The document summarizes ethylene production via naphtha cracking. It provides an overview of the history and development of naphtha cracking and steam cracking processes. It also discusses global ethylene consumption trends, production processes like steam cracking, MTO, and green routes. The key drivers of increasing ethylene demand are highlighted as polyethylene production. Major existing naphtha crackers in India and their capacities are listed. Process design considerations for ethylene plants emphasize safety, energy efficiency, and reliability.

1. Naphtha Cracking Unit: Ethylene
Production
Literature Survey
Mayank Mehta Rakesh Choudhary
Nikita Mittal Akshara Goyal
CH#2
MALAVIYA
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 2014-15

2. Content
 Overview
 History
 Production and Consumption scenario
 Manufacturers
 Process design considerations
 Flow sheets
 Various Manufacturing processes of ethylene
 Refinery processes
 MTO Methanol to Ethylene
 Green Ethylene
 References
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3. An overview:
Cracking
Cracking
Less valuable
products:
Naphtha
(C1 – C9)
From refinery
More useful & valuable
products:
Ethylene (24%)
Propylene (20%)
Butadiene (3%)
Petroleum Ether (25%)
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4. conti...
*source- origbouk.ru/products.html
Naptha Cracking-
•Petroleum Industry:
Hydro cracking
•Petrochemical
Industry:
Steam cracking
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5. Recovery after cracking:
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6. Use of products of steam
cracking of naphtha
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7. • 1941: Standard Jersey developed the world’s first
steam cracker at Baton Rouge.
• In 1891 The thermal
cracking method was
invented.
• modified in 1908
• In 1934 factory of Shukhov
cracking process established at
Baku, USSR.
William Burton
Vladmir Shukov
History: NCU
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8. History: Ethylene
 1913: Standard Oil’s scientist patented thermal
cracking process
 1930ties: Ethylene was first separated from coke oven
gas and the first commercial plant for the production of
ethylene was built by Linde at that time
 1941: Standard Jersey (ExxonMobil’s predecessor)
developed the world’s first steam cracker at Baton
Rouge
 1950ties: Ethylene emerged as a large-volume
intermediate, replacing acetylene as prime material for
synthesis
 Today ethylene is primarily produced by thermal
cracking of hydrocarbons in the presence of steam.
 Plant capacities are up to 1-1,5 million t/yr ethylene.Saturday, 04 July 2015 8Department of Chemical Engineering

9. Importance of ethylene and
propylene in the chemical industry
 The largest volume petrochemicals
produced.
 Annual global production of ethylene is
about120 million tons with a continuous
annual increase of some 4 - 5 %
 Ethylene and propylene have no end use,
they are building blocks for a large variety
of chemicals and petrochemical products.
 Polymers are the dominating end-users.
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10. Building Block Of Petrochemicals- ethylene
consumption (sector wise):
*source-2011-november_Olefinek eloallitasa.pdf
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Form of Use Percentage
LDPE 28
HDPE 33
Ethlene Oxide 14
EDC (PVC) 12
Styrene 6
VAM 1
Others 6
28%
33%
14%
12%
6% 1%
6%
Ethylene Consumption
LDPE HDPE Ethlene Oxide EDC (PVC)
Styrene VAM Others

11. Global consumption of ethylene
*source-2011-november_Olefinek eloallitasa.pdf
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1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014
million t/yr 57 61 80 90 110 117 146
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014
million t/yr
million t/yr

12. Main drivers for ethylene demand: PE
*source-2011-november_Olefinek eloallitasa.pdf
Saturday, 04 July 2015 12Department of Chemical Engineering
7
12 14 17 18.5 19.52
4 3
12
18.5 19.5
12
22
29
37
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
1970 1980 1990 2000 2005 2010
milliont/yr
HDPE
LLDPE
LDPE
1970 1980 1990 2000 2005 2010
LDPE 7 12 14 17 18.5 19.5
LLDPE 2 4 3 12 18.5 19.5
HDPE 12 22 29 37

13. World consumption (country
wise)
https://www.ihs.com/products/ethylene-
chemical-economics-handbook.html
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14. Top 10 Ethylene Complexes
COMPANY LOCATION CAPACITY (TPY)
Formosa Petrochemical
Corp.
Mailiao, Taiwan, China 2935000
Nova Chemicals Corp. Joffre, Alta 2811792
Arabian Petrochemical
Co.
Jubai, Saudi Arabia 2250000
Exxon Mobi Chemical
Co.
Baytown, Tex. 2197000
Chevron Philips
Chemical Co.
Sweeny, Tex. 1865000
Dow Chemical Co. Terneuzen, Netherlands 1800000
Ineos Olifins& Polymers Chocolate Bayou, Tex. 1752000
Equistar Chemicals LP Channelview, Tex. 1750000
Yanbu Petrochemical
Co.
Yanbu, Saudi Arabia 1705000
Source: Oil and Gas Journal, 4 Jul 2011
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15. Existing Naphtha / Gas Cracker (2011)
NAME OF
UNIT
STATE FEEDSTOCK Ethylene
Capacity
(TPA)
Sourcing Of
Feedstock
Reliance,
Vadodara
Gujarat Naphtha
Cracker
130000 Jamnagar
Refinery
RIL, Hazira Gujarat Naphtha/ NGL
Dual Feed
750000 Jamnagar
Refinery/
Imported
Reliance,
Gandhar
Gujarat Gas 300000 Natural Gas
produced by
ONGC
Reliance,
Nagothane
Maharashtra Gas 400000 Natural Gas
produced by
ONGC
(Bombay
High)
GAIL, Auriya Uttar Pradesh Gas 400000 Natural Gas
producedSaturday, 04 July 2015 15Department of Chemical Engineering

16. cont...
NAME OF
UNIT
STATE FEEDSTOCK Ethylene
Capacity
(TPA)
Sourcing Of
Feedstock
Haldia
Petrochemical
s Ltd., Haldia
West Bengal Naphtha 520000 IOCL, Haldia
Refinery/Impo
rted
IOC, Panipat Haryana Naphtha 857000 IOC Refinery
(Panipat
/Mathura)
SOURCE - http://chemicals.nic.in/petro1.htm (as of 2011)
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17. Process design
considerations
 Ethylene process is one of most complex
systems in petrochemical industry.
The following challenges have to be faced:
◦ Safety first
◦ High energy efficiency and minimum environmental
emissions
◦ Low production costs and low investment costs
◦ High plant reliability
◦ Simple operation
◦ Good maintainability
◦ Minimum losses
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18. Types of Cracking
 Thermo Cracking
 Catalytic Cracking
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19. Saturday, 04 July 2015 Department of Chemical Engineering 19

20. Saturday, 04 July 2015 Department of Chemical Engineering 20
Ethylene Block Diagram (CB&I)

21. Process Flow Sheet
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22. Various Manufacturing processes of
ethylene
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3. MTO
Methanol to
Ethylene

23. Wide range of feedstock for steam
cracking
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In middle east and North America, ethane is favoured due to price advantage
Gaseous feeds
• Ethane
• Propane
• N-butane/i-butane
Liquid feeds
• Condensates from
natural gas
• Naphtha
• Atmospheric gas oil
(AGO)
• Hydrocracker residue
(HCR), hydrogenated
vacuum gas oil
(HVGO)

24. Considerations for feedstock
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• Lower carbon number gives higher ethylene yield
• Cracking severity influences product yield
• The highly paraffinic nature of the naphtha makes it an excellent
feedstock that provides a high ethylene yield

25. Refinery processes
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Refinery gas is a mixture of hydrocarbons, nitrogen, carbon
oxides, and sulfur oxides. For ethylene production, the most
important components in the refinery gas are ethane, propane,
and propylene.
This new process enables refinery and petrochemical plant
integration that maximizes the benefits to both facilities.
The process enables:
• 30% ethylene yield increase from existing naphtha cracker
• 5-6% octane increase of reformate from reforming unit to
gasoline pool
• 2-3% aromatics yield increase for reformate from reforming
unit to aromatics complex

26. MTO Methanol to Ethylene
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Olefins (e.g., ethylene and propylene) can also be produced
from natural gas (i.e., methane) via: - Methanol
i) Production of methane and oxygen
- Methane is separated from natural gas and is purified
- Oxygen is separated from air cryogenically
ii) Oxidative coupling
4 CH4 + O2 -> <catalyst> → 4 •CH3 + 2 H2O
2 •CH3 -> H3C-CH3 -> H2C=CH2 + H2
• Low yields
• Relatively high energy use in separation and recycling
• Additional oxygen and hydrogen are required for reducing
coking on catalysts
• CO and CO2 emissions

27. Syngas via Fisher Tropsch
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Synthesis gas (syngas = carbon monoxide and hydrogen), is
converted into liquid hydrocarbons.
(2n+1)H2 + nCO -> CnH(2n+2) + nH2O
Process conditions 150-300oC, in the presence of a metal
catalyst
Higher temperatures lead to faster reactions and higher
conversion rates
Advantages:
• environmental friendly by recycling wood and agricultural
wastes
• reduced emissions of greenhouse gases (CO, CO2 , SO2 ,
NOx , unburned hydrocarbons and particulate matters)
• absence of sulphur and nitrogen
• higher combustion efficiency

28. Green Ethylene
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- Scaling miniature reactors to industrial proportions poses a
problem, as even the slightest increase of size of the reactors will
produce less favourable results
- increasing the quantity of microreactors to meet commercial
demands is potentially more costly
Biomass
•Fermentation
of glucose,
starch
Ethanol
•Dehydration
Ethylene

29. • Olefins from conventional and heavy feedstock's: Energy
use in steam cracking and alternative processes. Energy 31
(2006) 425-251, By Tao Ren, Martin Patel, Kornelis Blok
• http://chemicals.nic.in/petro1.htm (as of 2011)
• http://cpcb.nic.in/upload/NewItems/NewItem_130_emmstdpe
trochemplants.pdf
• https://www.ihs.com/products/ethylene-chemical-economics-
handbook.html
• 2011-november_Olefinek eloallitasa
• James. G. Speight (2006). The Chemistry and Technology of
Petroleum (4th ed.). CRC Press.
• Dr. Ram Prasad (2010). Petroleum refining Technology (1st
edition). Khanna publishers
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References

30. Naphtha Cracking Unit: Ethylene
Production
Literature Survey
Mayank Mehta Nikita Mittal Rakesh Choudhary
Akshara Goyal
CH#2
21-02-2015
Saturday, 04 July 2015 30Department of Chemical Engineering