It doesn’t have to be like this. People don’t have to live in fear of an HF release from their local refinery. A growing number of HF refineries in the nation have successfully converted or are currently converting to modern, proven commercially available alternatives.
IONIC-LIQUID ALKYLATION
Chevron’s ISOALKY™ alkylation process was used in the recent conversion of its Salt Lake City refinery and is being used in the current conversion of Big West Oil’s Salt Lake City refinery. And, in February 2022, Tüpraş announcedit has selected Chevron’s ISOALKY™ for its four Turkish refineries.
Well Resources’s Ionikylation ionic-liquid alkylation process is used in a dozen refineries in China. The SCAQMD praised Well’s novel alkylation technology in its ability to mitigate “safety concerns related to volatile acid vapor clouds and acid transportation.”
SULFURIC-ACID ALKYLATION
Sulfuric-acid alkylation is used in Chevron’s El Segundo refinery and in over half of the nation’s refineries that have alkylation units.
Elessent’s ConvEx℠ HF alkylation conversion technology (developed by DuPont Clean Technologies) enables refiners to convert from HF alkylation to modern, vastly safer, sulfuric-acid alkylation technology. And, as Elessent’s website states, “This new technology offers refiners the opportunity for significant capacity increases at minimal additional cost.” Find full information in the article:
Hydrofluoric Acid Alkylation Conversion and Expansion
by Shane Presley and Jason Nunez
DuPont Clean Technologies
Lummus Technology’s CDAlky® sulfuric-acid alkylation technology is an advanced sulfuric acid alkylation process that operates at significantly lower temperatures than conventional technology—below 0°C—which favors the formation of the desired product.–
SOLID-ACID ALKYLATION
KBR’s Solid Acid Alkylation Technology K-SAATTM is being used by CVR Energy in the conversion of its HF refinery in Wynnewood, Oklahoma.
Lummus Technology’s AlkyClean® gasoline alkylation technology employs a zeolite catalyst formulation. Lummus states that the total installed cost of the facility is lower than current liquid-acid processes, as the lack of corrosive acids in the system and the mild operating conditions allow for carbon-steel construction.
For SCAQMD’s update on alternatives to HF alkylation, see the section Alternative and Emerging Alkylation Technologies (report pages 16-21, pdf pages 18-23) in the March 2022 SCAQMD report: Status Update to the South Coast AQMD Refinery Committee on Implementation of Hydrogen Fluoride Safety Enhancements in Proffer Letters for Torrance Refining Company and Valero Refinery.
Torrance Refinery Action Alliance 