Introduction of Olefins Production

        Many of the people are not well aware of the word Olefin. Here is some of the basic information regarding Olefin that can help in the better understanding of this word. Olefin is also known as Alkene, it is a compound which is made up of carbon as well as hydrogen that can contain only one or more than pairs of the carbon atoms which are linked through a double bond. Olefins are the examples of the hydrocarbons which are in the unsaturated form.

        There are oil refineries that are responsible for the production of olefins and aromatics through a process of fluid catalytic cracking of petroleum. There are many of the chemical plants which produce olefins through the catalytic reforming of Naphtha. Ethylene is produces from a mixture of propane through a steam cracking process which is further divided into three main steps to make it purified.

Quenching and Cracking of Olefins Production

        This is the very first step which initiates the process in which a mixture made up of ethane-propane is fed into a long vessel type of part which is called as a furnace. In the furnace temperature is maintained and is very high. After putting the mixture in a furnace under severe conditions, mixture gets cracked and the products which obtained are ethylene, propylene and many other byproducts as well. Furnace outlet in which mixture gets poured is subsequently being fed to the water-based quench. The furnace is being put into the water system to make sure that no further reaction takes place in the furnace and the production of undesirable products don’t take place.

    After this, from the quench tower different heavy, condensed steam, coke and tar are being removed. Cracked gas is then further directed to the next compression step from the quench.

Drying and Compression of Olefins Production

        This is the second step of the cracking process in which cracked gas sent from quench is then gets compressed across the five different stages. In first two stages cracked gas only gets compressed while after the third stage, sulfur and carbon dioxide gets removed from the cracked gas which was compressed as well through the use of water and caustic soda in a caustic scrubber. After this method, the compressed cracked gas gets cooled down and then subsequently gets dried with the help of molecular sieves which are responsible for the removing of most of the excess water from the gas which has been come along during the process of compression.

Separation of Olefins Production

        This is the last and most important step in the whole process. This step is not just composed of one technique like the others but have many different parts in it. In this step, dried cracked gas is being transferred to the cold box so that hydrogen and the light hydrocarbons get removed through doing this from a cracked gas. This method is also being used to make sure that along with the other hydrocarbons, ethylene doesn’t gets out of the gas.

        Now on this point, different condensates from the train of chilling are further fed to the series of separation compartments. In the very first compartment also known as demethanizer, then the methane is being collected from the top which is then further used into a chilling box and the bottom stream is then fed to the second compartment also termed as deethanizer.

        Top part of the deethanizer is primarily composed of ethane and ethylene which is then fed towards the converter known as acetylene and then further gets fractionated into the C2 splitter. In this compartment or column, lights are being removed from the overhead and then gets recycled to the system known as compression. While the polymer grade ethylene is taken from the column just like as side stream. Ethane gets recycled to the cracking furnaces from the bottoms of C2 splitters.

        Afterwards the bottom of deethanizer is further fed to the depropanizer which is being used for the distilling of C3 compartments into the overheads. The overhead is a stream which is hydro treated catalytically for the methyl acetylene and for the removal of propdiene. After this, they are being fed to the C3 splitter. In this compartment, lights get removed from the overheads and are further recycled to the compressors. Polymer grade propylene is also drawn from the long column but as a side stream. Propane which was obtained from the C3 splitter bottom gets recycled towards the cracking furnace.

Different parts of the apparatus are of Olefins Production

Long Furnaces with a set high temperature.

Quench column which was used in the first step.

Compression system to make sure that cracked gas is compressed properly in the second step.

Caustic scrubber which was also used in the second step along with the use of water and caustic soda.

Drying unit to make sure that the gas has no water vapors in it or else the process can get failed.

Cold box or chilling box for the removing of hydrocarbons from the gas.

Demethanizer and Deethanizer columns or compartments.

C2 and C3-spliters.

Cooling tower.

Economic performance of the cracking process of Olefins Production

        Before two years back into 2015, economic performance of this whole method was evaluated which showed that almost 1,700,000 ton every year ethylene is being constructed through this method. Expenses are also very much as it is a very large process and at a time small amount of the ethylene can’t be produces but it is being produced in the tons so this whole method costs a really big amount which is being neglected due to a reason that olefin is being used in the number of different products without which we can’t consider our life easy and happy. if we reduce its construction than it can make a big problem.

Global View of Olefins Production

        Olefin is one of the major petrochemicals that is being produced in the whole world if we look at its percentage among others. Through the production of ethylene from this process many major chemicals are also being produced through its help which are polyethylene, ethylene oxide and the list goes on and on. So it does not only play its part in the factories but also in the production of many other chemicals as well which are as useful as olefin itself. Along with this if we go out from the industries, this is a petrochemical which is being used in the number of other products manufacturing as well.

Applications of Olefins Production

Olefin for the very first time was manufactured into 1950’s. It has number of applications not just in the industries but in the household accessories as well. Now let’s have a look that how when and where Olefins are being used:

This product is being used in the manufacturing of different products.

Different household products are being made with the help of the Olefins.

Color of clothes are obtained from the Olefins, in short they are used in the manufacturing of dyes.

Another application of olefins is the cross Metathesis in the synthesis of Natural products.

It also acts as a plastomers with a density of almost 0.9 and index of 1.0 melt. They are excellent for the roofing applications.

Through olefin metathesis catalytic transformation of seed oil also takes place.

One of the most important application is in the field of petrochemicals. They help in the conversion technology.

Olefin is the one which is highly resistant towards the deterioration from the moisture and chemicals. It also has one drawback in it that it has very low melting point due to which it is inflammable and will definitely get melted when it will be exposed to the high heat.

Materials which help to make olefin are very efficient due to which olefin is highly recommended for packaging and active usage as well.

Olefins were not very successful at the start but then in the 1960’s their usage was increased and it started to gain the popularity with every passing year. There is a very resistant and strong global economy that has continued it demand for the growth of light olefins.

Cons of Olefins Production

No doubt there are many of the applications where olefins are being used but if we look it deep inside there are cons as well and every product or petrochemical do have so let’s talk about them what are the things or points that makes this olefin petrochemical not good in its use.

It is not a resilient fiber at all. When any pressure or damage takes place to it doesn’t comes back to its original shape that easily. Area where pressure gets on it they lie down and special effort requires to being back in shape. In the furniture such marks can remain permanent for the owner.

It is one of the most sensitive fiber among the others. It can easily melt down. No doubt that its melting point is 300 degrees but it starts melting before this temperature and therefore it is not being used at the areas where there are chances that temperature might get high.

It is a petrochemical that can easily get destroyed or damaged by Friction. Just through dragging a heavy piece on the products made up of olefin can cause them to have permanent marks due to the heat which gets generated through friction.

It is a chemical from which roofs are being made but it is not stain resistant. Any stain which appears on the roofs or walls made from the olefin don’t gets away and remain on it forever.

It has very low rate of absorbency due to which it is a very difficult task to dye it. Therefore it is often seen to have dyed with different colors in the market but these colors are restricted ones.

References of Olefins Production