Catalytic Distillation
Technologies:
Catalytic distillation drives superior process efficiency by combining reaction and fractionation into a single unit operation. As an important part of our Light Molecules portfolio, this process intensification offers advanced solutions for ethers, (CDMtbe, CDEtbe, CDTame, CDTaee, CDEthers, CDDME), hydrogenation (CD Hydro), and desulfurization (CDHDS/CDHDS+). These technologies help refiners optimize production while minimizing energy consumption and plot space.
Ethers
Ethers are versatile organic compounds used as clean fuel blending components in numerous industries. Our etherification technology portfolio, including CDMtbe, CDEtbe, CDTame, CDTaee, CDEthers and CDDME, holds an industry leading position with over 150 references. Utilizing catalytic distillation (CD), these processes produce ethers and bio ether gasoline blendstocks with lower capital and operating costs through integrated equipment design.
Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE)
The benchmark ether delivering fuel quality and specialty chemical value
Our patented CDMtbe technology is highly flexible in processing various C4 hydrocarbon feedstocks from FCC/RFCC and/ or steam cracker, and dehydrogenation units to produce Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE). MTBE (C₅H₁₂O) is formed by the catalytic etherification of isobutylene with methanol. In petrochemical applications, the CDMtbe process can also be used as pretreatment to produce high purity butene-1 because of their high isobutylene conversion (more than 99% which exceeds equilibrium limitations). The process can also be seamlessly integrated with Thermacrack™ C4 technology (MTBE backcracking process) to enable the production of high purity isobutylene for use in specialty chemical
What sets our tech apart:
- High conversion
- High purity ethers
- Simple and effective control of reaction temperature
- Most effective heat removal technique
- Low capital and energy costs
Ethyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (ETBE)
High performance ether blending for next generation fuels
CDEtbe technology processes a wide range of C4 feedstocks to produce ETBE through catalytic distillation of isobutylene and ethanol or bioethanol. It delivers high purity ETBE for gasoline blending, offering improved octane and compatibility with renewable ethanol. Its flexible design accommodates varied feed compositions and suits both new units and revamps, providing a cost effective route to premium clean fuel components. The process can also integrate with Thermacrack™ C4 technology to produce high purity isobutylene for specialty chemical applications.
What sets our tech apart:
- High conversion
- High-purity ethers
- Simple and effective control of reaction temperature
- Most effective heat removal technique
- Low capital and energy cost
Tertiary Amyl Methyl Ether (TAME)
Enhancing gasoline performance through C5 based ether blending with methanol
Similar to the etherification of isobutylene with methanol, our CDTame technology is also highly flexible in processing various C5 or light cut naphtha (LCN) feedstocks that contain isoamylenes. Tertiary Amyl Methyl Ether (TAME) is formed by the catalytic etherification of isoamylene with methanol. The process can also integrate with Thermacrack™ C5 technology to produce high purity isoamylene for specialty chemical applications.
What sets our tech apart:
- High conversion
- Simple and effective control of reaction temperature
- Most effective heat removal technique
- Low capital and energy costs
Tertiary Amyl Ethyl Ether (TAEE)
Optimizing gasoline performance with C5 derived ether blending with ethanol
The CDTaee process produces tertiary amyl ethyl ether (TAEE) by reacting isoamylene with ethanol through catalytic distillation. When ethanol is sourced from bio based feedstocks, the process supports renewable fuel production. By integrating reaction and separation in a single column, CDTaee achieves high conversion and purity while reducing energy use and equipment requirements, offering an efficient route to clean fuel blending components.
What sets our tech apart:
- High conversion
- Simple and effective control of reaction temperature
- Most effective heat removal technique
- Low capital and energy costs
Mixed Ethers
The CDEthers® process produces a combination of MTBE, TAME and C6/ C7 ethers by the catalytic etherification of isobutylene, isoamylene, reactive C6 olefins and reactive C7 olefins with methanol. Overall unit conversion varies depending on the reactive iso-olefins present in the light cut naphtha stream. This technology can also be fully integrated with Lummus’ gasoline desulfurization technologies.
What sets our tech apart:
- High conversion
- Simple and effective control of reaction temperature
- Most effective heat removal technique
- Low capital and energy costs
Isooctene
High value olefin production from mixed C4 olefins dimerization
The Dimer8 process offers a robust and flexible solution for converting isobutylene from virtually any C4 feedstock into high value isooctene. Using a highly selective catalytic dimerization technology and catalytic distillation, it reliably transforms diverse feed qualities into a premium product with excellent yield and purity. Its streamlined, robust design ensures dependable performance, low operating costs, and easy integration into existing C4 processing schemes, making it an ideal choice for producers seeking an efficient, high quality pathway to fuel and specialty chemical intermediates. The process can also integrate with Thermacrack™ C4 technology to produce high purity isooctene for specialty chemical applications from ethers feedstocks.
What sets our tech apart:
- High selectivity to C8 isoolefins production
- Low capital and energy costs
Hydrogenation Technologies with CDHydro
The CDHydro family of technologies include a wide range of mild hydrotreating technologies using the Catalytic Distillation system for a large range of feedstocks and reactions including selective hydrogenation, hydroisomerization and mercaptan sweetening.
Benzene CDHydro
One unit. Zero compressors. High quality results.
Our patented low-pressure Benzene CDHydro process uses catalytic distillation to simultaneously hydrogenate benzene into cyclohexane and separate C6 products from heavy aromatics in a single unit. This design achieves benzene conversion rates exceeding 90% while preserving catalyst life through a reflux washing action that minimizes oligomer formation. Constant pressure boiling ensures precise, low-temperature isothermal operation for enhanced safety. By eliminating the need for a hydrogen compressor and reducing associated equipment costs, the Benzene CDHydro process offers a precise, proven, and cost-effective route for producing high-quality cyclohexane.
What sets our tech apart:
- Integrated Design: Combines reaction and pre-fractionation and stabilizer in a single unit operation
- Cost-Effective: Requires less equipment than traditional methods and eliminates the need for a hydrogen compressor
- High Conversion: True counter-current operation results in high single-pass conversions for benzene and hydrogen thus eliminating the hydrogen compressor
- Low Pressure operation allows all carbon steel construction
- Precise Control: Constant pressure boiling ensures exact temperature control in the catalyst zone
- Flexible: Applicable to hydrocarbon streams of both low and high benzene content
C3 (MAPD), C4 and C5 CDHydro
Low equipment count, wide range of applications for dienes removal
The CDHydro catalytic distillation technology processes olefin rich C3, C4 and C5 streams to yield distilled olefin cuts free of dienes. The technology is readily applied inside existing or new fractionation columns. The treated olefin streams are used for the recovery of high purity monomers or as feed for alkylation.
What sets our tech apart:
- Lower capital costs due to process intensification
- High selectivity to olefins
- Long catalyst life eliminating need for regeneration and associated equipment
- Distillate product is essentially hydrogen free
- C5 distillate is also made mercaptan sulfur free within the process
CDHydro Deisobutenizer
Full separation of n-butenes from isobutene, high purity products, low equipment count
The CDHydro catalytic distillation technology separates mixed C4 olefin streams into a high purity isobutylene + isobutane distillate stream and a high purity 2-butenes + n-butane stream within one unit operation. The continuous fractionation and isomerization of 1-butene to 2-butenes allows for full conversion of all 1-butene to 2-butenes beyond the isomerization equilibrium limit. This makes it possible to yield a distillate with isobutene without any 1-butene and a bottoms stream with a high yield of 2-butene and free of iso-C4s. The top stream can be further fractionated into high purity isobutene monomer. The bottoms stream is an excellent feed to a metathesis unit for propylene or a CPT unit for high purity 1-butene and 1-hexene.
What sets our tech apart:
- Lower capital costs due to process intensification
- High purity products in single step operation
- Long catalyst life eliminates need for regeneration
- High selectivity and yield to olefins
- Full separation of isobutylene from n-butenes
LCN CDHydro
The LCN CDHydro catalytic distillation technology processes full range FCC gasoline and sweetens and separated the Lights Cat Naphtha cut (C5s and light C6s) in one unit operation by reacting mercaptans to heavier sulfides while preserving the light olefinic compounds. This results in a low sulfur (< 10 ppm) and low dienes overhead product (LCN) with valuable olefins preserved for maximum octane number value as a ready gasoline blendstock. The remaining bottoms product HCN is further processed in our CDHDS process for full desulfurization.
What sets our tech apart:
- Preserves light olefins in the LCN cut
- The distillate product is essentially mercaptan-sulfur free
- Isomerization of alfa olefin to beta olefins further enhances octane number value
- Lower capital costs due to process intensification
CDHDS / CDHDS+
The trusted choice for clean, Tier 3 full range FCC Gasoline
With global licensed capacity exceeding 1.8 million barrels per day, our CDHDS / CDHDS+ technologies use catalytic distillation to selectively desulfurize gasoline by 99+%, enabling refiners to meet strict regulatory (e.g., Tier 3) standards while maximizing octane retention. The system simultaneously hydrodesulfurizes and fractionates streams, optimizing conditions to minimize yield loss. For strict sulfur targets, CDHDS+ adds a second stage to remove recombinant mercaptans. Proven to work with challenging high-olefin feeds globally, these robust technologies offer significantly longer catalyst life than conventional fixed-bed processes, providing refiners with a cost-effective solution for meeting ultra-low sulfur gasoline requirements.
What sets our tech apart:
- Highly selective process
- Capital and operational cost savings
- Feed processing flexibility
- Proven long-term operation worldwide
- Easier operation than fixed-bed reactors
- Essentially mercaptan-free gasoline product
Non-Catalytic Distillation Technologies
Technologies:
HDSelect
Targeted sulfur removal for the gasoline heart cut
Our HDSelect® technology is an advanced selective hydrotreating process designed to deeply desulfurize gasoline-range streams while preserving key performance components such as olefins and aromatics that are critical to maintaining fuel octane.
This precise selectivity enables refiners to meet strict sulfur specifications while maximizing overall gasoline yield and quality. A complement to CDHDS/CDHDS+, HDSelect offers a targeted, cost-effective solution for optimizing the valuable heart cut of the gasoline pool.
What sets our tech apart:
- Ultra-low sulfur gasoline targeting <100 wppm in light fraction and <0.5 wppm in aromatics-rich cut
- Minimum aromatic hydrogenation (<2 wt %) while maintaining olefin content in the final blend
- Efficient hydrogen usage
- Achieves >99.9 wt % conversion of diolefins
ISOMPLUS
ISOMPLUS technology is a simple fixed bed process using zeolite-based catalyst to convert linear-butenes and linear pentenes to their branched isomers: isobutene and isopentenes (iso-amylenes) at high selectivity. Near-equilibrium conversion is achieved with low severity operating conditions, resulting in low capital and operating costs. When combined with our CDMtbe / CDEtbe and CDTame / CDTaee technologies it can yield additional ethers from the normally not reactive linear olefins. When combined with our CDHydro Deisobutenizer technology it can yield extra isobutene as a monomer for PIB and other specialty products.
What sets our tech apart:
- Near-equilibrium conversion of the contained isobutene per pass is achieved at greater than 85% selectivity to isobutene and isopentene
- Hydrocarbon feed containing linear C4 and C5 olefins such as FCC and Steam cracker C4 andC5 cuts can be processed without steam or other diluents, and without the addition of catalyst activation agents to promote the reaction
- High yield of isobutene and isopentenes
- The isomerate product is suitable for making various petrochemicals, such as MTBE, ETBE TAME or HPIB
- Combined with our ethers or the CDHydro Deisobutenizer technology it can achieve high conversion
CDIsom
CDIsom technology is a simple fixed bed process using zeolite-based catalyst to convert iso-butene to linear butenes at high selectivity. Near-equilibrium conversion is achieved with low severity operating conditions, resulting in low capital and operating costs. When combined with our CDHydro Deisobutenizer the conversion to linear butene can be as high as 80%.
What sets our tech apart:
- Near-equilibrium conversion of the contained isobutene per pass is achieved at greater than 85% selectivity to linear-butenes
- Hydrocarbon feed containing isobutene, such as C4 raffinate or FCC C4s, can be processed without steam or other diluents, and without the addition of catalyst activation agents to promote the reaction
- High yield of n-butenes
- The butene isomerate is suitable for making various petrochemicals, such as propylene via Olefin Conversion Technology
- Combined with the CDHydro Deisobutenizer technology, it can achieve high conversion
CDAlky
Best-in-class, low-temperature sulfuric acid alkylation
CDAlky technology is an advanced sulfuric acid alkylation process that has become the alkylation technology of choice for refiners and petrochemical producers looking to invest in a new sulfuric acid alkylation facility. Following the successful start-up of the first CDAlky unit in Dongying, China, in 2013, Lummus was awarded 16 alkylation units over 9 years and has received most of the recent awards for sulfuric acid alkylation units. Central to this solution is a novel reaction system design that improves mass transfer compared to conventional contactors, enabling the reaction of light olefin streams with iso-paraffins. The Lummus CDAlky process is very flexible. It manages a broad spectrum of light olefins as feedstock, producing excellent alkylate quality. Each commercial CDAlky facility now in operation produces the highest quality alkylate, with the highest RON value, best color, and lowest sulfur levels. Due to our novel reactor design and low-temperature operating regime, CDAlky also offers the lowest acid consumption rate.
What sets our tech apart:
- Optimizes performance and lowers capital and operating costs
- Novel reaction system featuring a unique design that improves mass transfer
- Feedstock flexibility. Capable of processing both C4 and C5 olefin streams
- Superior product purity. Improved Alkylate quality: higher ROAD and lower sulfur concentration
- Economic efficiency. Proven, profitable method for producing premium fuel with minimum acid consumption
- Elimination of post treatment for the reaction product (Acid, Caustic and Water washing for the reaction product is eliminated)
- Improves operational reliability
Alky Clean
A solid choice: The world’s safest alkylation technology
Our AlkyClean® process uses a true solid alkylation catalyst to produce premium high-octane fuel. AlkyClean® eliminates the safety risks and environmental hazards associated with liquid acids. The system uses Albemarle’s robust AlkyStar catalyst in simple, scalable fixed-bed reactors that cycle between on-line alkylation and low-temperature regeneration. This innovative design maximizes yield by preventing acid-soluble oil (ASO) formation and removes the need for complex product treatment. AlkyClean offers a safe, cost-effective solution for modern refining.
What sets our tech apart:
- True solid catalyst alkylation process
- Eliminates the need for acid mitigation systems
- Simplifies revamps, using existing infrastructure
Specialty Chemicals
High Purity Isobutylene (HPIB)
High selectivity ethers backcracking or decomposition to premium Isobutylene
Formerly CDIB®, Lummus offers the MTBE or ETBE backcracking or decomposition technology - ThermacrackTM C4 to produce high purity isobutylene (HPIB). Two routes are available: (1) via an integrated unit using CDMTBE® or CDETBE®and ThermacrackTM C4 technologies and, (2) via a standalone ThermacrackTM C4 technology.
In the integrated unit, isobutylene present in C4s from refinery or petrochemical sources is first reacted with methanol to produce MTBE (methyl butyl tertiary ether) via the CDMTBE® process or with ethanol to produce ETBE via the CDETBE® process. The MTBE or ETBE produced is then subsequently decomposed to isobutylene and methanol or ethanol via the ThermacrackTM C4 process. This combination provides a highly selective means of removing the isobutylene from the C4s stream.
A standalone unit can process any commercial grade MTBE or ETBE available in the market. Methanol or ethanol is a by-product from this unit that can be further purified depending on the client’s requirements. Isobutylene purities of greater than 99.9% can be readily achieved employing Lummus’ ThermacrackTM C4 technology.
What sets our tech apart:
- High MTBE or ETBE conversion
- High Isobutylene yield
- Low by-product formation
- Low overall capital and energy costs
High Purity Isooctene (HPDIB)
High-purity Isooctene delivering value across fuel and chemical applications
Lummus offers an integrated combination of proven processes for the efficient production of high purity isooctene to serve both fuel and chemical markets. By leveraging its proprietary technology portfolio, Lummus enables the selective conversion of C4 olefin streams into high value isooctene with excellent product quality and yield.
Lummus’ isooctene production schemes are designed to deliver high selectivity, reliable operability, and consistent product purity while optimizing capital and operating costs. The resulting high purity isooctene is well suited for premium fuel blending or chemical synthesis, offering refiners and chemical producers a robust pathway to maximize value from light olefin or ethers streams.
What sets our tech apart:
- High C8 isoolefins selectivity and yield
- Low by-product formation
- Low overall capital and energy costs
Energy Transition
Meeting the demand for cleaner energy requires efficient routes to produce low-carbon, drop-in fuels. Our portfolio addresses this challenge with advanced processes for bio-ethers production such as bio-MTBE, bio-ETBE, bio-TAME, bio-TAEE and rDME and Ethanol to Alkylate. By bridging the gap between renewable feedstocks and high-performance fuel specifications, these solutions help producers reduce carbon intensity without compromising operational reliability.
Bio-Ethers Production
Our etherification portfolio with catalytic distillation (CDMtbe, CDEtbe, CDTame, CDTaee and CDDME) is fully adaptable to bio ether production when renewable methanol or ethanol and corresponding hydrocarbon feedstocks are used.
Renewable C4 Olefins Production
Through the integrated application of its CD suite of technologies, Lummus offers a flexible route to renewable C4 olefins production.
Ethanol to Alkylate
The world’s first renewable alkylate produced
Our Ethanol to Alkylate solution created the world’s first renewable alkylate, a bio-based, low carbon intensity fuel blending component. The integrated process begins with Braskem's Ethanol-to-Ethylene (EtE) technology (Lummus EtE EverGreen™ technology), which transforms ethanol into green ethylene. Then, the ethylene is converted to butenes by Lummus ethylene Dimerization technology, and then , the butenes are processed in Lummus CDAlky to synthesize a renewable alkylate product with 30% minimum lower carbon intensity than traditional gasoline. A true drop-in blending component, this breakthrough technology pushes producers to the forefront of the industry, offering a scalable, eco-friendly solution that propels the energy transition forward.
What sets our tech apart:
- World’s first renewable alkylate
- World-scale production capability
Ethanol to Jet
The Lummus ETJ process integrates Braskem's Ethanol-to-Ethylene (EtE) technology (Lummus EtE EverGreen™ technology), Lummus' Dimerization and Oligomerization technology, and Chevron Lummus Global's Hydrogenation technology. The overall process encompasses the chemical dehydration of ethanol, the dimerization of ethylene to butenes, the oligomerization of butenes to C8+, and the hydrogenation of the C8+ oligomers.
What sets our tech apart:
- Commercially demonstrated ethanol dehydration to ethylene technology
- Three large-scale Ethylene Dimerization units in operation (more than 37 years of commercial experience)
- More than ten years of commercialization for the Lummus EtJ oligomerization catalyst
- More than 30 years of experience in the hydroprocessing of hydrocarbons
- Synergetic integration of the Ethanol Dehydration, Dimerization, Oligomerization, and Hydrogenation steps for optimal yield and high selectivity to SAF components
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