Aromatic Extraction Area deals with the research and development of processes for extraction of impurities or production of pure compounds from petroleum streams (Light naphtha to Gas oil) etc. using innovative, cost competitive and environmentally friendly solvents through extraction/ extractive distillation (ED) processes. Value addition to streams from pyrolysis of waste plastics/fermentation broth/ bio oil is also carried out. Conceptualization of process flow scheme by using heat integration is also carried out along with simulations for process design and scale up to commercial scale.
Following activities are covered in this area:
Aromatic Extraction for the production of benzene, toluene and xylenes (BTX)
Extraction of benzene, toluene and xylenes (BTX) from aromatic rich streams such as reformate, hydrogenated pyrolysis gasoline (HPG) aromatic rich streams /NGL. Extraction is a process for recovering valuable petrochemical raw materials such as BTX or producing dearomatized product such as FGH, US grade gasoline etc.
Other activities include:
- Recovery /removal of aromatics from various hydrocarbon streams
- Recovery /removal of aromatics from various biomass streams
- Removal of sulphur compounds from various hydrocarbon streams
- Recovery of alcohols/ valuable chemicals from fermentation broth / fast pyrolysis bio oil
The area along with EIL has developed technologies for the extraction of benzene, toluene and xylenes (BTX) from reformate has been developed in the past and commercialized in BPCL, Mumbai and KR, Kochi. Similarly CSIR-IIP has also developed technologies for the production of food grade hexane (FGH) / SBP solvents using solvent extraction and commercialized in HPCL, Mumbai, BPCL, Mumbai and CPCL, Chennai.
