Benzene reduction in gasoline range streams by adsorption processes using a PVDC–PVC carbon molecular sieve

CATEGORY: GASOLINE 
Benzene reduction in gasoline range streams by adsorption processes using a PVDC–PVC carbon molecular sieve

Type	Journal Article
Author	Georgina C. Laredo
Author	Jesus Castillo
URL	http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016236114006644
Volume	135
Pages	459-467
Publication	Fuel
Date	November 1, 2014
Abstract	Researchers employed a PVDC–PVC derived carbon molecular sieve (CMS-IMP12) to adsorb the benzene contained in a sample of reforming gasoline from a Mexican Refinery. They obtained an olefin free benzene enriched fraction (H-BHC) using distillation-hydrogenation. The adsorption process was conducted in one and two-steps. In the one-step procedure, benzene was adsorbed along other hydrocarbons in a 28 mL/100gads yield. The benzene enriched fraction (BEF) contained linear and branched paraffins and cycloparaffins (56%) and benzene (43%). In the two-step procedure, linear paraffins (PEF) were selectively separated from the H-BHC by 5A molecular sieve (7 mL/100gads). The paraffins free fraction (PFF, 30 mL/100gads) was subsequently submitted for further separation using the CMS material. The resulting adsorbed product (BEF, 42 mL/100gads) was formed mainly by iso- and cycloparaffins (50%) and benzene (48%). The octane number of the one-step was lower than the two-steps benzene free fraction (BFF) (67 and 76, respectively) due to the presence of paraffins in the first one. In any case, the benzene may be recuperated from the BEF by distillation and the octane number of the recovered PEF and BFF may be improved by any of a number of commercial isomerization processes.