BASF Process for producing 1,3-butadiene from C4 mixture in details:

First of all, there is a pretreatment for this process, and it is varied from one process to
another:
 In one process, the pretreatment was to add a heater for the C4 mixture to put the
mixture in a temperature that is appropriate for the separation column, in other word is
to separate the vapor phase from the liquid phase of the mixture which will make the
separation process much efficient.
 In other process the pretreatment was to put a surge drum before the C4 mixture
enters the separation column which will result in no fluctuation in the flow.

The selection of the pretreatment varies from one process to the other one, due to the
cost. In some processes the surge drum will be more beneficently than the heater and
the opposite is correct.

Second, the process is mainly consisting of 3 sections:

 2 Extractive distillation columns
 2 Conventional distillation columns
 Degassing unit

(1):

The process starts when a feed of C4 mixture and feed of NMP solvent enter an absorption
column number 1 which is called the main washer column (the first extractive distillation
column). The idea of extractive distillation is to use a polar solvent which will change the relative
volatilities of a mixture that has almost the same boiling point for each component. The working
principle of the absorption column is to separate a bulk material by a solvent. The C4 mixture
will enter the column from the bottom and the solvent will enter from the top. As the C4
mixture goes up and the NMP solvent goes down they will contact, and the separation will
happen. The less soluble components in solvent will be separated from the top and the more
soluble components will be separated from the bottom.

The butane and butene will be the overhead product of the column which they called
Raffienate-1. The absorbed 1,3-butadiene, 1,2-butadiene, C4 acetylenes, propyne, C5
hydrocarbons, and small amount of butene in solvent will be the bottom products of the
column.

(2):

The stripping column number 1 also known as a rectifier column is an equipment that separate
one component or more from a liquid stream by a vapor stream. In column, the liquid stream is
the bottom product from the absorber column number 1 and the vapor stream is the separated
hydrocarbons from the cooling tower in the degassing unit. In the top half of the column the
butene is stripped of the solvent stream and returned to the absorber column number 1. A side
stream containing 1,3-butadiene and small amount of acetylenic compounds like (vinyl and
ethyl-acetylene) is separated from the column and fed to an absorber column number 2 which
also known as After wash column (second extractive distillation column). The bottom product of
the column is a rich NMP solvent with C4 acetylenes and C5 hydrocarbons is heated in a
preheater to separate the liquid phase from the vapor phase and then fed to a degasser column
in the degassing unit via a recycle gas compressor.

(3):

The second absorber column also known as an after-wash column (second extractive distillation
column). The column has the same working principle as the absorber column number 1. The
NMP solvent enter the column as a top product and the side stream from the stripping column
number 1 enter the column from the bottoms. The overhead product from the column is a
crude butadiene which fed to a propyne column. The absorbed C4 acetylene and C5
hydrocarbons in solvent is separated as a bottom product and returned to the stripping column.

(4):

The first fractional column also known as a propyne column (first conventional distillation
column). The column separates the liquid mixture to fraction depending on the difference in
volatilities. The overhead product from the absorber column number 2 is separated in the
column. The overhead product is the propyne. The bottom product of the column
(1,3butadiene, 1,2-butadiene, and C5 hydrocarbons components) is sent to the second
fractional column also known as a butadiene column (second conventional distillation column).

(5):

The second fractional column works as the first one. The overhead product is the purified 1,3-
butadiene. And the bottom product is the 1,2-butadiene and C5 hydrocarbons.

(6):

The degassing unit consists of degasser column, water scrubber, cooling tower, and train of heat
exchangers.

(6.1):

In the bottom product from the stripping column number 1 is heated and then fed to a stripping
column number 2 also known as degasser column. In this column the rich NMP solvent is
regenerated to a lean NMP solvent which will be fed to both absorber column 1&2. The solvent
vapor is used as the stripping medium to remove hydrocarbons from the NMP solvent. The
bottom product of the column is the hot stripped solvent and then it is cooled against a series of
heat exchangers (cooler). Then it is feed to both absorber columns 1&2. A side stream from the
column is the components that is more soluble in the solvent than 1,3-butadiene soluble in
solvent and it is fed to a water scrubber. The overhead product is a hydrocarbon which is sent to
a cooling tower.

(6.2):

The overhead product from the stripping column number 2 is fed to a cooling tower. In the
cooling tower, the heat is removed from the stream by a direct contact with solvent (NMP &
Water). Then it is fed to the stripping column number 1 via a recycle gas compressor.

(6.3):

The side stream from the stripping column number2 is set to a water scrubber. First the stream
is diluted with raffinante-1 since its consider as a small amount and then fed to a water
scrubber. From it is name water scrubber, it is classified as a wet scrubber. In this column
pollutant is removed by liquid solvent or water-based solvent. The scrubbed C4 acetylene gasses
are sent to disposal and the aqueous phase stream is sent back the to the middle zone in the
stripping column number 2.