INTEGRATED PROCESSING OF BOTTOM RESIDUES OF PETROCHEMICALS (KON-92)

The bottom residues of petrochemicals (КОN-92), TU RUS 38.48424318-03-2000, is a by-product of butyl and 2-ethylhexyl alcohols production of the Perm enterprise Sibur-Khimprom. KON-92 is a multicomponent mixture consisting of ethers and esters, derivatives of dioxanes and trioxanes, aldehydes and alcohols. At present, KOН-92 is being disposed of by adding as a component to bunker, furnace or boiler fuel.

We are developed a scheme for the more qualified use of KON-92 with the production of popular products - cetane additives for diesel fuel and desiccant.

The cetane additive increases the cetane number of the diesel fuel, as a result of which the flammability of it improves, its consumption decreases, the engine stiffness decreases, the starting characteristics at low temperature increase, and carbon formation decreases.

Desiccants are auxiliary substances that are added to oil paints and varnishes to accelerate the drying process. They are divided into primary (true) and auxiliary (promoters), which have an activating effect on primary driers. Salts (soaps) of monocarboxylic acids (2-ethylhexanoic, 2-ethylheptanoic, naphthenic, etc.) with polyvalent metals (cobalt, manganese, iron, etc.) are used as primary driers. As auxiliary driers, metal salts with a constant valence are used (calcium, magnesium, zinc, etc.). In the industry, desiccants are produced primarily in the form of solutions in volatile organic solvents.

One of the components of KON-92 is 2-ethylhexanoic acid, which content in the product is on average 5-8%.

To obtain a desiccant, 2-ethylhexanoic acid is isolated from KON-92 by treatment with an aqueous solution of an alkaline reagent, followed by separation of the aqueous and organic layers. The aqueous layer is then treated with acid to isolate 2-ethylhexanoic acid.

2-Ethylhexanoic acid is not soluble in water and forms an organic layer, which is easily separated from the aqueous. By treating the organic layer with cobalt hydroxide, a cobalt salt of 2-ethylhexanoic acid is obtained, which is diluted with white spirit or another solvent to the desired concentration to obtain the marketable form.

The organic layer after washing with water and drying can be used as a cetane additive in diesel fuel.