Abstract

A new grassroots BTX Extractive Distillation Unit was commissioned in February 2000. A test run was preformed in July 2000 and plant design criteria was marginally accomplished. A review of the tower internals was completed and recommendations made to improve the distributors and reduce the area of the distributor supports that obstructed the packing.

In January 2001, with the turn around of the Ethylene Cracker, the recommended modifications were installed. With the modifications to the distributors and re-traying a limiting stripping section, all the plant design criteria were met. Additionally an 18% increase in aromatic production capacity was achieved while improving aromatic recoveries. Enhanced distributors can greatly improve the fractionation capacity of structured packing.

This was the first industrial application of the Chua / Kolmetz multiple-liquid phase distributor.