5.

DEMETHANIZER

According to Emerson Process Management (2010) and Siemens Industry, Inc (2013),
demethanization of cracked gas is a complete separation process that separates methane (C1)
as an overhead component from ethane (C2) or ethylene and heavier bottom components. The
demethanizer overhead contains methane with some impurities of hydrogen, carbon
monoxide and traces of ethylene while its bottom contains ethylene and heavier components,
which will be channelled to the deethanizer. From the overhead, hydrogen is removed and
may be obtained as a product through purification before or after demethanization whereas
the removed methane is typically used as a plant fuel or sold (Emerson Process Management,
2010). In order to measure ethylene concentration in the demethanizer overhead, a gas
analyzer is used to monitor and prevent the loss of ethylene product in the overhead of the
demethanizer which is considered as an undesired process. Adjustment of the demethanizer
operation is necessary to reduce ethylene content in the fuel gas overhead to a minimum.

6. DEETHANIZER

Based on Emerson Process

Management (2010) and Siemens

Industry, Inc (2013), deethanization of cracked gas is a complete separation process that
separates acetylene, ethylene, and ethane (C2) as overhead components from C3+ or heavier
hydrocarbon which are the bottom components. The bottom components (C3+) are typically
removed as fuel gas while the overhead components are sent to acetylene converter.

7. ACETYLENE CONVERTER

Shen (2012) defines

acetylene converter or namely

acetylene hydrogenation reactor as a widely used equipment to convert acetylene from the
deethanizer overhead to ethylene and/or ethane in the ethylene plant. Usually in ethylene
plant furnaces, acetylene is produced as a by-product during the pyrolysis cracking of
hydrocarbons. Lewis (1972) emphasizes that acetylene has a hazardous effect on the end
products of ethylene, such as polyethylene thus recovery or removal of acetylene from the
ethylene stream is essentially necessary. It needs to be removed before being channelled to
the ethylene fractionator for C2 fractionation step because acetylene will fractionate with
ethylene (Shen, 2012). According to Siemens Industry, Inc (2013), during the hydrogenation
of acetylene, deethanizer overhead is heated and hydrogen is added to convert acetylene to
ethylene and ethane. Shen (2012) mentions that acetylene hydrogenation is a highly
exothermic reaction so if the unit operating conditions are not carefully controlled, reaction
temperature excursions may occur and will result in HSE issue in the plant. Typically the
effluent from acetylene converter contains less than 1 ppm of acetylene, and traces of
methane and hydrogen.

8. ETHYLENE FRACTIONATOR

According to Emerson Process

Management (2010) and Siemens

Industry, Inc (2013), after acetylene removal, ethylene fractionation or so called C2 splitter is
a separation process which separates ethylene as a high purity overhead product from ethane,
which is combined with propane and recycled for cracking upon its return to the furnaces. In
order to measure ethane concentration in the C2 splitter overhead, a gas analyser is used so
that any adjustment can be made to minimize the ethane impurity in the ethylene product.

Besides, sometimes ethylene product purity in terms of the residual carbon dioxide traces is
also monitored.