Processes for Making Adsorbents and Processes for Removing Contaminants from Fluids Using Them

• US 20090217582A1
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sure Champion Investments Limited
• Original Assignee: GreatPoint Energy, Inc.
• Inventors: May, James C., Robinson, Earl T.
• Application Number:
  US12/395,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20090217582A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 48/127.300
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/102 Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/02 by adsorption, e.g. preparative gas chromatography solid sorbent compositions B01J20/00, preparation of inorganic compounds or elements C01
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/20 comprising free carbon; comprising carbon obtained by carbonising processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/30 Processes for preparing, regenerating, or reactivating
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2220/56 Use in the form of a bed
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0903 Feed preparation
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0916 Biomass
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0943 Coke
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 2300/0986 Catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C10J 3/54 Gasification of granular or pulverulent fuels by the Winkler technique, i.e. by fluidisation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/145 the feedstock being materials of biological origin

Abstract

The present invention provides carbon-containing adsorbent materials as well as processes for making them and processes for using them to remove contaminants from fluids. One embodiment of the invention is a process for removing a contaminant from a fluid, the process comprising: (a) providing an activated carbon material made using a process comprising (1) providing a particulate petroleum coke feedstock; (2) reacting the petroleum coke feedstock in a gasifying reactor in the presence of steam and an alkali metal gasification catalyst under suitable temperature and pressure to form a plurality of gaseous products comprising methane and at least one or more of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and other higher hydrocarbons, and a petroleum coke char residue comprising an alkali metal gasification catalyst residue; and (3) substantially extracting the alkali metal gasification catalyst residue from the petroleum coke char residue to form the carbon-containing adsorbent material; and (b) contacting the fluid with the carbon-containing adsorbent material to form a contaminated carbon-containing adsorbent material and a purified fluid.

Claims

1. A process for removing a contaminant from a fluid, the process comprising the steps of:

providing a carbon-containing adsorbent material made using a process comprising

providing a particulate petroleum coke feedstock;

reacting the petroleum coke feedstock in a gasifying reactor in the presence of steam and an alkali metal gasification catalyst under suitable temperature and pressure to form the plurality of gaseous products comprising methane and at least one or more of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and other higher hydrocarbons, and a petroleum coke char residue comprising an alkali metal gasification catalyst residue; and

substantially extracting the alkali metal gasification catalyst residue from the petroleum coke char residue to form the carbon-containing adsorbent material; and

contacting the fluid with the carbon-containing adsorbent material to form a contaminated carbon-containing adsorbent material and a purified fluid.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the process for making the carbon-containing adsorbent material further comprises at least partially separating the plurality of gaseous products to form a gas stream comprising a predominant amount of one of the gaseous products.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the process for making the carbon-containing adsorbent material further comprises grinding the petroleum coke char residue to reduce its particle size.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the process for making the carbon-containing adsorbent material further comprises contacting the carbon-containing adsorbent material with an oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature in the range of from about 200°

C. to about 1300°

C.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein in the process for making the carbon-containing adsorbent material, the reaction of the petroleum coke feedstock is carried out in an atmosphere having less than about 1% O₂ by volume.

6. The process of claim 1, further comprising contacting the contaminated carbon-containing adsorbent material with an oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature in the range of from about 200°

C. to about 1300°

C.

7. The process of claim 1, further comprising reacting the contaminated carbon-containing adsorbent material in a gasifying reactor in the presence of steam and an alkali metal gasification catalyst under suitable temperature and pressure to form the plurality of gaseous products comprising methane and at least one or more of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and other higher hydrocarbons, and a recycled petroleum coke char residue comprising an alkali metal gasification catalyst residue.

8. The process of claim 7, further comprising extracting the alkali metal gasification catalyst residue from the recycled petroleum coke char residue to form a recycled carbon-containing adsorbent material.

9. A process for removing a contaminant from a fluid, the process comprising the steps of:

providing a particulate petroleum coke feedstock;

reacting the petroleum coke feedstock in a gasifying reactor in the presence of steam and an alkali metal gasification catalyst under suitable temperature and pressure to form a plurality of gaseous products comprising methane and at least one or more of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and other higher hydrocarbons, and a petroleum coke char residue comprising an alkali metal gasification catalyst residue; and

substantially extracting the alkali metal gasification catalyst residue from the petroleum coke char residue to form a carbon-containing adsorbent material; and

contacting the fluid with the carbon-containing adsorbent material to form a contaminated carbon-containing adsorbent material and a purified fluid.

10. A process of making a carbon-containing adsorbent material, the process comprising the steps of:

providing a particulate petroleum coke feedstock;

reacting the petroleum coke feedstock in a gasifying reactor in the presence of steam and an alkali metal gasification catalyst under suitable temperature and pressure to form a plurality of gaseous products comprising methane and at least one or more of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and other higher hydrocarbons, and a petroleum coke char residue comprising an alkali metal gasification catalyst residue;

substantially extracting the alkali metal gasification catalyst residue from the petroleum coke char residue to form the carbon-containing adsorbent material; and

contacting the carbon-containing adsorbent material with an oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature in the range of from about 200°

C. to about 1300°

C.

11. The process of claim 10, further comprising at least partially separating the plurality of gaseous products to form a gas stream comprising a predominant amount of one of the gaseous products.

12. The process of claim 10, further comprising grinding the petroleum coke char residue to reduce its particle size.

13. The process of claim 10, wherein the reaction of the petroleum coke feedstock is carried out in an atmosphere having less than about 1% O₂ by volume.

14. A carbon-containing adsorbent material made by the process of claim 10.