Method of desulfurization of hydrocarbons
First Claim
1. A method for removing sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds from a liquid fuel that includes, hydrocarbon fuel compounds, comprising the steps of:
- a) oxidizing a liquid fuel with an oxidant to form oxidized sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds;
b) monitoring the oxidizing of said liquid fuel;
c) stopping said oxidizing when greater than about 90 percent of the sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds have been oxidized, but before any of the hydrocarbon fuel compounds have been oxidized;
d) separating the liquid fuel containing oxidized sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds from depleted oxidant; and
e) extracting said oxidized sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds from the liquid fuel by contacting said liquid fuel with a solvent that is selective for the oxidized sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds.
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Abstract
A method for the removal of sulfur and nitrogen containing compounds from petroleum distillates. Sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds are oxidized using a selective oxidant to create compounds that can be preferentially extracted from a petroleum distillate due to their increased relative polarity. Oxidation is accomplished by contacting an oxidant with a distillate under optimum conditions for that distillate and continuing the reaction until oxidized sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds are confirmed. Extraction is accomplished by contacting oxidized distillate with a non-miscible solvent that is selective for the relatively polar oxidized sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds. The oxidized compounds and solvent are separated from the distillate by gravity separation or centrifugation. The distillate is water washed and polished using clay filtration. The extraction solvent is separated from the solvent/oxidized compound mixture by a simple distillation for recycling. The high sulfur/high nitrogen fraction can be recovered using any number of treatments.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for removing sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds from a liquid fuel that includes, hydrocarbon fuel compounds, comprising the steps of:
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a) oxidizing a liquid fuel with an oxidant to form oxidized sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds; b) monitoring the oxidizing of said liquid fuel; c) stopping said oxidizing when greater than about 90 percent of the sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds have been oxidized, but before any of the hydrocarbon fuel compounds have been oxidized; d) separating the liquid fuel containing oxidized sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds from depleted oxidant; and e) extracting said oxidized sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds from the liquid fuel by contacting said liquid fuel with a solvent that is selective for the oxidized sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for removing sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds from a liquid fuel, comprising:
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(a) treating a liquid fuel that includes, hydrocarbon fuel compounds, and sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds with an oxidant to provide a liquid fuel that includes oxidized sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compound and depleted oxidant, wherein the oxidant converts greater than about 90 percent of the sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds, to oxidized sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds, but wherein said treatment is stopped before any of the hydrocarbon fuel compounds have been oxidized; (b) monitoring the conversion of the sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds to oxidized sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds; and (c) extracting the oxidized sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds from the liquid fuel by contacting the liquid fuel that includes the oxidized sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds with a solvent selective for the sulfur- and nitrogen-containing compounds. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification