Type of heat exchanger used for alkylation with hydrofluoric acid
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Is a floating-head type or a U-tube type used for alkylating hydrofluoric acid? Why? Thank you for the guidance.
Alkylation with hydrofluoric acid is the process of producing gasoline through alkylation using hydrofluoric acid as a catalyst. The advantages include the ability to carry out the reaction at near-room temperature (20–40°C), high catalyst activity and easy recovery, the use of ordinary carbon steel for the equipment, and low acid consumption (0.4–0.6 kg of hydrofluoric acid per 1 ton of alkylated oil) ； The drawback is that the water content in the crude oil must be strictly controlled (below 20 ml/m3) to prevent equipment corrosion ； The biggest problem is that hydrofluoric acid is highly toxic and harmful to both humans and the environment. Most heat exchangers used in refineries are floating-head type, so it is recommended that floating-head heat exchangers be used for hydrofluoric acid alkylation as well.