US EPA

1957936 

Journal Article 

Production of diesel fuel from petroleum reformate via the ARODIS process 

Cookson, DJ; Percival, GG; White, N; Jiang, CJ; Trimm, DL 

1996 

Yes 

Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering
ISSN: 1319-8025
EISSN: 0377-9211 

21 

2 

211-224 

WOS:A1996VB43500005 

A novel process is described for converting the light aromatics derived from a petroleum reformate into distillate fuel. The process, ARODIS, involves two stages, hydroalkylation and hydrogenation. In the hydroalkylation stage, aromatics, particularly benzene and mono-substituted aromatics such as toluene and ethylbenzene, are converted with high selectivities to the corresponding alkylated aromatics. A by-product from the first stage is a gasoline fraction of octane number around 100 comprising unreactive aromatics originally in the reformate, and hydrogenated forms of the more reactive aromatics: cyclohexane, methylcyclohexane etc. In the second stage, the hydroalkylation product, nominally boiling above 170 degrees C, is hydrogenated to yield a naphthenic diesel fuel product of cetane number around 40, a cloud point below -50 degrees C, and low aromatic and sulfur contents. The major constituents of this product are bicyclohexyl and its substituted analogues, with smaller quantities of tricyclohexyls. A conceptual process flowsheet for the ARODIS process is described together with a view of how it might be incorporated into a refinery.