Hydrates in Ethylene Plant Cold Section

Ethylene plants are at risk of hydrate formation due to the very nature of the process: wet hot section followed by high-pressure, cryogenic separation section.  Hydrates have been and continue to be a problem that ethylene plant operators need to understand, pay close attention to, and be prepared to mitigate. This tutorial discusses the background of hydrates and when they form, the typical operational problems that can lead to the conditions for hydrate formation, practical advice on how to mitigate the causes of formed hydrates, and some example case studies.