Propane Dehydrogenation (PDH) is a catalytic dehydrogenation technology to produce propylene from propane. The Oleflex process, license by UOP, is technology for PDH in HMC Polymers to produce high-quality polymer-grade propylene. Because of fewer impurities in propylene product that lead to consume less polymerization catalyst.

There are 3 sections in UOP Oleflex process: the reactor section, the product recovery section and the catalyst regeneration section.

The reactor section consists of four radial-flow reactors, charge and interstage heaters and reactor feed-effluent heat exchanger.

The recovery section the reactor effluent is cooled, compressed, dried and sent to cryogenic system to separate hydrogen from hydrocarbon. Separator liquid is sent to selective hydrogenation unit to eliminate diolefins. Then liquid hydrocarbon goes to a Deethanizer and Propane-propylene (P-P) splitter to produce a polymer-grade propylene product. And unconverted propane is recycled to reactor section.

The catalyst regeneration section burns coke off and reactivity catalyst continuously during operation