Process for Reducing Oxygenate Content of Hydrocarbon Feed

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a process for reducing oxygenate content of hydrocarbon feed. The process comprises passing and heating the hydrocarbon feed over ion exchange resin resident in a reactor, maintained at a temperature in the range of 90 to 140° C. and a predetermined pressure, at a predetermined liquid hourly space velocity to obtain a heated intermediate fluid. The heated intermediate fluid is cooled to obtain a cooled intermediate fluid. The cooled intermediate fluid is mixed with water to obtain a mixture. The mixture is allowed to settle to obtain an aqueous phase and an organic phase. The aqueous phase is separated from the organic phase to obtain hydrocarbon feed with reduced oxygenate content. The process is simple and environment friendly, enabling removal of 70-90% of the oxygenate content from the hydrocarbon feed.

1 . A process for reducing oxygenate content of hydrocarbon feed, said process comprising the following steps:
 (i) passing and heating said hydrocarbon feed over ion exchange resin resident in a reactor, maintained at a temperature in the range of 90 to 140° C. and at a pre-determined pressure, at a predetermined liquid hourly space velocity to obtain a heated intermediate fluid;   (ii) cooling said heated intermediate fluid to obtain a cooled intermediate fluid;   (iii) mixing said cooled intermediate fluid with water to obtain a mixture;   (iv) allowing said mixture to settle to obtain an aqueous phase and an organic phase; and   (iv) separating said aqueous phase from said organic phase to obtain hydrocarbon feed with reduced oxygenate content.   
     
     
         2 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said oxygenate in said hydrocarbon feed comprises at least one of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) and tertiary amyl methyl ether (TAME). 
     
     
         3 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said oxygenate in said hydrocarbon feed comprises at least one of methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-butanol, 1-butanol and tertiary amyl alcohol. 
     
     
         4 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the amount of said oxygenate content in said hydrocarbon feed is in the range of 51 to 350 ppmw. 
     
     
         5 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the amount of the oxygenate content in said hydrocarbon feed with reduced oxygenate content is in the range of 4 to 50 ppmw. 
     
     
         6 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said ion exchange resin is a cation exchange resin. 
     
     
         7 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said ion exchange resin is a macroporous polymeric exchange resin. 
     
     
         8 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said ion exchange resin is a macroporous polymeric sulphonic acid exchange resin. 
     
     
         9 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said process comprises a pre-step of drying said ion exchange resin before using it in step (i). 
     
     
         10 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said predetermined pressure is in the range of 4 to 10 barg. 
     
     
         11 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said predetermined liquid hourly space velocity is in the range of 0.5 to 15 per hour. 
     
     
         12 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said hydrocarbon feed is petrochemical naphtha comprising C5 to C8 hydrocarbons. 
     
     
         13 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said reactor is a fixed bed reactor. 
     
     
         14 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein quantity of the water used in step (iii) is in the range of 2.5 to 10 vol % of the hydrocarbon feed, wherein the water used in step (iii) is demineralized water.