Naphtha
Axens (Rueil-Malmaison, France; www.axens.net) and Sulzer Chemtech’s (Winterthur, Switzerland; www.sulzer.com) GTC Technology business have formed an alliance to license an advanced process for FCC (fluid catalytic cracking) naphtha processing. The combined offering is based on Axens’ Prime-G+ hydrodesulfurization technology and Sulzer Chemtech’s GT-BTX PluS extraction technology.
The combination of Prime G+ and GT-BTX PluS offers a unique solution to reduce octane loss to a very low level for the gasoline pool. The technology is especially important in countries that are upgrading fuel specifications to meet environmental requirements, and it can be applied in new, or retrofits of existing units in operation to maximize profit. It also provides refiners the option of converting FCC gasoline into petrochemical products — benzene, toluene, xylenes (BTX) and additional propylene — and get additional margin in regions where gasoline demand is not sufficient. For those, the combined offer can convert their excess gasoline into petrochemical products to adapt to the market change with minimum investment, say the companies.