Hengli Petrochemical starts up new alkylation unit

Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Co. Ltd. (HPDC) has commissioned a new alkylation unit at its new crude-to-paraxylene integrated refining and petrochemical complex in Hengli Petrochemical Industrial Park (HPIP) at Changxing Island Harbor Industrial Zone in Dalian, Liaoning Province, China (OGJ Online, July 11, 2019).

Equipped with proprietary technologies from E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co. subsidiary DuPont Clean Technologies, the new 300,000-tonnes/year STRATCO alkylation unit enables Hengli to produce high-quality alkylate, a key component for cleaner, high octane gasoline, from a 100% isobutylene feed stream, DuPont said on July 24.

Developed through DuPont research into the best ways to maximize product octane and minimize end point with isobutylene feedstock, the first-of-its-kind unit uses the DuPont’s proprietary XP2 technology in the STRATCO Contactor reactor, which is designed to improve the acid-hydrocarbon emulsion flow path near the tube bundle-heat transfer area of the reactor to enhance processing capabilities and achieve optimal alkylate-product quality, according to the service provider.

Already performing to design specifications, the new alkylation unit is allowing production of high-quality, high-octane alkylate to benefit the refinery’s overall gasoline pool, HPDC said.

Startup of the alkylation unit follows HPDC’s previous contract award to DuPont Clean Technologies delivery of alkylation and spent acid regeneration (SAR) technologies for the refinery, including licensing and engineering design packages for the STRATCO alkylation and MECS SAR units (OGJ Online, Mar. 8, 2016).