CA2479408C - Synthetic jet fuel and process for its production - Google Patents

Abstract

Clean distillate useful as a jet fuel or jet blending stock is produced from Fischer-Tropsch wax by separating wax into heavier and lighter fractions;
further separating the lighter fraction and hydroisomerizing the heavier fraction and that portion of the light fraction above about 475°F. The isomerized product is blended with the untreated portion of the lighter fraction to produce high quality, clean, jet fuel.

Description

SYNT~iETIC JET FUEL AND
PROCESS FOR ITS PRODUCTION
That this application is a division of application number 2,277,974, filed in Canada on July 21, 1999 (International Filing Date: January 27, 1998, under PCT/US98101669).
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
'This invention relates to a distillate material having excellent suitability as a jet fuel with high lubricity or as a blending stock therefor, as well as the process for preparing the jet fuel. More particularly, this invention relates to a process for preparing jet fuel from a Fischer-Tropsch wax.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Clean distillates streams that contain no or nil sulfur, nitrogen, or aromatics, are, or will likely be in great demand as jet fuel or in blending jet fuel.
Clean distillates having relatively high lubricity and stability are particularly valuable. Typical petroleum derived distillates are not clean, in that they typically contain significant amounts of sulfur, nitrogen, and aromatics. In addition, the severe hydrotreating needed to produce fuels of sufficient stability often results in a fuel with poor lubricity characteristics. These petroleum derived clean distillates produced through severe hydrotreating involve significantly greater expense than unhydrotreated fuels. Fuel lubricity, required for the e~cient operation of the fuel delivery system, can be improved by the use of approved additive packages. The production of clean, high cetane number distillates from Fischer-Tropsch waxes has been discussed in the open literature, but the processes disclosed for preparing such distillates also leave the distillate lacking in one or more important properties, e.g., lubricity. The Fischer-Tropsch distillates disclosed, therefore, require blending~with other less desirable stocks or the use of costly additives. These earlier schemes disclose hydrotreating the total Fischer-Tropsch product, including the entire 700°F- fraction.
This hydro-treating results in the complete elimination of oxygenates from the jet fuel.
By virtue of this present invention small amounts of oxygenates are retained, the resulting product having high lubricity. This product is useful as a jet fuel as such, or as a blending stock for preparing jet fuels from other lower .grade material.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with this invention, a clean distillate useful as a jet fuel or as a jet fuel blend stock and having lubricity, as measured by the Ball on Cylinder (BOCLE) test, approximately equivalent to, or better than, the high lubricity reference fuel is produced, preferably from a Fischer-Tropsch wax and preferably derived from cobalt or ruthenium cataiysts, by separating the waxy product into a heavier fraction and a lighter fraction; the nominal separation being, for example, at about 700°F. Thus, the heavier fraction contains primarily 700°F+, and the lighter fraction contains primarily 700°F-.
The distillate is produced by further separating the lighter fraction into at least two other fractions: (i} one of which contains primary C~.,2 alcohols and (ii) one of which does not contain such alcohols. The fraction (ii) is a 550°F+ fraction, preferably a 500°F+ fraction, more preferably a 475°F+
fraction, and still more preferably a n-C,4+ fraction. At least a portion, preferably the whole of this heavier fraction (ii), is subjected to hydroconversion (e.g., hydroisomerization) in the presence of a bi-functional catalyst at typical hydroisomerization conditions. The hydroisomerization of this fraction may occur separately or in the same reaction zone as the hydroisomerization of the Fischer-Tropsch wax (i.e., the heavier 700°F+ fraction obtained from the Fischer-Tropsch reaction) preferably in the same zone. In any event, a portion of the, for example, 475°F+ material is converted to a lower boiling fraction, e.g., 475°F- material. Subsequently, at least a portion and preferably all of the material compatible with jet freeze from hydroisomerization is combined with at least a portion and preferably all of the fraction (i) which is preferably a °F fraction, and is further preferably characterized by the absence of any hydroprocessing, e.g., hydroisomerization. The jet fuel or jet fuel blending component of this invention boils in the range of jet fuels and may contain hydrocarbon materials boiling above the jet fuel range to the extent that these additional materials are compatible with the jet freeze specification, i.e., -47°C
or lower. The amount of these so-called compatible materials depends on the degree of conversion in the hydroisomerization zone, with more hydroisomerization leading to more of the compatible materials, i.e., more highly branched materials. Thus, the jet fuel range is nominally 250-550°F, preferably _3e 250-500°F, more preferably DSO-475°F and may include the compatible materials, and having the properties described below.
The jet material recovered from the fractionator has the properties shown in the following table:
paraffins at least 95 wt%, preferably at Ieast 96 wt%, more preferably at least 97 wt%, still more preferably at least 98 wt%
iso/normal ratio about 0.3 to 3.0, preferably 0.7-2.0 sulfur < 50 ppm (wt), preferably nil nitrogen < 50 ppm (wt), preferably C 20 ppm, more preferably nil unsaturates < 2.0 wt%, preferably < 1.0 wt%, most preferably (olefins and aromatics) < 0.5 wt%
oxygenates about 0.005 to less than about 0.5 wt% oxygen, water free basis The iso-paraffins are normally mono-methyl branched, and since the process utilizes Fischer-Tropsch wax, the product contains nil cyclic paraffms, e.g., no cyclohexane.
The oxygenates are contained essentially, e.g., > 95% of oxygenates, in the lighter fraction, e.g., the 250-475°F fraction, and are primarily, e.g., > 95%, terminal, linear alcohols of C~ to C12.

-3a-In a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a process for producing a jet fuel comprising (a) separating a product of a Fischer-Tropsch process into a heavier fraction and a lighter fraction; (b) further separating the lighter fraction inta at least two fractions, (i) at least one fraction containing primary C7 - C12 alcohols and having an end point which excludes essentially all n-C14 paraffins and (ii) one or more other fractions; (c) hydroisomerizing at least a portion of the heavier fraction of step (a) at hydroisomerization conditions and recovering a 700~F- fraction; and (d) blending at least a portion of the fraction (b)(i) with at least a portion of the 7001~F- fraction recovered in step (c) to form a recovered product wherein the recavered product of step (d) contains 0.01 to 0.5 wt~ oxygen, water free basis.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a schematic of a process in accordance with this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A more detailed description of this invention may be had by referring to the drawing. Synthesis gas, hydrogen and carbon monoxide, in an appropriate ratio, contained in line 1 is fed to a Fischer-Tropsch reactor 2, preferably a slurry reactor and product is recovered in lines 3 and 4, 700°F+ and 700°F- respectively. The lighter fraction goes through a hot separator 6 and a 475-700°F fraction is recovered in line 8, while a 475°F-fraction is recovered in line 7. The 475-700°F fraction is then recombined with the 700+°F material from line 3 and fed into the hydroisomerization reactor where a percentage, typically about 50%, is converted to 700°F- material. The 475°F-material goes through cold separator 9 from which C4- gases are recovered in line I0. A CS-475°F fraction is recovered in line 1 l and is combined with the output from the hydroisomerization reactor, 5, in line 12.
Line 12 is sent to a distillation tower 13 where a C4-250°F
naphtha stream line 16, a 250-475°F jet fuel line 15, a 475-700°F diesel fi;~i line 18, and a 700 ° F+ material is produced. The 700 ° F+ material may be recycled back via line 14 to the hydroisomerization reactor 5 or used as to prepare high quality tube base oils. Preferably, the split between lines 15 and I S is adjusted upwards from 475 °
F if the hydroisomerization reactor, 5, converts essentially alI of the n-C,4+
paraffins to isoparaffins. 'This cut point is preferably 500°F, most preferably 550°F, as long as jet freeze point is preserved at least at -47°C.
The hydroisomerization process is well known and the table below lists some broad and preferred conditions for this step.
Condition Broad Range Preferred Range temperature, °F 300-800 500-750 total pressure, psig 300-2500 500-1500 hydrogen treat rate, SCFB 5~-5000 1500-4000 - ~J -While virtually any bi-functional catalysts consisting of metal hydrogenation component and an acidic component useful in hydroprocessing (e.g., hydroisomerization or selective hydrocracking) may be satisfactory for this step, some catalysts perform better than others and are preferred. For example, catalysts containing a supported Group VIII noble metal (e.g., platinum or palladium) are useful as are catalysts containing one or more Group VIII non-noble metals (e.g., nickel, cobalt) in amounts of 0.5-20 wt%, which may or may not also include a Group VI metals (e.g., molybdenum) in amounts of 1.0-20 wt%. The support for the metals can be any refractory oxide or zeolite or mixtures thereof. Preferred supports include silica, alumina, silica-alumina, silica-alumina phosphates, titanic, zirconia, vanadia and other Group III, IV, VA
or VI oxides, as well as Y sieves, such as ultrastable Y sieves. Preferred supports include alumina and silica-alumina.
A preferred catalyst has a surface area in the range of about 200-500 m2/gm, preferably 0.35 to 0.80 m.~/gm, as determined by water adsorption, and a bulls density of about 0.5-1.0 g/m~.
This catalyst comprises a non-noble Group VIII metal, e.g., iron, nickel, in conjunction with a Group IB metal, e.g., copper, supported on an acidic support. The support is preferably an amorphous silica-alumina where the alumina is present in amounts of less than about 50 wt°/~, preferably 5-30 wt%, more preferably 10-20 wt%. Also, the support may contain small amounts , e.g., 20-30 wt%, of a binder, e.g., alumina, silica, Group IVA metal oxides, and various types of clays, magnesia, etc., preferably alumina.
The preparation of amorphous silica-alurnina microspheres has been described in Ryland, Lloyd B., Tamele, M.W., and Wilson, J.N., Cracking Catalysts, Catalysis: volume VII, Ed. Paul H. Emmett, Reinhold Publishing Corporation, New York, 1960, pp. 5-9.
The catalyst is prepared by co-impregnating the metals from solu-tions onto the support, drying at 100-150°C, and calcining in air at 200-550°C.
The Group VIII metal is present in amounts of about 15 wt% or less, preferably 1-12 wt%, while the Group iB metal is usually present in lesser _6_ amounts, e.g., 1:2 to about 1:20 ratio respecting the Group VIII metal. A
typical catalyst is shown below:
Ni, wt% 2.5-3.5 Cu, wt% 0.25-0.35 A1203-Si42 65-75 A1s03 (binder) 25-30 Surface Area 290-325 m2/gm Pore Volume (Hg)0.35-0.45 mLlgm Bulk Density 0.58-0.68 g/mL

The 700°F+ conversion to 700°F- ranges from about 20-80%, preferably 20-70%, mare preferably about 30-60%. During hydroisomerization, essentially all olefins and oxygen containing materials are hydrogenated. In addition, most linear paraffins are isomerized or cracked, resulting in a large improvement in cold temperature properties such as jet freeze point.
The separation of the 700°F- stream into a CS-4.75°F stream and a 475-700°F stream and the hydroisomerization of 475-700°F stream leads, as mentioned, to improved freeze point in the product. Additionally, however, the oxygen containing compounds in the CS-47~°F have the eflfect of improving the Iubricity of the resulting jet fuel, and can improve the lubricity of conventionally produced jet fuels when used as a blending stock.
The preferred Fischer-Tropsch process is one that utilizes a non-shifting (that is, no water gas shift capability) catalyst, such as cobalt or ruthenium or mixtures thereofy preferably cobalt, and preferably a promoted cobalt, the promoter being zirconium or rhenium, preferably rhenium. Such catalysts are well known and a preferred catalyst is described in U.S. Patent No.
4,568,663 as well as European Patent 0 266 898.
The products of the Fischer-Tropsch process are primarily paraffinic hydrocarbons. Ruthenium produces paraffms primarily boiling in the distillate range, i.e., Clo-C2o; while cobalt catalysts generally produce more of heavier hydrocarbons, e.g., C2a+, and cobalt is a preferred Fischer-Tropsch catalytic metal.

-' 7 Good jet fuels generally have the properties of high smoke point, low freeze point, high lubricity, oxidative stability, and physical properties compatible with jet fuel specifications.
The product of this invention can be used as a jet fuel, per se, or blended with other less desirable petroleum or hydrocarbon containing feeds of about the same boiling range. When used as a blend, the product of this invention can be used in relatively minor amounts, e.g., 10% or more, for significantly improving the final blended jet product. Although, the product of this invention will improve almost any jet product, it is especially desirable to blend this product with refiner jet streams of low quality, particuiariy those with high aromatic contents.
By virtue of using the Fischer-Tropsch process, the recovered distillate has essentially nil sulftu and nitrogen. These hetero-atom compounds are poisons for Fischer-Tropsch catalysts and are removed from the methane containing natural gas that is a convenient feed for the Fischer-Tropsch process.
Sulfur and nitrogen containing compounds are, in any event, in exceedingly low concentrations in natural gas. Further, the process does not make aromatics, or as usually operated, virtually no aromatics are produced. Some olefins are produced since one of the proposed pathways for the production of paraffms is through an olefinic intermediate. Nevertheless, olefin concentration is usually quite low.
Oxygenated compounds including alcohols and some acids are produced during Fischer-Tropsch processing, but in at least one well known process, oxygenates and unsaturates are completely eliminated from the product by hydrotreating. See, for example, the Shell Middle Distillate Process, Eiler, J., Posthuma, S.A., Sie, S.T., Catalysis Letters, 1990, 7, 253-270.
We have found, however, that small amounts of oxygenates, preferably alcohols, provide exceptional lubricity for jet fuels. Far example, as illustrations will show, a highly paraffinic jet fuel with small amounts of oxygenates has excellent lubricity as shown by the B4CLE test (ball on cylinder lubricity evaluator). However, when the oxygenates were not present, for example, by extraction, absorption over molecular sieves, hydroprocessing, etc., to a level of less than 10 ppm wt oxygen {water free basis) in the fraction being tested , the lubriciiy was quite poor.
By virtue of the processing scheme disclosed in this invention a part of the lighter, 700°F- fraction, i.e., the 250°F-475°F fraction is not subjected to any hydrotreating. In the absence of hydrotreating of this fraction, the small amount of oxygenates, primarily linear alcohols, in this fraction are preserved, while oxygenates in the heavier fraction are eliminated during the hydro-isomerization step. The valuable oxygen containing compounds, for lubricity purposes, are C~+, preferably C~-C,2, and more preferably C9-C12 primary alcohols are in the untreated 250-475°F fraction. Hydroisomerization also serves to increase the amount of iso- paraffins in the distillate fuel and helps the fuel to meet freeze point specifications.
The oxygen compounds that are believed to promote Iubricity may be described as having a hydrogen bonding energy greater than the bonding energy of hydrocarbons (these energy measurements for various compounds are available in standard references); the greater the difference, the greater the lubricity effect. The oxygen compounds also have a lipophilic end and a hydrophilic end to show wetting of the fuel.
While acids are oxygen containing compounds, acids are corrosive and are produced in quite small amounts during Fischer-Tropsch processing at non-shift conditions. Acids are also di-oxygenates as opposed to the preferred mono-oxygenates illustrated by the linear alcohols. Thus, di- or poly-oxygenates are usually undetectable by infra red measurements and are, e.g., less than about 15 wppm oxygen as oxygen.
Non-shifting Fischer-Tropsch reactions are well known to those skilled in the art and may be characterized by conditions that minimize the formation of C02 by products. These conditions can be achieved by a variety of methods, including one or more of the following: operating at relatively low CO
partial pressures, that is, operating at hydrogen to C~ rarios of at least about 1.7/1, preferably about 1.711 to about 2.511, more preferably at least about 1.9/1, and in the range 1.9/1 to about 2.311, all with an alpha of at least about 0.88, preferably at least about 0.91; temperatures of about 175-225°C, preferably 180-,:9-220°C; using catalysts c~mprising cobalt or ruthenium as the primary Fischer-Tropsch catalysis agent.
The amount of oxygenates present, as oxygen on a water free basis is relatively small to achieve the desired lubricity, i.e., at least about 0.01 wt%
oxygen (water free basis), preferably 0.01-0.5 wt% oxygen (water free basis), more preferably 0.02-0.3 wt% oxygen (water free basis).
The following examples will serve to illustrate, but not limit this invention.
Hydrogen and carbon monoxide synthesis gas (H2:C0 2.11-2.16) were converted to heavy paraffins in a slurry Fischer-Tropsch reactor. The catalyst utilized for the Fischer-Tropsch reaction was a titanic supported cobaltlrhenium catalyst previously described in U.S. Patent 4,568,663. The reaction conditions were 422-4.28°F, 287-289 psig, and a linear velocity of 12 to 17.5 cmlsec. The alpha of the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis step was 0.92. The paraffinic Fischer-Tropsch product was then isolated in three nominally different boiling streams, separated utilizing a rough flash. The three approximate boiling fractions were: 1) the CS-500°F boiling fraction, designated below as F-T Cold separator Liquids; 2) the 500-700°F boiling fraction designated below as F-T
Hot Separator Liquids; and 3) the 700°F+ boiling fractian designated below at F-T Reactor Wax.
Example 1 Seventy wt% of a Hydroisomerized F-T Reactor Wax, 16.8 wt%
Hydrotreated F-T Cold Separator Liquids and 13.2 wt% Hydrotreated F-T Hot Separator Liquids were combined and rigorously mixed. Jet Fuel A was the 250-475°F boiling fraction of this blend, as isolated by distillation, and was prepared as follows: the hydroisomerized F-T Reactor Wax was prepared in flow through, fixed bed unit using a cobalt and molybdenum promoted amorphous silica-alumina catalyst, as described in U.S. Patent 5,292,989 and U.S. Patent 5,378,348. Hydroisomerization conditions were 708°F, 750 psig H2, 2500 SCFB H2, and a liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV~ of 0.7-0.8. Hydrotreated F-T Cold and Hot Separator Liquid were prepared using a flow through fixed - 1~-bed reactor and commercial massive nickel catalyst. Hydrotreating conditions were 450°F, 430 psig HZ, 1000 SCFB H2, and 3.0 LHSV. Fuel A is representative of a typical of a completely hydrotreated cobalt derived Fischer-Tropsch jet fuel, well known in the art.
Example 2 Seventy Eight wt% of a Hydroisomerized F-T Reactor Wax, 12 wt% Unhydrotreated F-T Cold Separator Liquids, and I O wt% F-T Hot Separator Liquids were combined and mixed. Set Fuel B was the 250-475°F
boiling fraction of this blend, as isolated by distillation, and was prepared as follows: the Hydroisomerized F-T Reactor Wax was prepared in flow through, fixed bed unit using a cobalt and molybdenum promoted amorphous silica-alumina catalyst, as described in U.S. Patent 5,292,989 and U.S. Patent 5,378,348. Hydroisomerization condirions were fi90°F, 725 psig H2, 2500 SCFB H2, and a liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV) of O.b-0.7. Fuel B is a representative example of this invention.
Example 3 To measure the lubricity of this invention against commercial jet fuel in use today, and its effect in blends with commercial jet fuel the following fuels were tested. Fuel C is a commercially obtained U. S. Jet fuel meeting commercial jet fuel specifications which has been treated by passing it over adapulgous clay to remove impurities. Fuel D is a mixture of 40% Fuel A
(Hydrotreated F-T Jet) and b0% of Fuel C (US Commercial Jet). Fuel E is a mixture of 40% Fuei B (this invention) and 60% of Fuel C (US Commercial Jet}.
Example 4 Fuel A from Example 1 was additized with model compound alcohols found in Fuel B of this invention as follows: Fuel F is Fuel A with 0.5% by weight of I-Heptanol. Fuel G is Fuel A with 0.5% by weight of 1-Dodecanol. Fuel H is Fuel A with 0.05% by weight of I-Hexadecanol. Fuel I is Fuel A with 0.2% by weight of 1-Hexadecanol. Fuel J is Fuel A with 0.5% by weight of 1-Hexadecanol.

~1~~
Example 5 Jet Fuels A-E were ail tested using a standard Scuffing Load Ball on Cylinder Lubricity Evaluation (BOCLE or SLBOCLE), further described as Lacey, P. I. "The U.S. Army Scuffang Load Wear Test", January 1, 1994. This test is based on ASTM D 5001. Results are reported in Table 2 as percents of Reference Fuel 2, described in Lacey, and in absolute grams of load to scuffing.

Scuffing BOCLE results for Fuels A-E. Results reported as absolute scuffing loads and percents of Reference Fuel 2 as described in the above reference.
Jet Fuel Scuffing_Load % Reference Fuel A 1300 19%

B 2100 34%

C 1600 23%

D 1400 21%

E 2100 33%

The completely hydrotreated Jet Fuel A, exhibits very low lubricity typical of an all paraffin jet fuel. Jet Fuel B, which contains a high level of oxygenates as linear, C~-C 14 primary alcohols, exhibits significantly superior lubricity properties. Jet fuel C, which is a commercially obtained U. S. Jet Fuel exhibits slightly better lubricity than Fuel A, but is not equivalent to fuel B of this invention. Fuels D and E show the effects of blending Fuel B of this invention. For Fuel D, the low lubricity Fuel A combined with Fuel C, produces a Fuel with lubricity between the two components as expected, and significantly poorer than the F-T fuel of this invention. By adding Fuel B to Fuel C as in Fuel E, lubricity of the poorer commercial fuel is improved to the same level as Fuel B, even though Fuel B is only 40% of the final mixture. This demonstrates the substantial improvement which can be obtained through blending the fuel of this invention with conventional jet fuels and jet fuel components.

_ 12_ Example 7 An additional demonstration of the effect of the alcohols on lubricity is shown by adding specific alcohols back to Fuel A with low lubricity.
The alcohols added are typical of the products of the Fischer-Tropsch processes described in this invention and found in Fuel B.

Scuffing BOCLE results for Fuels A and F-J. Results reported as absolute scuffing loads and percents of Reference Fuel 2 as described the above reference.
Jet Fuel Scuffng Load % Reference Fuel A 1300 19%

F 2000 33%

G 2000 33%

H 2000 32%

I 2300 37%

J 2700 44%

Example 8 Fuels from Examples 1-5 were tested in the ASTM D~S001 B4CLE test procedure for aviation fuels. This test measures the wear scar on the ball in millimeters as opposed to the scuffing load as shown in Examples 6 and 7.
Results for this test are show for Fuels A, B, C, E, H, and J which demonstrate that the results from the scuffing load test are similarly found in the ASTM
D5001 BOCLE test.

_13_ ASTM DSOOI BOCLE results for Fuels A, B, C, E, H, J.
Results reported as wear scar diameters as described in ASTM D5001 Jet Fuel Wear Scar Diameter A 0.57 mm B 0.54 mm C 0.66 mm E 0.53 mm H 0.57 mm J 0.54 mm Results above show that the fuel of this invention, Fuel B, shows superior performance to either the commercial jet fuel, Fuel C, or the hydrotreated Fischer-Tropsch fuel, Fuel A. Blending the poor lubricity commercial Fuel C
with Fuel B results in performance equivalent to Fuel B as was found in the Scuffing Load BOCLE test. Adding very small amounts of alcohols to Fuel A
does not improve Iubricity in this test as it did in the scuffing load test (Fuel H), but at higher concentration improvement is seen (Fuel J).

Claims (7)

CLAIMS:

1. A process for producing a jet fuel comprising:

(a) separating a product of a Fischer-Tropsch process into a heavier fraction and a lighter fraction;
(b) further separating the lighter fraction into at least two fractions, (i) at least one fraction containing primary C7 - C12 alcohols and having an end point which excludes essentially all n-C14 paraffins and (ii) one or more other fractions;
(c) hydroisomerizing at least a portion of the heavier fraction of step (a) at hydroisomerization conditions and recovering a 700°F- fraction; and (d) blending at least a portion of the fraction (b)(i) with at least a portion of the 700°F- fraction recovered in step (c) to form a recovered product wherein the recovered product of step (d) contains 0.01 to 0.5 wt% oxygen, water free basis.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the (b)(ii) one or more other fractions is hydroisomerized.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein a product boiling in the range between 250-550°F is recovered from the blended product of step (d).

4. The process of claim 2 wherein a product boiling in the range of 250-475°F is recovered from the blended product of step (d).

5. The process of claim 2 wherein the fraction (b)(i) contains substantially all of the C7- C12 primary alcohols.

6. The process of any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the fraction (b)(i) is characterized by the absence of hydrotreating.

7. The process of claim 1 characterized in that the fraction (b)(ii) is 475°F-.