Catalyst Technology for the Removal of Acetylenes, NOx and Oxygen from Olefin Streams

While olefins can be readily produced by various technologies, they are generally not suitable for use until impurities such as acetylenes, NOx and oxygen are removed. Here two different catalyst technologies are presented to accomplish this task. With both catalyst technologies, acetylenes are selectively hydrogenated to olefins, oxygen is converted to water and CO2, and NOx is converted to amines or ammonia. NOx removal is especially important as they create safety concerns in cold boxes. Water, amines, and ammonia are more easily removed from the olefins by downstream separation processes than in their precursor form. The first technology uses a nickel based catalyst which has been commercialized for many years but applied to this application during the last several years. This nickel catalyst also has affinity for heavy metals removal. The second technology, which is the focus of this paper, is a developmental one that has not yet been commercialized. These two catalyst technologies have similar operating windows and offer slightly different yield slates.