UOP LAB Complex
UOP Linear Alkylbenzene (LAB) Complex
Petrochemical
Petrochemical
Introduction
Linear alkylbenzene (LAB) is the most common raw material in the manufacture of biodegradable household detergents. LAB is produced using normal paraffins as a raw material. Normal paraffins are derived from straight run kerosene.
UOP offers processes, catalysts, adsorbents and equipment for the production of LAB from kerosene or normal paraffins. The processes can be utilized in combination in a new complex or retrofitted or revamped into existing complexes. The UOP LAB complex consists of a combination of several UOP processes, including the kerosene prefractionation, distillate UnionfiningTM process,
MolexTM process, PacolTM process, DeFineTM process,
PEPTM process, Detergent Alkylate process, and DetalTM process. The LAB technology is the most economical technology available today, and more than 70% of the world’s LAB is produced using UOP technologies.
Until 1995, alkylation used hydrofluoric (HF) acid as the catalyst. In 1995, the first commercial Detal process unit using a solid bed catalyst alkylation process was commissioned. This revolutionary technology abolished the use of liquid acid in the plant, reducing capital investments, maintenance costs, and waste treatment.
The distillate UnionfiningTM process hydrotreats kerosene at sufficient severity to remove sulfur, nitrogen, olefins and oxygenate compounds which might otherwise poison the Molex adsorbent.
The Molex process is a liquid state separation of normal paraffins from branched and cyclic components using SorbexTM technology. The simulated moving bed adsorptive separation results from using a proprietary multi-port rotary valve. The extract stream is a high-purity normal paraffins stream. The raffinate stream, consisting mainly of iso- or cyclic-kerosene range compounds, is often blended into jet fuel.
Applications
The continued demand for LAB worldwide creates new
Petrochemical
Petrochemical
Introduction
Linear alkylbenzene (LAB) is the most common raw material in the manufacture of biodegradable household detergents. LAB is produced using normal paraffins as a raw material. Normal paraffins are derived from straight run kerosene.
UOP offers processes, catalysts, adsorbents and equipment for the production of LAB from kerosene or normal paraffins. The processes can be utilized in combination in a new complex or retrofitted or revamped into existing complexes. The UOP LAB complex consists of a combination of several UOP processes, including the kerosene prefractionation, distillate UnionfiningTM process,
MolexTM process, PacolTM process, DeFineTM process,
PEPTM process, Detergent Alkylate process, and DetalTM process. The LAB technology is the most economical technology available today, and more than 70% of the world’s LAB is produced using UOP technologies.
Until 1995, alkylation used hydrofluoric (HF) acid as the catalyst. In 1995, the first commercial Detal process unit using a solid bed catalyst alkylation process was commissioned. This revolutionary technology abolished the use of liquid acid in the plant, reducing capital investments, maintenance costs, and waste treatment.
The distillate UnionfiningTM process hydrotreats kerosene at sufficient severity to remove sulfur, nitrogen, olefins and oxygenate compounds which might otherwise poison the Molex adsorbent.
The Molex process is a liquid state separation of normal paraffins from branched and cyclic components using SorbexTM technology. The simulated moving bed adsorptive separation results from using a proprietary multi-port rotary valve. The extract stream is a high-purity normal paraffins stream. The raffinate stream, consisting mainly of iso- or cyclic-kerosene range compounds, is often blended into jet fuel.
Applications
The continued demand for LAB worldwide creates new