SELECTIVE HYDROGENATION OF HIGHLY UNSATURATED COMPOUNDS IN HYDROCARBON STREAMS

摘要

A process for the selective hydrogenation of the diolefins and acetylenic compounds in an olefin-rich aliphatic hydrocarbon stream (1) comprises contacting the feed stream (1) at 40-300 DEG F under low hydrogen partial pressure of 0.1-70 psia at a total pressure of 0-350 psig in a distillation column reactor (10) containing a hydrogenation catalyst bed (12) which serves as a component of a distillation structure (10), such as supported PdO encased in a tubular wire mesh. Essentially no hydrogenation of the olefins occur. The feed stream (1) enters below or at the lower end of the catalyst bed (12), and is contacted with hydrogen fed through line (2) in the catalyst bed (12). The overhead (3) is obtained at the overhead, condensed in a condenser (20) and separated in a settler (30), and partially recycled back to catalyst bed (12) as a reflux stream (6). The bottom stream (11) is obtained at the lower end of the distillation reactor, and is partially recycled back as stream (4) after being heated in a heat exchanger (40) as recycle stream (13). Net hydrogenation effluent is obtained as stream (9), and light gases as stream (7).