MEMORANDUM

TO: Junior Process Engineer Team

FROM: Asier Aranzabal, Senior Process Engineer
RE: Low benzene naphtha production
DATE: September, 2014
Automobiles require gasoline fuel with an octane rating of at least 87 to run smoothly. In
the past, low-octane gasoline could be boosted to a higher rating by the addition of
tetraethyl lead, Pb(C
2
H
5
)
4
. Hence the name leaded gasoline. Given the high toxicity of lead,
and given the millions of tons introduced into the environment by the combustion of
leaded gasoline, the switch to unleaded gasoline was sensible. Catalytic reforming grew
even more important when unleaded gasoline became the standard for new automobiles,
because this process produces molecules with high octane rating. For example, toluene
has an octane rating of 110.
Unleaded gasoline also contains benzene. Benzene is a weak human carcinogen. For many
individuals, their chief exposure to carcinogenic chemicals such as benzene occurs when
they pump gasoline. Regional and national governmental regulations (Real Decreto
1088/2010) stimulated the development of new processes for benzene removal.
Alternative octane enhancers, such as ethanol and MTBE (methyl-t-butyl ether,
CH
3
OC(CH
3
)
3
), have been introduced to make high-octane gasoline that has a reduced
content of aromatics and reduced emissions of pollutants. There currently exist methods
to remove benzene from reformate, including separation processes and hydrogenation
reaction processes.
Your job is to reach a preliminary design (case base) and the economic evaluation of a
process to reduce the benzene content in the reformate naphtha, coupling with the
legislation and treat 135.000 kg/h of liquid reformate naphtha (1,7 kg/cm
2
, 38 C). Based
on past experience, you know that you will have to defend any decisions you have made
throughout the design, and the best defense is economic justification.
The design challenges that must be faced include (i) the identification of the most
promising technology; (ii) the reactor design (iii) minimization of by-products formation;
(iv) the treatment of residues.
Below you will find a list of suggested reading for understanding the scenario and situation
of the problem you will face.
Submit your findings as a short report, not exceeding xx pages
1
, plus any tables and
figures. Put the details of all your calculations, a PFD, flow table, and so on, in a clearly
indexed appendix.
This report is due on December 23
rd
, and will be read by several managers as well as other
technical and sales executives. You will also be interviewed to present and explain your
major findings on February 2015.


1
We will inform you in due time the maximum number of pages.


PRODUCT SPECIFICATION
Hydrogenated reformate (liquid 7,7 kg/cm
2
, 38 C) 0,1 % mol benzene.
Heavy reformate (liquid 7,7 kg/cm
2
, 38 C) 0,7 % mol benzene.

HYDROGEN SPECIFICATION
You can use hydrogen from the refinery (gas 22 kg/cm2, 38 C, 95% mol hydrogen, 5%
methane)

ECONOMIC PARAMETERS:
(i) 8400 h/year operating
(ii) A construction time of 1 year
(iii) A project life of 15 years
(iv) Base year 2015
(v) MACRS depreciation over 5 years for all fixed capital investment
(vi) Internal after-tax hurdle rate of 15%, and a taxation rate of 35%

RECOMMENDED READING
Glvez M., Lpez Perez, B., 2011. Captulo 12 El petrleo y el gas natural, materias primas para la
industria qumica, en: Vian, A., Introduccin a la Qumica Industrial, Revert, Barcelona, pp. 293-340.
Fahim, M.A., Alsahhaf, T.A., Elkilani, A. S., 2010. Fundamentals of petroleum refining, 1 ed. Elsevier,
Amsterdam.
Lapinski, M., Baird, L., James, R., 2004. Chapter 4.1 - UOP platforming process. En: Meyers, R. A., (Ed).
Handbook of petroleum refining processes, 3a ed. McGraw-Hill, New York, pp. 4.3-4.31.
Bourane, A., Koseoglu, O.R., 2012. Catalytic reforming process and system for producing reduced
benzene gasoline. U.S. Patent No. US8801920 B2
Goundani, K., Papadopoulou, C., Kordulis, C., 2004. Benzene elimination from reformate gasoline by
high pressure hydrogenation in a fixed-bed reactor, React. Kinet. Catal. Lett. 82 (1), 149-155.
Real Decreto 1088/2010, de 3 de septiembre, por el que se modifica el Real Decreto 61/2006, de 31 de
enero, en lo relativo a las especificaciones tcnicas de gasolinas, gasleos, utilizacin de
biocarburantes y contenido de azufre de los combustibles para uso martimo, publicado en el BOE
n215 de 4 septiembre de 2010.







FEED COMPOSITION (% mol)
i-butane 0.24
butane 2.16
i-pentane 5.39
pentane 3.89
cyclopentane 0.13
1-pentene 0.33
2,2-dimethylbutane 1.09
2,3-dimethylbutane 0.84
2-methylpentane 3.90
3-methylpentane 3.14
hexane 3.61
methyl cyclopentane 0.43
cyclohexane 0.00
benzene 7.08
2.4-dimethylpentane 0.35
2,2,3-methylbutane 0.06
3,3-dimethylpentane 0.33
2-methylhexane 2.03
2,3-dimethylpentane 0.82
3-methylhexane 2.36
3-ethylpentane 0.24
heptane 1.68
cis-1,2-dimethylcyclopentane 0.38
toluene 23.08
3,3-dimethylhexane 0.62
2,3,4-methylpentane 0.01
2-methylheptane 1.03
octane 0.34
meta-xylene 23.41
2,6-dimethylheptane 0.10
2-methyl octane 0.16
1,2,4-trimethylbenzene 9.51
4-ethyl meta-xylene 1.26