Patent ID: 6111156
Filing Date: 2000-08-29
Classification: C07C,C10G,Y02P

Abstract:
An integrated process for the cracking of a feedstock selected from the group consisting of C.sub.2-6 alkanes, naphtha, raffinate, atmospheric gas oil, vacuum gas oil, distillate, crude oil, crude resids, and mixtures thereof to produce ethylene and the subsequent polymerization or oligomerization of the ethylene, in the ethane/ethylene stream, without passing through an ethane splitter comprising in cooperating arrangement the steps of:i) feeding the feedstock to a steam cracker comprising furnace tubes passing through a radiant furnace reactor operated at a maximum allowable furnace tube wall temperature of from 1050.degree. C. to 1600.degree. C. and a quench section operated at temperatures from 400.degree. C. to 600.degree. C. comprising tubes passing through a cooling medium to yield a cracked gas comprising hydrogen, methane, C.sub.2 hydrocarbons, C.sub.3 hydrocarbons and heavier constituents;ii) passing the cracked gas from step i) through a separation step to remove hydrocarbon streams having a carbon content of 3 and greater leaving a stream of hydrogen, methane, acetylene, ethane and ethylene;iii) subjecting said stream of hydrogen, methane, acetylene, ethane and ethylene to a treatment to convert acetylene to ethylene;iv) removing the methane and hydrogen from the resulting stream from step iii) of hydrogen, methane, ethane and ethylene to produce a product having an ethylene content from 75 weight % to 95 weight %;v) feeding the resulting stream from step iv) of ethane and ethylene having an ethylene content from 75 weight % to 95 weight % to a polymerization or oligomerization process and polymerizing or oligomerizing the ethylene; andvi) recovering the unreacted ethylene and ethane and returning them to the steam cracker.