Sinopec starts up composite ionic liquid alkylation unit

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (Sinopec) has started up a revamped unit now based on composite ionic liquid (IL) alkylation technology at subsidiary Sinopec Jiujiang Co.’s 161,000-b/d refinery in Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province, China.

The brownfield unit—equipped to produce 300,000 tonnes/year of high-quality alkylate—is the largest commercial adoption of Beijing-based China University of Petroleum’s (CUP) Ionikylation process, which uses a more selective composite IL catalyst than other IL alkylation processes, said Well Resources Inc., the technology’s licensor.

Construction of the Ionikylation unit at the refinery started in February 2018 and was completed in December 2018, with unit startup preparation initiated in mid-March 2019.

On Mar. 31, catalyst and feed were introduced into the Ionikylation reactor, which was followed by production of the first batch of high-quality alkylate, the service provider said.

Sinopec remains on track to commission two additional Ionikylation units of the same capacity later this year at subsidiaries Sinopec Anqing Co.’s 161,000-b/d refinery in Anqing, Anhui Province, and Wuhan Petrochemical Co. Ltd.’s 161,000-b/d refinery in Wuhan City, Hubei Province (OGJ, Jan. 7, 2019, p. 61).

Contact Robert Brelsford at [email protected].