Recycled content paraxylene from recycled content pyrolysis vapor

Abstract

Processes and facilities for producing a recycled content hydrocarbon product directly or indirectly from waste plastic. Processing schemes are described herein for converting waste plastic (or hydrocarbon having recycled content derived from waste plastic) into useful intermediate chemicals and final products. In some aspects, recycled content aromatics (r-aromatics) can be processed to provide recycled content paraxylene (r-paraxylene), which can then be used to provide recycled content terephthalic acid (r-TPA) and/or recycled content polyethylene terephthalate (r-PET).

1 . A method of a producing a recycled-content distillation product stream comprising:
 (a) pyrolyzing waste plastic to produce a pyrolysis vapor stream;   (b) introducing at least a portion of said pyrolysis vapor stream, in vapor form, into at least one distillation column along with a crude oil feedstock; and   (c) distilling, within said at least one distillation column, said pyrolysis vapor stream and said crude oil feedstock stream to produce said recycled-content distillation product stream.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least 50 wt. %, 75 wt. %, at least 90 wt. %, at least 95 wt. %, or 100 wt. % of said pyrolysis vapor stream, in vapor form, is introduced into said at least one distillation column, and the weight ratio of said crude oil feedstock to said pyrolysis vapor stream introduced into said at least one distillation column is at least 10:1, at least 50:1, at least 100:1, at least 500:1, or at least 1000:1. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said recycled-content distillation product stream comprises a recycled-content distillation overhead gas stream. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising separating at least a portion of said recycled-content distillation overhead gas stream into a recycled-content alkanes stream and a recycled-content olefins stream. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising processing at least a portion of said recycled-content alkanes stream within a steam cracker of a steam cracking facility, said steam cracking facility comprising at least said steam cracker, a quench section, and a separation section, and at least a portion of said recycled-content distillation overhead gas stream is fed to said separation section of said steam cracking facility to produce said recycled-content alkanes stream and said recycled-content olefins stream. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein a recycled-content pyrolysis gasoline stream is produced from said quench section, and wherein said recycled-content pyrolysis gasoline stream comprises recycled-content p-xylene. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein at least a portion of said recycled-content pyrolysis gasoline stream is further processed within an aromatics complex to produce a recycled-content p-xylene-containing product stream, wherein said product stream comprises at least 90 wt. % p-xylene. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 3 , wherein said recycled-content distillation overhead gas stream comprises at least 25 wt. %, at least 30 wt. %, at least 35 wt. %, at least 40 wt. %, at least 45 wt. %, at least 50 wt. %, or at least 55 wt. % of C4 or lighter hydrocarbon compounds; or said recycled-content distillation overhead gas stream comprises a total C3-C4 hydrocarbon compounds content by mass that is greater than a total content of C1-C2 hydrocarbon compounds by mass within said recycled-content distillation overhead gas stream. 
     
     
         9 . A method of producing recycled-content p-xylene comprising feeding a recycled-content pyrolysis gasoline stream to an aromatics complex, wherein at least a portion of said recycled-content pyrolysis gasoline stream is obtained by:
 (a) separating a recycled-content distillation column overhead stream into a recycled-content alkanes stream and a recycled-content olefins stream; and   (b) cracking at least a portion of said recycled-content alkanes stream in a steam cracker facility and producing said recycled-content pyrolysis gasoline stream.   
     
     
         10 . A method of producing recycled content p-xylene comprising feeding a recycled-content pyrolysis gasoline stream to an aromatics complex, wherein at least a portion of said recycled-content pyrolysis gasoline stream is obtained by:
 (a) introducing a recycled-content distillation column overhead stream into a separation section of a steam cracker facility, said steam cracker facility comprising a cracking section, a quench section and said separation section;   (b) recovering a recycled-content alkanes stream from said separation section;   (c) introducing at least a portion of said recycled-content alkanes stream into said cracking section; and   (d) recovering a recycled-content pyrolysis gasoline stream from said quench section.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein at least 75 wt. %, at least 90 wt. %, at least 95 wt. %, or 100 wt. % of said pyrolysis vapor stream, in vapor form, is introduced into said at least one distillation column. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein a weight ratio of said crude oil feedstock to said pyrolysis vapor stream introduced into said at least one distillation column is at least 10:1, at least 50:1, at least 100:1, at least 500:1, or at least 1000:1. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said separating step comprises feeding said at least a portion of said recycled-content overhead gas stream to a separation section of said steam cracker facility. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said recycled-content pyrolysis gasoline stream is produced from a quench section of said steam cracking facility. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said recycled-content pyrolysis gasoline stream comprises said recycled-content p-xylene. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said recycled-content pyrolysis gasoline is processed within said aromatics complex to produce a recycled-content p-xylene-containing product stream, wherein said product stream comprises at least 90 wt. % p-xylene. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said recycled-content distillation overhead gas stream comprises at least 25 wt. %, at least 30 wt. %, at least 35 wt. %, at least 40 wt. %, at least 45 wt. %, at least 50 wt. %, or at least 55 wt. % of C4 or lighter hydrocarbon compounds, or said recycled-content distillation overhead gas stream comprises a total C3-C4 hydrocarbon compounds content by mass that is greater than a total content of C1-C2 hydrocarbon compounds by mass within said recycled-content distillation overhead gas stream. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said recycled-content distillation overhead gas stream does not undergo processing to separate olefin compounds therefrom prior to being introduced to said steam cracker facility. 
     
     
         19 . A method of generating and processing a recycled-content pyrolysis vapor produced from waste plastic comprising:
 (a) pyrolyzing said plastic waste to produce said recycled-content pyrolysis vapor;   (b) recovering a recycled-content pyrolysis oil stream and a recycled-content pyrolysis gas stream from said recycled-content pyrolysis vapor;   (c) feeding at least a portion of said recycled-content pyrolysis oil stream to at least one distillation column, said at least one distillation column also being fed a crude oil feedstock; and   (d) feeding at least a portion of said recycled-content pyrolysis gas stream to said at least one distillation column.   
     
     
         20 . A method of generating and processing a recycled-content pyrolysis vapor produced from waste plastic comprising:
 (a) pyrolyzing said plastic waste to produce said recycled-content pyrolysis vapor;   (b) recovering a recycled-content pyrolysis oil stream and a recycled-content pyrolysis gas stream from said recycled-content pyrolysis vapor; and   (c) feeding at least a portion of said recycled-content pyrolysis gas stream to at least one distillation column, said at least one distillation column also being fed a crude oil feedstock.