Patent ID: 9683776
Date: 2017-06-20
CPC Classifications: B01D,C10L,F25J

Claim:
1. A method for separating hydrocarbons, comprising: introducing a hydrocarbon feed comprising one or more hydrocarbons containing C1 to C20 carbon atoms per molecule to a first fractionation column, wherein the hydrocarbon feed comprises 80 mol % or more methane; recovering an overhead from the first fractionation column, wherein the primary component in the overhead from the first fractionation column is methane; recovering a bottoms from the first fractionation column; introducing the bottoms from the first fractionation column to a first dividing wall column; recovering an overhead from the first dividing wall column comprising methane, ethane, or a combination thereof; recovering a first intermediate from the first dividing wall column, wherein the first intermediate has an ethane concentration of greater than or equal to 90 mol %, and wherein at least a portion of the first intermediate is recycled to the first dividing wall column; recovering a second intermediate from the first dividing wall column as a product stream; recovering a bottoms comprising one or more hydrocarbons having three or more carbon atoms per molecule from the first dividing wall column; introducing the bottoms from the first dividing wall column to a second dividing wall column; recovering an overhead from the second dividing wall column, wherein the primary component in the overhead from the second dividing wall column is propane; recovering a third intermediate from the second dividing wall column, wherein the primary component in the third intermediate is butane; and recovering a bottoms comprising one or more hydrocarbons having five or more carbon atoms per molecule from the second dividing wall column.