Pygas (Pyrolysis gasoline)

Collected from Deferent sites

Pyrolysis gasoline or Pygas is a naphtha-range product with a high aromatics content. It is a by-
product of high temperature naphtha cracking during ethylene and propylene production. In
addition, it is a high octane number mixture, which contains aromatics, olefins, and paraffins
ranging from C5s to C12s. PyGas has high potential for use as a gasoline blending mixture and/or
as a source of aromatics. Currently, PyGas is generally used as a gasoline blending mixture due
to its high octane number. Depending on the feedstock used to produce the olefins, steam
cracking can produce a benzene-rich liquid by-product called pyrolysis gasoline. Pyrolysis
gasoline can be blended with other hydrocarbons as a gasoline additive, or distilled
(in BTX process) to separate it into its components, including benzene.

Process Description

In GTC’s pyrolysis hydrotreating technology process, the hydrotreating unit consists of three
sections:
 First stage hydrotreating section to saturate mainly di-olefins to olefins
 Second stage hydrotreating section to saturate the olefins and de-sulfurize the PyGas
 Fractionation section to stabilize the hydrotreated streams and to recover the C 6-C8 heart
cut for further processing for aromatics extraction and the C9+ cut.
Raw PyGas is first fed to the first stage hydrotreating section. The PyGas feed stream along with
hydrogen is preheated by the recycle liquid stream to the desired temperature and sent to the first
stage HDT reactor where most di-olefins in the feed are selectively saturated to olefins only,
preserving the octane value of the hydrotreated stream.
The reactor effluent is sent to the first stage product separator. Part of the liquid from the bottom
of the product separator is recycled back to the front section of the first stage hydrogenator to
control reactor temperature rise. Excess hydrogen and light hydrocarbons are removed at the top
of the separator and sent to the recycle gas compressor. The separator liquid is fed to a first stage
stabilizer column. In the receiver, H2 and light hydrocarbons are separated and drawn as a vapor
product, which is sent as off gas to the battery limit (B.L.). The liquid from the receiver is fully
returned as reflux to the column. The liquid stream from the stabilizer bottoms is C5+ gasoline
fraction and can be sent to the gasoline pool. To produce BTX, this C5+ stream is sent to a
fractionation section to obtain a C6-C8 heart cut, which will be further hydrotreated to saturate
mono-olefins in the second stage hydrotreating section.
In the second stage hydrotreating section, the C6-C8 heart cut combined with a recycle vapor
stream and makeup hydrogen is preheated in the second stage feed/effluent heat exchanger
before being heated further to the desirable reaction temperature by a charge heater. The feed
mixture passes through the fixed catalyst beds in the second stage HDT reactor where olefin
species are saturated and sulfur species are converted to H2S.
The reactor effluent is then cooled in the second stage feed/effluent heat exchanger and
subsequently in an after-cooler before being routed to a second stage product separator. In the
product separator, the unreacted hydrogen and other light components are separated from the
hydrotreated liquid products and recycled to the HDT reactor using a recycle gas compressor. A
small vapor stream is purged as off gas to control the level of impurities in the recycle gas.
The hydrotreated liquid stream is fed to the second stage stabilizer column. The column vapors
are partially condensed in the overhead condenser and sent to an overhead receiver. In the
receiver, H2 and light hydrocarbons are separated and drawn as a vapor product, which is sent as
off gas to the B.L. The liquid from the receiver is fully returned as reflux to the column. The bottoms
product from the stabilizer which is the hydrotreated C6-C8 cut is cooled further and sent to B.L.
for further processing for Aromatics Extraction.

BTX Chemistry

Structural diagrams of the BTX hydrocarbons.

In the petroleum refining and petrochemical industries, the initialism BTX refers to mixtures
of benzene, toluene, and the three xylene isomers, all of which are aromatic hydrocarbons. The
xylene isomers are distinguished by the designations ortho – (or o –), meta – (or m –), and para –
(or p –) as indicated in the adjacent diagram. If ethylbenzene is included, the mixture is sometimes
referred to as BTEX.
The BTX aromatics are very important petrochemical materials. Global consumption
of benzene, estimated at more than 40,000,000 tons in 2010, showed an
unprecedented growth of more than 3,000,000 tons from the level seen in 2009.
Likewise, the para-xylene consumption showed unprecedented growth in 2010,
growing by 2,800,000 tons, a full ten percent growth from 2009.
Toluene is also a valuable petrochemical for use as a solvent and intermediate
in chemical manufacturing processes and as a high-octane gasoline component.

Contents
The table below lists some of the properties of the BTX aromatic hydrocarbons, all
of which are liquids at typical room conditions:

Properties

m-
benzene toluene ethylbenzene p-xylene o-xylene
xylene

Molecular formula C6H6 C7H8 C8H10 C8H10 C8H10 C8H10

Molecular mass,
78.12 92.15 106.17 106.17 106.17 106.17
g · mol−1

Boiling point, °C 80.1 110.6 136.2 138.4 139.1 144.4

Melting point, °C 5.5 – 95.0 – 95.0 13.3 – 47.9 – 25.2

Pygas Hydrotreating

Raw PyGas is first fed to the first stage hydrotreating section. To produce BTX, this C6+
stream is sent to a fractionation section to obtain a C6-C8 heart cut, which will be further
hydrotreated to saturate mono-olefins in the second stage hydrotreating section.

The hydrotreating unit consists of three sections:

 First stage Hydrotreating section to saturate mainly di-olefins to olefins.

 Second stage Hydrotreating section to saturate the olefins and de-sulfurize the pygas.
 Fractionation section to stabilize the hydrotreated streams and to recover the C6-C8
heart cut for further processing for aromatics extraction and the C9+ cut.
GTC Technology offers an optimized technology for two-stage pyrolysis gasoline
hydrotreatment in cases where di-olefins, olefins, and styrene in the raw pygas feed are
saturated. The technology is simple and easy to implement into existing plant
requirements. The process is applied to the C5+ fraction of raw pyrolysis gasoline.
Process Description
In GTC’s pyrolysis hydrotreating technology process, the hydrotreating unit consists of
three sections:
 First stage hydrotreating section to saturate mainly di-olefins to olefins
 Second stage hydrotreating section to saturate the olefins and de-sulfurize the pygas
 Fractionation section to stabilize the hydrotreated streams and to recover the C6-
C8 heart cut for further processing for aromatics extraction and the C9+ cut.
Raw pygas is first fed to the first stage hydrotreating section. The pygas feed stream along
with hydrogen is preheated by the recycle liquid stream to the desired temperature and sent
to the first stage HDT reactor where most di-olefins in the feed are selectively saturated to
olefins only, preserving the octane value of the hydrotreated stream.
The reactor effluent is sent to the first stage product separator. Part of the liquid from the
bottom of the product separator is recycled back to the front section of the first stage
hydrogenator to control reactor temperature rise. Excess hydrogen and light hydrocarbons
are removed at the top of the separator and sent to the recycle gas compressor. The separator
liquid is fed to a first stage stabilizer column. In the receiver, H2 and light hydrocarbons are
separated and drawn as a vapor product, which is sent as offgas to the battery limit
(B.L.). The liquid from the receiver is fully returned as reflux to the column. The liquid
stream from the stabilizer bottoms is C5+ gasoline fraction and can be sent to the gasoline
pool. To produce BTX, this C5+ stream is sent to a fractionation section to obtain a C6-
C8 heart cut, which will be further hydrotreated to saturate mono-olefins in the second stage
hydrotreating section.
In the second stage hydrotreating section, the C6-C8 heart cut combined with a recycle vapor
stream and makeup hydrogen is preheated in the second stage feed/effluent heat exchanger
before being heated further to the desirable reaction temperature by a charge heater. The feed
mixture passes through the fixed catalyst beds in the second stage HDT reactor where olefin
species are saturated and sulfur species are converted to H2S.
The reactor effluent is then cooled in the second stage feed/effluent heat exchanger and
subsequently in an after-cooler before being routed to a second stage product separator. In
the product separator, the unreacted hydrogen and other light components are separated from
the hydrotreated liquid products and recycled to the HDT reactor using a recycle gas
compressor. A small vapor stream is purged as off gas to control the level of impurities in
the recycle gas.
The hydrotreated liquid stream is fed to the second stage stabilizer column. The column
vapors are partially condensed in the overhead condenser and sent to an overhead receiver. In
the receiver, H2 and light hydrocarbons are separated and drawn as a vapor product, which
is sent as off gas to the B.L. The liquid from the receiver is fully returned as reflux to the
column. The bottoms product from the stabilizer, which is the hydrotreated C6-C8 cut, is
cooled further and sent to B.L. for further processing for Aromatics Extraction.