Total isomerization process (TIP) innovations

Environmental legislation recently enacted and currently proposed is having a profound impact on refinery operations worldwide. It is well know, for example, that the lead phase-down in the United States has created a tremendous demand for new approaches to increasing octane. Proposed legislation aimed at lowering the RVP and benzene content of gasoline could put further pressure on the requirement for increased octane since both normal butane and benzene are relatively high octane components in the gasoline pool. Drawing on four decades of experience in molecular sieve catalyst and adsorbent technology, Union Carbide has introduced process alternatives for isomerization that are helping refiners to satisfy the ever increasing demands for more octane at reduced investment.