EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY OF THE FRONT-END SELECTIVE HYDROGENATION OF STEAM-CRACKING C-2-C-3 MIXTURE

Selective hydrogenation of steam-cracking cuts is the industrial proce ss used to eliminate most of the alkynes, dienes and similar troubleso me compounds in olefinic streams. The purpose of this paper is present a kinetic study of the selective hydrogenation of a C-2-C-3 mixture o ver two palladium/alumina catalysts with front-end variant. Experiment s have been carried out to monitor the effect of temperature, hydrogen content in the feed, hydrocarbon volumetric flow and carbon monoxide content on the corresponding activity and selectivity. The experiments were performed in an integral plug-flow reactor, and the integral met hod was used for the kinetic analysis. Data treatment led to apparent kinetic models. The minimization of the objetive function was made by the Marquardt algorithm for multiple response, and the continuity equa tion set was integrated by a fourth-order Runge-Kutta technique. From the results of the minimization, the most adequate power-law-type mode ls were selected. The calculated values of the acetylene, ethylene, et hane, MAPD, propylene and propane molar fractions in the product strea m are in complete agreement with the experimental ones.