AM-09-75 BENZENE MANAGEMENT VIA SATURATION AND ISOMERIZATION

Description:

Usually a refiner can comply with MSAT2 by focusing on the reformate product stream, concentrating the benzene in this stream, and converting the benzene to cyclohexane via saturation. Saturation of the benzene stream results in a loss of octane (of roughly 20 numbers on the benzene component). The octane number can be partially regained by using different methods including isomerization. Once the decision has been made to saturate, the isomerization process can easily be coupled with the saturation process in a number of different fashions. Within the isomerization operation, different schemes are recommended depending on the needed octane increase.