Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
LPG and gas
Reinery
fuel gas
LPG
LPG
Alkylate
Alkylation
Straight run gasoline
Naphtha
Hydro-
treating
Reformate
Catalytic
reforming
Gasoline
Crude oil
Middle distillates
Hydro
treating
Solvents
Heavy atm.
gas oil
Gasoline
Hydro-
treating
Catalytic
cracking
Kerosene
Vacuum
Slurry oil
Diesel
gas oil
Cycle oil
Hydro-
cracking
Solvent
extraction
Heating
oil
Gasoline, naphtha, middle distillates
Lube base stocks
Lube oils
Lube oil
Solvent
dewaxing
Waxes
Greases
LPG and gas
Propane
deasphalter
Gasoline, naphtha, middle distillates
Asphalt
Fuel oil
Visbreaker
Asphalt
Gasoline, naphtha, middle distillates
Industrial
fuels
Coke
Delayed coker/
lexicoker
FIGURE 15.2
A modern oil refinery; conversion technologies and products. (Source:
Reproduced with permission from Moulijn et al. (2001). © John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)
reformed to their isomers, which is needed for a properly defined gasoline that shows
improved engine knock behavior; this is another example of a catalytic reactor in the
oil refinery.
Downstream of the depicted oil refinery, a myriad of processes have been devel-
oped in petrochemistry, generating products that are used widely in our daily lives
(see, e.g., the website of the Association of Petrochemicals in Europe, tinyurl.com/
o4jemkt). One should keep in mind, though, that this product manufacturing sector
is much smaller in capacity than fuel production (e.g., gasoline). The key petrochem-
ical base chemicals are relatively simple molecules, namely, lower olefins (ethylene,
propylene, and butadiene), aromatics (benzene, toluene, and xylene, taken together as
BTX), and ammonia (NH
3
) and methanol (CH
3
OH) (Moulijn et al., 2001).
The main differences between a biorefinery and a petrochemical refinery are
summarized in Table 15.1.
There are two fundamentally different approaches that can be followed in the trail to
mass implementation of biorefineries worldwide. First, biorefineries can be designed
and set up in such a way that production of core molecules of the current petrochemistry
is targeted. In this approach, the connectivity to existing infrastructures
—
at least of
product distribution
is ensured. The second approach is to identify new platform che-
micals that do not (yet) show a large market availability today and make brand new
products that are more closely resembling major biomass component structures. In this
approach, new products, processes, and systems (also for product distribution) must be
developed.
—
Search WWH ::
Custom Search