation system
- Low gasoline price (9 cents per liter)
To meet domestic needs several options such as substitution of gasoline with compressed natural gas (CNG), more development
of public transportation system, obsolete of old cars, decline of population growth rate, construction of gas condensate
refineries in south pars gas field, energy price reform and also expansion and upgrading of present refineries have been under
consideration.
Nine refineries are in operation in Iran. Expansion & upgrading of these refineries will raise one million barrel a day their
refining capacity. Other objectives of this project are:
1- Process improvement
2- Capacity optimization
3- Products upgrading
4- Increase of lights and middle distillates and decrease of heavy derivatives
5- Observation of new environmental requirements
National Iranian Oil Refining & Distribution Company (NIORDC) plans to raise the quality of fuels from present level to Euro
2005 standard level. This project requires twelve billion dollars investment. In the following table nominal and future refining
capacities of refineries in Iran are indicated:
No. Refinery Year of Nominal Total capacity
name completion /Current after expansion
capacity (BPSD) (BPSD)
1 Bandar Abbas 1996 232,000 640,000
2 Tehran 1968&1975 225,000 250,000
3 Esfahan 1980 200,000 376,000
4 Arak 1993 150,000 250,000
5 Abadan 1912 320,000 500,000
6 Tabriz 1975 100,000 165,000
7 Shiraz 1973 40,000 70,000
8 Lavan 1975 20,000 45,000
9 Kermanshah 1922 15,000 35,000
Total 1,302,000 2,331,000

Nominal and Future Capacities of Refineries in Iran

Total gasoline production is currently 40 million liters daily but 64.5 million liters a day is needed this year (2005).
Import of 24.5 million liters a day will cost 4.5 billion dollars (approx.) in the current Iranian year (began in March 2005) while
it was 3 billion dollars last year. Therefore expansion & upgrading of refineries is one of the urgent projects nowadays. With
implementation of this project percent of gasoline product with respect to total products of refineries will raise from 16.43 at
present to 33.3 at 2010. In the following table current and future gasoline production capacities in some refineries are shown.
Refinery Name Gasoline Production Capacity (MM Liters)
Current Future
Bandar Abbas 9.5 16
Tehran 7.155 11.766
Esfahan 6.52 19

http://www.ripi.ir/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=176[7/13/2011 3:47:38 PM]

Ripi - Light Naphtha Isomerization

Arak 4.6 17
Abadan 4.77
Tabriz 3.975 9.540
Shiraz 1.537 4.121
Lavan 0.7 2.225
Kermanshah

Gasoline Production in Iran

To improve quality of gasoline, construction of isomerization units in six refineries has been planned.
Isomerization Unit Capacity
Refinery Name
(BPSD)
Bandar Abbas 14800
Tehran 18000 (LNHDT+ISOM)
Esfahan 29500 (LNHDT +ISOM)
Arak 8500
Abadan 4000
Lavan 5000
Shiraz 5700

Anticipated Locations and Capacities of Isomerization Units in the Refineries of Iran

In 2001 Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI) started to investigate naphtha isomerization
technologies in the world. We found that the catalyst of isomerization named Hysopar, made by Sud-
Chemie Company is one of the best catalysts in this field due to its advantages such as shown in the following
table:
Hysopar Catalyst General Advantages
- Medium operating temperature
- High activity
- Low investment & operating costs
- No corrosion risks
- Toleration of water (up to 100 ppmw) & sulfur (up to 100ppmw)
- Feed pretreatment optional
- Long service life
- Regenerability
- No disposal problems
After evaluation of this catalyst and its capabilities to do isomerization reactions, kinetic study were carried
out successfully in CATA TEST facility and all process variables in the reactor were studied and investigated
completely .
In 2003 results of this study was patented by research institute of petroleum industry (RIPI) and national
Iranian oil eng. & construction company (NIOEC) in Iran and named
ISOMIR Technology
Isomerization unit in Arak refinery is based on this technology .Basic design of this unit has been done by RIPI
and approved by JGC Corporation in 2004 .Some of Arak ISOM unit specifications are presented here.
Arak ISOM Unit Specifications

Feed Characteristics:

Name: Hydrotreated Light Naphtha (from NHT unit)

Flow Rate: 8500 BPSD
Compositions (Mole%)
n-Pentane 16.74
iso-Pentane 9.82
n-Hexane 17.05
iso-Hexane 19.39
Cyclopentane 6.45
Methylcyclopentane 13.27
Cyclohexane 9.44
Benzene 5.87
C7 + 1.97
Total 100.00

Specific gravity : 0.661

Total sulfur, ppmw : <0.5
Total nitrogen, ppmw : <0.1
Pressure , barg :4
Temperature , oC : 50
RON : 73
Product Specifications:

Name: Isomerate
Specific gravity : 0.639
Pressure, barg :6
Temperature, 0 C : 40
RON : 87
Yield, vol.% : 97

In the figure below, schematic diagram of ISOM unit in Arak refinery is shown:

http://www.ripi.ir/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=176[7/13/2011 3:47:38 PM]

Ripi - Light Naphtha Isomerization

Schematic diagram of ISOM unit in Arak refinery (Iran)

RIPI with well-experienced engineers hopes to cooperate more in expansion and upgrading projects of other
refineries in Iran and intends to participate in design of naphtha isomerization units in other countries.

ISOMIR Technology Advantages

1- COMPATIBILITY WITH ENVIRONMENT

2- NO CHEMICAL INJECTION REQUIREMENT TO MAINTAIN CATALYST ACTIVITY
3- LONG CATALYST SERVICE LIFE
4- PROCESS SIMPLICITY
5- NO DISPOSAL PROBLEMS
6- HIGH CATALYST TOLERANCE TO FEED STOCK IMPURITIES
7- FEEDSTOCK PRETREATMENT OPTIONAL

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 Research Institute Of Petroleum Industry. All Rights Reserved. Design By Nonegar Pardazesh

http://www.ripi.ir/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=176[7/13/2011 3:47:38 PM]