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Overview The BASF NMP-based butadiene extraction process, the use of carbon steel as construction material
licensed by CB&I since 1990, is the preferred without the addition of corrosion inhibitors. This
technology for the production of high purity process is particularly suitable for C4 streams from
1,3-butadiene from crude C4 cuts. The technology is high severity cracking where the acetylene levels may
successfully applied in 38 plants worldwide, with a be high (>3%). It produces a 1,3-butadiene product
total capacity exceeding four million tons per year. of 99.7 wt% purity while recovering more than
99% of the 1,3-butadiene contained in the feed. It
The NMP-based butadiene process uses n-methyl- also produces a raffinate-1 product that consists of
pyrrolidone (NMP) as solvent. Unlike the other a mixture of butanes and butenes with a butadiene
solvents used for butadiene extraction, the aqueous content as low as 40 ppm wt.
mixtures of NMP are not corrosive, thereby allowing
Efficient heat recovery systems and optimal process design Low operating cost
NMP is the least toxic solvent that is easily treated by Environmentally friendly design
conventional biological degradation
C4 Vapor 1,2-Butadiene
Rich Solvent
Solvent C4 Acetylenes
Lean Solvent Degassing
Process A typical butadiene extraction plant consists of withdrawn from the top of this column and the C5s as
Description four basic process sections: extractive distillation, well as the 1,2-butadiene are rejected in the bottoms.
conventional distillation, solvent degassing, and
The rich solvent from the extractive distillation
solvent regeneration.
section is fed to the solvent degassing section. The
The C4 feed is sent to the extractive distillation solvent is stripped free of C4s in the degassing column
section where it is vaporized and separated using and recycled to the extractive distillation section.
two extractive distillation columns. The overhead C4 acetylenes are removed as a side stream and can
product from the first column consists of a mixture of be hydrogenated, used as fuel gas or as cracker feed,
butenes and butanes and is designated as raffinate-1. or burned in a flare system. The vapor leaving the
The second column is a dividing wall consisting of degassing column is cooled in a separate cooling
a rectifier and an afterwasher. The overhead from column or heat exchanger, compressed, and sent back
the afterwasher is a crude butadiene product that to the extractive distillation section. A sophisticated
is sent to the conventional distillation system for heat recovery system utilizes most of the sensible
further purification. Rich solvent is removed from the heat of the solvent, resulting in extremely low energy
bottom of the second column and sent to the solvent consumption.
degassing system.
A small solvent stream is continuously fed to the
Crude butadiene is fed to the propyne column, NMP regeneration section. The solvent is heated with
which is the first of two columns in the conventional steam under vacuum conditions in a regeneration
distillation section. Propyne is removed as overhead vessel. Vaporized NMP is condensed and recycled
from this column and the bottoms is sent to to the extractive distillation section. The remaining
the butadiene column. The butadiene product is residue is usually incinerated.
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