Oxidative Desulfurization Process

• US 20080308463A1
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: BP Corporation North America Incorporated (BP PLC)
• Original Assignee: BP Corporation North America Incorporated (BP PLC)
• Inventors: Keckler, Kenneth P., Miller, Jeffrey T., Yedinak, Janet L., Simpson, Russell R.
• Application Number:
  US11/722,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20080308463A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 208/249
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 21/063 Titanium; Oxides or hydroxides thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 29/0308 Mesoporous materials not having base exchange properties, e.g. Si-MCM-41
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 29/89 Silicates, aluminosilicates or borosilicates of titanium, zirconium or hafnium B01J29/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/036 to form a gel or a cogel
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 27/04 with oxygen or compounds generating oxygen

Abstract

Disclosed is a process which reduces the sulfur and/or nitrogen content of a distillate feedstock to produce a refinery transportation fuel or blending components for refinery transportation fuel, by contacting the feedstock with an oxygen-containing gas in an 5 oxidation/adsorption zone at oxidation conditions in the presence of an oxidation catalyst comprising a titanium-containing composition whereby the sulfur species are converted to sulfones and/or sulfoxides which are adsorbed onto the titanium-containing composition.

Claims

1. A process for desulfurizing a distillate feedstock to produce refinery transportation fuel or blending components for refinery transportation fuel wherein the feedstock contains sulfur-containing organic impurities which process comprises:

(a) contacting the feedstock with an oxygen-containing gas in an oxidation/adsorption zone at oxidation conditions in the presence of an oxidation catalyst comprising a titanium-containing composition to convert at least a portion of the sulfur-containing organic impurities to sulfones and/or sulfoxides;

(b) adsorbing the sulfones and/or sulfoxides on to the oxidation catalyst; and

(c) recovering an oxidation/adsorption zone effluent having a reduced amount of sulfur-containing impurities.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the oxidation catalyst is regenerated to produce an oxidation catalyst that contains less adsorbed sulfones and/or sulfoxides.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein the regeneration is carried out by contacting the catalyst with methanol under conditions to desorb the adsorbed sulfones and/or sulfoxides.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the titanium-containing composition is selected from the group consisting of titanium silicate, Ti-MCM, and Ti-HMS.