Clean Fuel Components

NEXOCTANETM

Our NEXOCTANETM process is ideal when you want to produce non-aromatic hydrocarbons with premium octane values. Dimerization of isobutylene in adiabatic reactors produces isooctene, which you can further saturate to isooctane with our novel NEXSATTM process. You control product quality through careful maintenance of optimum reactor conditions by recirculating alcohol to keep a low proportion of oligomers. After further treatment, you can use the C4 raffinate in an alkylation unit or dehydrogenation plant.

If you want to make the move to clean fuel production without ethers, this technology saves you money. You can have the NEXOCTANETM process installed as a low-cost retrofit of your existing MTBE or ETBE facilities, or as part of a grass-roots plant. The design is always solid, with excellent availability due to long catalyst age and ease of operation. Suitable for a wide range of olefinic C4-feedstocks, the technology provides a high-grade output with a great blending flexibility. Low RVP, superb octane values and low or non-existent sulphur content will easily meet environmental demands while simultaneously increasing your profits.

NEXETHERSTM for combined ethers production

With specifications changing and costs rising, gasoline producers want the optimal solution for processing C4-C7 streams to their highest value. In Engineering Solutions' NEXETHERSTM process iso-olefins and alcohol react to ethers in the presence of a conventional ion exchange resin catalyst. The first fractionator separates heavy hydrocarbons and ether products from the remaining C4 stream. The second fractionator integrates alcohol recovery and oxygenate removal, giving you almost total feed isobutene and alcohol conversion.

At every stage of this process, you save money. An optimized single unit covers a range of input streams. Capital expenses are low, as no additional equipment is needed for processing the alcohol recycle stream. Your production targets can be maintained, since NEXETHERSTM uses equipment with trouble-free maintenance, and you don’t even need to shut it down during the catalyst change. With the freedom to vary the olefinic input anywhere from C4 to C7 and to choose between methanol and ethanol feed, you have maximum flexibility with high yields at a low cost with any of the feed combinations.

NEXETHERSTM for MTBE and ETBE production

With gasoline specifications changing and costs rising, gasoline producers want economical, reliable and innovative solutions for processing C4 streams. In Engineering Solutions' NEXETHERSTM single component process, using a conventional ion exchange resin catalyst makes isobutylene and alcohol react to form ether. A dual fractionator system integrates alcohol recovery and oxygenate removal, giving you effortlessly high conversion rates, both for isobutylene and feed alcohol.

Your production targets can be maintained, since the process uses equipment that requires little maintenance, and you don’t even need to shut it down during the catalyst change. With the freedom to choose between methanol and ethanol feeds, or, if needed, later convert to isooctene production, you have maximum flexibility with excellent MTBE and ETBE yields at a low cost.

NEXTAMETM and NEXTAEETM

To improve the profitability of your cracked naphtha stream, add our NEXTAMETM or NEXTAEETM processes to your oil refinery or downstream of your steam cracker. The feedstock can be any stream containing C5 to C7 tertiary olefins. Both methanol and ethanol can be used in the same process configuration. The trick is to use naturally-occurring azeotropes to concentrate alcohol and unreacted hydrocarbon reactants in a column side draw. All formed fuel ethers and inert gasoline-grade hydrocarbons concentrate at the bottom. As they contain only a trace of alcohol, they can be blended together in the gasoline pool without further treatment.

Flexibility of input and a wider range of output allow your facility to cope with changing market demand. For example, NEXTAEETM is a low-cost way to produce biofuels in an oil refinery from FCC cracked naphtha, while at the same time improving the overall quality of these feedstocks. Solid design practices, optimized process conditions and low-maintenance equipment reduce both operating and investment costs. With these proven technologies, you can trust that impressive financial returns will appear quickly.